17x02 - My Life with the Wave

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

[Laughing]
whoa!

That one almost got me.

I'm avoiding
the waves today

Because it's still
early spring here,

And the water's
just a little bit cold.

But I love coming down
to the ocean's edge

And watching the surf.

Today, here on long beach,

The waves are not too big, and
they're not too little either.

In fact, they're
just about right,

But on beaches
all over the world,

Waves can be
totally different.

Almost everyone is fascinated by
the energy and rhythm of waves,

But when you're a surfer,

You actually get on top
of a wave and ride it,

As best as you're able,
back toward the beach.

Surfers straddle
their boards

And paddle out
beyond the breakers,

Always in search of a ride
on that perfect wave.

Well, fellas,
are you ready?

Surfers: yeah!

Levar: I think
the surf is up!

Let's go!

Let's go
surfin'!

Let's go
surfin'!

[Whistle blows]

Awesome!

When you catch
a really good wave,

I don't think there's
anything that really
compares to it.

That was cold!

Fantastic!

I've been surfing for 16 years,
since I was 12.

I can't compare it to anything.

[Barks]

How was it
out there? Good?

Oh, awesome, yeah!

Surfers know that waves
are a little bit like people.

Each one has its own
unique personality,

And whether they're big and
powerful or mellow and smooth,

One thing is for certain--

Waves are definitely
unpredictable.

That's why the boy in this book
gets into a wave

And ends up a little bit
over his head.

It's called
my life with the wave.

My first trip to the seashore,
I fell in love with the waves,

And just as we
were about to leave,

One wave tore away
from the sea.

When the others tried
to stop her by clutching
on her floating skirts,

She caught my hand,
and we raced away together

Across the wrinkled sand.

My father tried
to send her back,

But the wave cried and begged
and threatened

Until he agreed
that she could come along.

The next morning,
we went to the station
and boarded the train.

The wave was tall and fair
and full of light.

She was bound
to attract attention.

If there was a rule forbidding
waves from traveling by train,

The conductor
might throw her off,

So cup by small cup,
when no one was looking,

I emptied the water cooler,
and she hid herself inside it.

When we arrived home,
the wave rushed into our house.

[Meow]

Before she'd been one wave.
Now she was many.

She flooded our rooms
with light and air,

Driving away the shadows with
her blue and green reflections.

The whole house shone
with her laughter.

Her smile was everywhere.

The sun came into our
old dark rooms and stayed
for hours and hours.

It loved dancing with
the wave and me so much

That it sometimes
forgot to leave.

The wave and I played
together constantly.

If I caught and hugged her,

She would raise up tall
like a liquid tree,

Then burst into a shower
and bathe me in her foam.

If I ran at her
and she stood still,

I'd find myself
wrapped in her arms.

At night, we lay
side by side,

Whispering secrets with smiles
and smothered laughter.

She rocked me to sleep
in her waters

And sang sweet sea songs
into the shell of my ear.

Sometimes in the dark,
she shimmered like a rainbow.

Other nights,
she was black and bitter.

[Thunder]

Cloudy days
enraged the wave.

She smashed my model train,

Soaked my stamp collection,

And covered my room
in her gray and greenish foam.

She was pulled by the moon,
the sun, and the stars.

Her moods were
as changeable as the tide.

I thought she might be lonely

And gave her seashells and
a tiny sailboat to play with.

After she smashed these
against the wall,

I brought home
small fish for her.

She swept them into her arms
and whispered

And played with them
by the hour.

Finally, I grew angry.

Now the wave spent all her time
playing with the fish

And never ayed with me.

I tried to catch them,

But they darted like ghosts
between my fingers,

While the wave poured over me
in foaming laughter.

With the coming of winter,
the wave had nightmares.

She filled the house
with phantoms

And called up monsters
from the deep.

My father said
she would have to go.

The wave was
making us all crazy.

Since I could
never catch the wave,

We packed up
and went away for a time,

Leaving her behind
in the cold.

