Episodes 19, 20, 21

EPISODE #19

Announcer
To all our friends everywhere, we bring you greetings from the Five Brave Adventurers!
That's right... it's KIDSTIME!

If you remember, our friends have just disappeared into the maze of secret tunnels which connect all of Throckmorton Thunkatellit's
antique shops.

Grandpa W
Hadn't you better say Throckmorton W. Thunkatellit.
(The W stands for What-cha-ma-goo.)

Announcer
Oh, yes... thank you.
By the way, this is...

Grandpa Wilhelm...
Beth, the girl who loves birthdays...
Steve, the Chauffeur...
Squawk, the dodo bird with
x-ray vision...
and Little Wonder, the smiling girl from Sunshine Mountain.
Let's listen as they walk through the dark tunnel.
______________________

Grandpa W
I say, it's dark in here.

Beth
You're right, Grandpa, it is.
But that's the way underground tunnels are... dark and mysterious and a little scary. Oh, I love places like that!

Little Wonder
Beth, how can you be so confident in dark places. I like it better outside in the sunshine.

Beth
But you see, Little Wonder, God's love shines even in the dark... just like sunshine. That's the secret. I carry the sunshine with me.

Grandpa W
Beth, that's a very profound thing you just said, and one that would do us all a lot of good, I think. Carry the sunshine with you!

Steve
Where did you learn that idea, Beth? In Sunday School?

Beth
Actually, I'm not sure where I first heard it. But I know it's true, deep in my heart.

Squawk
Well, I'm glad you have
sunshine in your heart, 'cause it's sure dark and gloomy down here. It doesn't look like anyone's been around for ages.

Grandpa W
You're probably right, Squawk. This is an old tunnel. And Throckmorton said it has even caved in in places.

Little Wonder
I don't know if I like it in here.

Beth
Don't be afraid, Little Wonder. Remember, we carry the sunshine
with us.

Grandpa W
That's right. We haven't a thing to be afraid of.

All
Wooooooow!

Steve
What was that?

Grandpa W
Oh, just a large chunk of the ceiling collapsing right in front of us. That's all.

Squawk
Now I see why Mr. Thunk-a-wha-chutney gave you guys a flashlight, a shovel, and a pick.

Beth
Yes, looks like we're going to need them. Here, help me clear a path, Grandpa.

Grandpa W
That's what I like about you, Beth. An obstacle falls in your path, and you tackle it with enthusiasm.

Announcer
And so, just as Beth recommended, the Five Brave Adventurers attacked the fallen debris with their picks, and while they did they sang...
(A flashlight, a shovel, and a pick... oh...)
(A flashlight, a shovel, and a pick... oh...)
...all except for Squawk, who attacked the pile with his beak, and wished he hadn't afterwards.
There are some things you should do, and some you should leave to your friends.

Squawk
I think I'll leave this job for my friends.

Announcer
After awhile, with the fallen debris safely behind them, our friends came to a bend in the tunnel, and just as they were going around it, Squawk suddenly stopped them.

Squawk
Wait, hold on.

Beth
What is it, Squawk?

Squawk
I just saw something. Go back just a little. Yes, there it is. Grandpa, knock a little dust off the wall right there.

Grandpa W
Okay, here goes. Hey, what's this? Why it's a hinge.

Little Wonder
And a hinge means there's
a hidden door.

Beth
And a hidden door means we're about to make a discovery.
Let's go.

Announcer
So the Five Brave Adventurers began working at the wall, and sure enough (after they had knocked enough dirt off it) they found a door, and when they opened it they saw an old, dusty, wooden staircase going up.

Grandpa W
Well, look at that. It's old, but it's still sturdy. Let's go.

Announcer
So up they went, flashlights shining in the dark, until at last they reached the top, where they found another door.

Steve
Looks like this is it... and we have no idea what's on the other side.

Beth
Yes, isn't this exciting? Maybe this goes to a secret country!

Little Wonder
Or maybe a dungeon in a castle!

Steve
Or maybe the kitchen in a pizza place! I'm hungry.

Grandpa W
It's probably one of Throckmorton's antique shops.