When we returned,
we found the wave frozen,

A beautiful statue of ice.

Though it broke my heart,

I helped my father
wrap her in a quilt.

Then we carried her
back to the sea.

Now the house is dark again,

And the corners are filled
with dust and shadows.

Sometimes I remember.

My parents say,
"good riddance to bad waves"

And I'm never
to bring home another,

But I miss my friend.

Maybe next year,
if we go to the mountains,

I'll bring home a cloud.

Clouds are soft and cuddly

And would never act
like a wave.

[Thunder]

I guess some things are
best left where they belong.

Waves belong in the ocean,
not in the living room.

But isn't it really cool
to imagine what it might be like

To bring home something
totally outrageous?

What would you bring home
that's absolutely crazy?

If I had to bring something home
really, really outrageous,

Well...

It's hard to decide.

It'd be either a giraffe
or a roller coaster.

I really love to go fast,
so with a roller coaster,

I could go
as fast as I wanted.

If I had some ice cream
and some milk,

I could go on a roller coaster,
and at the end of the ride,

I'd have a milk shake.

If I brought home
a roller coaster,

I'd always have
something fun to do.

I could go, like, up or down
or, like, really, really fast,

Like whoosh!

If I could bring home
anything in the world,

It would be a cloud.

It's soft and fluffy,

And whenever I'm tired,
I can just sit on it,

And it would take me
wherever I wanted to go.

If I wanted to play
hide-and-seek,

I can just go
right into the cloud,

And my sister molly
would never find me.

I could play guessing games
with the cloud.

I could lay in my bed,

And the cloud could
go up to the ceiling
and form different shapes,

And I could guess
what they are.

I could have my friends over
and play a game.

Whoever guesses the most shapes
of the cloud wins.

If I could bring home
anything totally outrageous,

I would bring home
an elephant.

I'd like to bring home
an elephant because,

When I think of an elephant,
it's usually big and heavy

And has huge, floppy ears

And a long, long trunk.

Since elephants can spray
water with their trunks,

I could use it as a sort
of elephant sprinkler.

Could you imagine giving
an elephant a manicure?

I could buy pretty big bottles
of nail polish

And paint
its toenails weekly.

The more I think about it,

It would be really cool
to have an elephant at home.

[Laughing]

Great ideas!

But you know, in real life,
we humans actually do care

For some pretty spectacular
and unexpected creatures,

Especially those
who have gotten into trouble.

These friendly,
funny-faced manatees

Are too big
to fit into the bathtub

And wouldn't be
a bit happy on the couch,

So park ranger betsy dearth
and veterinarian mark lowe

Take care
of injured manatees

In the quiet waters
of h*m* springs.

These marks on
amanda's back, they
kind of look like scars.

Mark lowe:
that's right,
levar, they are.

At times, their
curiosity has gotten
them into trouble--

Getting entangled
in crab trap lines

And also getting
too near boats

And getting injured
from the boat
propellers.

From propellers.

And that's one
of the major causes

Of manatee injuries,
is boating.

They get too close
to these boats,

And their propellers
cut into their skin.

Right. You can see
the several lines
in a row there.

These scars right here she got
being hit by a boat,

And those scars she'll have
the rest of her life.

All these white marks right here
are the scars.

What's on
the menu today?

What are we feeding
these manatees?

Ok, these biscuits
right here

Are monkey biscuits.

These are vitamin-
mineral biscuits.

We give them
lettuce, cabbage,
and carrots here.

They're vegetarians.

They are
vegetarians, right.

Out in the wild,
of course, they
don't get lettuce.

They eat
the hydrilla grass
and hyacinths

That grow
out in the river.

They like to eat.
They can spend
most of their day

Eating, sleeping,
and playing.

Not a bad way
to live, huh?

Right.

Eat, sleep,
and play all day.

So let's talk about
where the manatee
come from, dr. Mark.

They're descended
from which animal,
do we think?

We think
they're descended
from the elephant.

It's their closest
relative on land,

And they have an upper
lip that's very similar
to an elephant's trunk.

It's called
prehensile, meaning
that it will grab.

Here we go with one
reaching and grabbing.

You see how they're
reaching with that.

Just very similar to how
an elephant would reach
and grab something...

With the end
of his trunk.

He has that, like...
They're almost fingers.

Right.

Yeah. And then,
of course, the flippers

And the nails
on the flippers,

They look like
elephants' toes,
don't they?

Right. Very small nails,
again very similar
to the elephant's.

I just love the way
their skin feels,
don't you?

Mark: isn't that neat?

And they do
have sparse body hairs

That are
very difficult to see,

But along their back,
you'll see some
very fine hairs.

Oh, yeah.

Betsy dearth:
one of the things that
makes them a mammal...

Is body hair.

Right.

Uh-huh.

Now, manatees
hold their breath
like we do, don't they?

Mark: right. Just as
they go underwater,
you'll notice

There's a little
valve on the nostril
that closes,

And this keeps
the water
out of their nose.

They breathe
about every


On the average.

Oh, yeah.
There he is breathing...

And then he goes
back down again.

Now, their tails are
really huge and flat,
almost like a beaver's tail.

Mark: right.
They use this tail

To propel themselves
through the water.

Especially when
you're looking at
a 2,000-pound manatee,

They need a large tail
to push them
through the water.

About how many manatees
are left, dr. Mark?

The latest figure we had
was around 1,450-some
manatees in florida.

Uh-huh. That's not
an awful lot, is it?

Not very many.

You know, dr. Mark,
they're really
gentle creatures.

That's, I think,
the most amazing thing.

For an animal this size,

They seem to be just
so gentle and loving.

We call them
gentle giants.

Gentle giants is
exactly what they are.

Levar: when a manatee
playfully tumbles in the water,

It's a sign
he's healthy again.

That's when he's ready
to return to the wild.

The ocean is home to many living
things that need our care,

But beyond the waves and beneath
the surface of warm ocean waters

Live the creatures
of the coral reefs.

Beautiful fish,
magnificent corals, and sponges

All live beneath the waves
like an underwater garden.

Harold hudson and paige
are two scientists

Who are helping to save
the coral reefs

When they are damaged by ships
which come too close.

Harold hudson: when most people
dive to the coral reefs,

They come to enjoy the beauty.

My assistant paige and I
are here on business.

We're looking for a coral
that we can move or transplant

To another location where
the natural beauty has been
damaged or destroyed.

Elkhorn coral grows
easily and quickly.

I think this piece
will do nicely.

People call me the reef doctor
because I help to heal the reef

By mending broken corals,

Treating the corals
that are sick,

And transplanting new corals
to damaged reefs.

First we'll measure the coral

So we can track its growth
at the new site.

Paige records its measurements
and takes notes

On a waterproof pad
with a waterproof pencil.

Next, we very carefully
remove the coral,

Chiseling away
at the base,

Not harming the live coral
on top.

Because living coral tissue can
be injured by too much handling

Or even touching it,

It is a good rule
to look and not touch,

Unless, like
the reef doctor,

You have to
in order to do your work.

Besides the elkhorn, we remove


Brain and staghorn.

The coral is so fragile,
it could easily break,

So handing it up
to elizabeth on deck

Is the most dangerous
part of the transplant process.

Since coral can't live
outside its natural environment,

We carefully place it
in sea water

For the time
it's above the surface.

Oh, boy! Those
really do look nice.

Oh, these are beauties.

They are.

Now remember,
the living surface

Is just this very thin
skin that you see.

Everything underneath
is stone.

Or like
his skeleton.

Right, that he's
left behind as he
continues to grow.

We have a nice base
on this one, too.

Oh, we have a beautiful
base for transplanting.

Hudson: this is the area
where we're going to
place the transplant.