Squawk
Actually, you're all wrong, but Steve, you're the closest. I've looked through this door with my x-ray vision, and ladies and gentleman, you are about to enter a luncheonette.

All
WHAT?

Squawk
Shhhh, not so loud.
The cook's asleep.

Grandpa W
Okay, let's go in quietly. Ready, set,
in we go...

Cook
(snoring) Ahhhhh!!!
Where did you guys come from?

Beth
Right through this door here.

Cook
That's not a door. That's an antique cupboard. Been here ever since I bought the place.

Grandpa W
We're sorry to scare you, but we climbed an old staircase, and it came up here. Who are you?

Cook
I'm Cloone, and this is Cloone's Greasy Spoon. So you really climbed an old staircase, and wound up here?

All
That's right, and we're hungry.

Cook
Well, you'll have to tell me all about it while I fix you something good to eat.
What a surprise! I say, weren't you frightened down there?

Beth
No, sir. You see, we carry the sunshine with us.

Announcer
And so the Five Brave Adventurers sat down at the counter of Cloone's Greasy Spoon, and while they were there, Cloone told them some very important information. You know what it was? Tune in next time to find out. Until then, all you kids have a great week, and don't forget your friends at the lunch counter who are...

All
Searching for the Golden Lantern.

EPISODE #20

Announcer
Greetings to all our friends in radioland. Throw a big log on the fire, and pull up a chair... 'cause it's... KIDSTIME!

Far to the north, our five friends have disappeared into the tunnels that connect Throckmorton's antique shops. Finding a hidden door, which revealed an old wooden staircase, they climbed to the top and found themselves in Cloone's Greasy Spoon - a luncheonette. Cloone is busy fixing them something to eat.

Grandpa W
Oh, that smells wonderful. You sure know how to cook.

Cloone
That's what I do. What I don't know is who you guys are?

Grandpa W
Oh, okay. I'm Grandpa Wilhelm. And these are my friends...
Beth, Little Wonder,
Steve, and Squawk.

Cloone
Pleased to meet you, I'm sure.

Beth
It's nice meeting you too, Cloone. We love your charming little luncheonette. How long have you owned it?

Cloone
Quite a while, if I do say so myself. Goes back a number of years. But never in all those years did anyone walk out of that antique cupboard.

Squawk
So we surprised you, huh?

Cloone
Surprised isn't the word! You startled me clear to my bones. And now... lunch is served.

Beth
Mmmm. This looks delicious.

Steve
Yes, with meals this good, we might forget about finding the Golden Lantern.

Cloone
What did you say?

Steve
I said... we might forget about finding the Golden Lantern.

Grandpa W
Perhaps, but I'm sure Throckmorton would find a way to remind us.

Cloone
Wait a minute! You guys were sent here by Throckmorton?
Oh, this is a fine how do you do! Don't eat another bite... not one.

All
Why not?

Cloone
Throckmorton didn't tell you? You are not the only ones trying to find the Golden Lantern.

All
We aren't?

Little Wonder
Who else is trying to find it?

Cloone
You mean you never heard of
the Checkerboard Gang?

All
The Checkerboard Gang?

Cloone
Here, give me your plates. I put sleeping powder into the food.

All
Sleeping powder??

Cloone
I thought you were spying for the Checkerboards.

Beth
Mr. Cloone, this is getting kind of confusing. I think you better start at the beginning and tell us everything.

Announcer
And so Cloone closed the blinds and locked the door, and put up a sign saying the place was closed. Then, while fixing a whole new lunch, he told them this story.

Cloone
It all started when Throckmorton received a letter describing a very valuable Golden Lantern. The letter closed with the phrase,
"Seek and you will find."

Beth
I recognize that... it's from a
verse found in the Bible.

Cloone
Yes. Throckmorton recognized it too, and he decided right then and there to search until he found it.

Little Wonder
But that Bible verse isn't about finding Golden Lanterns.

Grandpa W
No, Little Wonder, you're right. But "seek and you will find" is true in many situations. I guess Throckmorton applied that idea to his search
for the Lantern.

Cloone
Exactly, and after many months, Throckmorton found the Lantern. You know where? In the back room of one of his antique shops! How it got there, he didn't know. But when he went back the next day, it was gone... stolen by the Checkerboard Gang.

Beth
Oh, Cloone, this is getting mysterious. What happened next?

Cloone
Well, the Checkerboard Gang
painted the Lantern silver.

Grandpa W
Ah, sneaky of them. I guess that means we are now...

All
Searching for the Silver Lantern.

Cloone
Then the Checkerboard Gang lost the Silver Lantern when they left it behind at a restaurant.

Squawk
Where did they leave it?

Cloone
Right here...here at Cloone's Greasy Spoon. So you know what I did? I painted it black and locked it in the antique cupboard.

Little Wonder
Then I guess that means we're...

All
Searching for the Black Lantern.

Cloone
But when Throckmorton and I opened the cupboard, it was gone. Then a phone call came saying the Black Lantern had been covered with red velvet, and we could have it back
for a small fee.

Steve
That means the Checkerboard Gang didn't steal it - they would have known how valuable it was.

Cloone
That's right. But the Checker-boards still wanted it. So when Throckmorton went to retrieve the Lantern, they followed him. You know what he did?

All
What??

Cloone
He walked into a post office, and mailed the Red Velvet Lantern to one of his antique shops. But he couldn't recall later which one.

Grandpa W
Oh, I get it. The Checkerboards couldn't take it from him, 'cause he didn't have it. That was smart, mailing it to himself.

Cloone
Yes, but it wasn't so smart forgetting which shop he mailed it to. Anyway, he wasn't there when it arrived, so he doesn't know which shop it's in.

Beth
Does that mean we're really searching for the Red Velvet Lantern?

Steve
First it was a Golden Lantern.

Squawk
Then the Checkerboards
painted it silver.

Beth
Cloone painted it black.

Little Wonder
Then the thief covered it
with red velvet.

Grandpa W
Anything else we need to know?

Cloone
Just one more thing.
Seek and you will find.

Announcer
So, as you can see, the Five Brave Adventurers learned some very important things right there at the counter of Cloone's Greasy Spoon, and they determined that they would seek until they did find.

That's all we can tell you today. Hope all you kids have a great week, and don't forget your friends who are...

All
Searching for the Red Velvet Lantern.

EPISODE #21

Announcer
Hello again to all our friends. These are the stories of the Five Brave Adventurers, and this week - well, I better not say, or I might give it away. Let's just say that...

Grandpa Wilhelm...
Beth, who can hardly wait for her next birthday...
Steve, the Chauffeur...
Squawk, the dodo bird with
x-ray vision...
and Little Wonder, the tiny girl from Sunshine Mountain...

...are back in the mysterious, dark staircase talking things over. ______________________

Grandpa W
Now friends, we've been on this adventure quite a while now. I think it's time we sat down and started using our heads.

Announcer
So that's exactly what they did - they sat down on that old, dusty staircase, with the light from their flashlights casting somber shadows on the walls.

Grandpa W
First, I'd like to review where we've been, and what we've learned
along the way.

Beth
Well, I can tell you where we've been. It started just after we escaped from the Sand Castle. A letter came from Throckmorton.

Little Wonder
Oh yeah. Remember? We had to tell the mailman the name of the Dream Interpreter's wife.

Grandpa W
Little Wonder, you have a good memory. I almost forgot about the Dream Interpreter's wife.

Beth
We looked it up in the big Bible on your coffee table, Grandpa. Her name was Asenath.

Squawk
Then when we told the mailman,
he said to jump into his truck.
We were...

All
Off to Thunkatellit County!

Steve
It was a long ride, remember?
And we were being crushed by boxes, until we discovered the boxes had our names on them.

Grandpa W
That's true. So we opened them up, and what did we find?

All
(A flashlight, a shovel, and a pick... oh...)
(A flashlight, a shovel, and a pick... oh...)

Little Wonder
Yes, and Squawk had...

All
A tent, a camp stove, and a dozen cans of soup.

Beth
Which was Throckmorton's way of giving us what we needed in advance.

Grandpa W
Smart man, that Throckmorton. Kinda taught us a lesson, you know - that God watches over us and He knows exactly what we need.