A large freighter
went off its course here

Into the shallow water

And completely
destroyed the coral.

That's why it's so flat,
barren, and lifeless.

This coral will be
its first new inhabitant,

Renewing the cycle of life.

We need a good stable rock

To anchor the coral to.

So we'll chisel this one down
to make a good foundation.

I'll check the rock to make sure
the coral fits.

Then when I know it's right,
I send paige up

For one ball
of the special cement

Elizabeth is mixing
on the boat.

Here we go.

This cement is made especially
to work underwater,

But it hardens very quickly.

We've got to get it
in place right away.

It's made of a fine powder
that sheds easily.

As you can imagine,

This makes it
quite difficult to work with.

Once the cement is in place,
we fit the coral onto the rock

And press
with all our strength.

After we're certain
it's attached,

We know our job is done.

Now it's up to nature
to take its course.

In time, this coral
will help bring life

Back to a part of the reef

That would have been lost
for centuries.

There's only one thing I like
better than relaxing by the surf

And that's relaxing by the surf
with one of my favorite books,

So if you're feeling
a wave of affection for
some reading perfection,

Then here are 3 books
you might want to enjoy.

But you don't have to
take my word for it.

Hello, kids. I'm tequella.

I just read a beautiful book,
and it's all about water.

The name of the book
is water dance.

Each page shows water
in a different way...

Spiraling, plunging...

It's a waterfall!

Rain falling from the sky.

Water's always moving.

Look, a mountain stream.

Still and deep.

It's a lake.

Look at the yellow moon
over the sea.

Isn't it beautiful?

I absolutely want all you kids
to read this gorgeous book.

Remember the title:
water dance.

Hi. I'm alex.

Have you ever been to a stream,
a pond? How about the ocean?

Well, you can visit these places
in this book, our wet world.

There's water everywhere
in our world.

There are streams and rivers

And ponds and lakes

And many other
water ecosystems.

Water is a place
for some animals to live.

Do you see the fish
in this lake?

Many sharks live
in the water, too.

Water, water--
it's everywhere!

The whole world's
a watery place.

You want to find out more?
Read our wet world.

Did you ever think
there was life under the sea?

Well, there is.

It's all beautifully shown
in a book called

Here is the coral reef.

There are so many beautiful and
strange creatures under the sea.

Ooh! Look at the parrotfish.

A big, beautiful cod.

A giant sponge.

I wonder what it feels like.

The water is a home
for many animals.

Look at this giant ray
and this mean-looking shark.

I'm jarell champion.

Next time I go to the beach,
I'll be thinking

Of all the beautiful creatures
under the sea

In this book called
here is the coral reef.

Down where the water breaks

Is where I cook up
some of my best ideas,

So right now I'm going
to share with you

One of my favorite
beach recipes.

All you need
is a bucket, a shovel,

And you're in business.

First you grab some sand...

Put it in your bucket...

And then you go out
and grab a piece of wave.

Always make sure you have

A little bit more wave
in your bucket than sand.

The rest is
a piece of cake.

You grab handfuls of sand, and
then you just sort of dribble it

Into these piles
like you see here.

It not only looks great,

But it feels terrific
between your fingers, too.

Just one word of advice.

Try not to build your castle
too close to the water's edge...

[Laughing]

Or some naughty wave just might
come and wash it all away.

I'll see you next time.

♪ Butterfly
in the sky ♪

♪ I can go
twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

Today's reading rainbow books
are...

My life with the wave
by catherine cowan,

Based on a story
by octavio paz,

Illustrated
by mark buehner,

Published by lothrop,
lee and shepard books,

A division of
william morrow & company;

Water dance
by thomas locker,

Illustrated
by thomas locker,

Published by
harcourt brace & company;

Our wet world
by sneed b. Collard iii,

Illustrated
by james m. Needham,

Published
by charlesbridge;

Here is the coral reef
by madeleine dunphy,

Illustrated by tom leonard,

Published by
hyperion books for children.