Squawk
So then we arrived at our campsite in the mountains, and the very next morning, who was there to meet us? Throckmorton W. Thunkatellit.

Beth
(The W stands for What-cha-ma-goo.)

Grandpa W
And he told us he hid the Golden Lantern in one of his antique shops.

Steve
Which we now know isn't quite true. What really happened was he mailed the Lantern to one of his shops, but he can't remember which one.

Little Wonder
We also know that when he mailed it, it was no longer golden.

Beth
That's right. It was gold to start with, but the Checkerboard Gang stole it and painted it silver. Cloone found it when they left it at his restaurant, and he painted it black.

Grandpa W
Then a thief found it and covered it with red velvet.

Steve
And Throckmorton, who needed some help, said we could keep the lantern - but first we have to find it.

Grandpa W
Which brings me to what I want to say. You see, I've noticed in many situations that the answer turns out to be closer than you think.

Squawk
What do you mean, Grandpa?

Grandpa W
I mean that a problem and its solution may not be far apart.
"Seek, and you will find" is what the verse says. Sometimes all we have to do is open our eyes, and there it is.

Little Wonder
You mean the Lantern is close by, maybe here in this staircase?

Grandpa W
No, not here, but I think I know where it may be.

Beth
Where, Grandpa? Tell us!

Grandpa W
Not so fast. I'd like you to think about it, and see if you come to the same conclusion.

Beth
Oh, Grandpa, that's what I thought you were going to say.

Steve
But... we haven't visited any of Throckmorton's antique shops. How do you know where it is?

Grandpa W
Listen. If it was in one of the antique shops, don't you think it would have turned up by now?
I suspect it isn't in the shops.

Beth
Well then, where is it?

Little Wonder
Ohhh... I think I know now.
Come on, let's go!

Steve
But where are we going?

Grandpa W
Come, Little Wonder. You and I will lead the way.

Announcer
Back down into the tunnels they went, and to everyone else's surprise, Grandpa and Little Wonder led them right back where they had been before - through the darkness, past the place where the ceiling had collapsed, until at last they came out the side of the mountain, blinking their eyes in the bright sunlight of a gorgeous afternoon. Then they walked around the bend, and found their campsite just like they left it.
Grandpa said...

Grandpa W
Now, what do you see?

Beth
I see mountains and trees.

Squawk
And my tent, and the camp stove.

Steve
Ohhh, I think I see it now. But Grandpa, are you sure?

Grandpa W
Well, it's partly a guess, but it makes sense, doesn't it?

Beth
What makes sense? I still don't know what you're talking about!

Grandpa W
Listen, where did Throckmorton last see the lantern?

Squawk
In the post office - when he mailed it to himself.

Grandpa W
And what do you see besides a tent and a camp stove?

Beth
Ohhhh... the mail truck! Do you think it was in the mail truck all along?

Grandpa W
There's one way to find out. Squawk, turn on your x-ray vision and tell me what you see in the truck.

Squawk
Well, eh... I see a lot of empty cardboard boxes.

Grandpa W
Those are the boxes we opened. Do you see anything else?

Squawk
Eh, hmmm. There is one small box. It looks like it fell down behind the spare tire.

Beth
Oh, Squawk, is there anything in it? Can you see what's inside?

Squawk
Well, it's wrapped in paper. But under the paper is something RED.

All
The Red Velvet!!

Little Wonder
Come on, let's go, let's go!

Announcer
And so the Five Brave Adventurers ran to the mail truck, the same mail truck they rode in for hours, and sure enough, lodged behind the spare tire was a box addressed to Throckmorton W. Thunkatellit, and inside the box was a lantern covered in red velvet. You should have heard them yelling and whooping it up.
That night they finished the rest of Squawk's soup and slept in the tent under the stars. The very next day they packed up and drove all the way back to Ocean Grove, where Grandpa restored the golden lantern to it's original splendor.

If you visit Grandpa's house, take a look around. You'll probably find it hanging up in the den.

That's how the adventure ended,
but you never know when another one will begin. Until it does, all you kids have a great week, and don't forget the fun we had when we were...

All
Searching for the Golden Lantern.