April 13, 2025 • 27 mins
Today Geraldine's happy pants are soft and fuzzy, like a teddy bear! When you touch them, they feel just like a warm hug. And Jo's are covered in little paw prints, just like the ones a teddy bear would make if it walked through fresh snow.
Their happy pants pockets contain some very interesting characters - you'll have to tune in to find out who!
You'll also hear some upbeat tunes and hear a couple of stories - one about 'too many teddies' (is that even possible?!).
So grab your favourite teddy friend, get comfortable, and we look forward to having your company.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:04):
One, two, three. It's happy pants.
S2 (00:21):
G'day, and welcome to Happy Pants shows. Especially for kids.
And especially for you. My name is Geraldine and.
S3 (00:28):
My name is Joe.
S2 (00:30):
And together, we're your happy pants team for today. Are
you wearing your happy pants? We are today. Mine are
soft and fuzzy like a teddy bear. When you touch them,
they feel just like a warm hug.
S3 (00:45):
And mine are covered in little paw prints, just like
the ones a teddy bear would make if it walked
through fresh snow.
S2 (00:54):
Happy pants have lots of pockets. Let's see what we
can find in them today, shall we?
S3 (01:00):
In this pocket. Oh, I've found something soft and squishy.
It feels round with little ears. Oh, it's a teddy bear.
S2 (01:11):
A teddy bear. But why? This isn't just any teddy bear.
It's wearing a tiny cape. It's super teddy. Ready to
save the day?
S3 (01:23):
Oh, that's so cool. Hey, check your other pocket, Geraldine.
Maybe there's another superhero in there.
S2 (01:30):
Oh, let me see. Um, well, there is something small
and fluffy with a little puff of a tail. Ah.
It's Captain Bunny, the brave adventurer. She's here to join
Super Ted.
S3 (01:46):
Captain Bunny and Super Ted. Sounds like the ultimate team.
S2 (01:52):
Soft toys aren't just for cuddles. They can spark amazing
adventures in your imagination. We could take Super Ted and
Captain Bunny on real adventures and take photos Two of
them at different locations.
S3 (02:07):
Oh, like at the beach or on a road trip? Oh,
that sounds like a fun idea.
S2 (02:13):
Exactly. It looks like Super Ted and Captain Bunny are
full of energy. So grab your teddy. Whether it's a bear,
a rabbit, or some other creature and let them fly, bounce, jump,
and dance their way through this next song.
S3 (04:30):
Oh, that was fun. Super Tad's looking rather puffed out. Oh,
I think I am, too. Hey.
S2 (04:39):
Joe, do you know how teddy bears got their name?
S3 (04:44):
Um, well, I've heard it has something to do with
a president.
S2 (04:49):
Well. That's right. The story goes that in 1902, the
United States of America, President Theodore Roosevelt, went on a
hunting trip. When he refused to shoot a bear that
the other hunters had captured and tied to a tree.
A toymaker was inspired to create a stuffed bear and
(05:11):
named it Teddy's Bear. Isn't that a great story?
S3 (05:15):
It is. You know, teddy bears remind us to be
kind and gentle. And did you know there's a special
day just for teddy bears?
S2 (05:25):
Yeah, and it's called Teddy Bear Picnic Day, and it's
on the 10th of July. You can have a picnic
with your favorite teddy bear and soft toys. Let's set
the scene. A sunny day, a blanket on the grass
and all your toys lined up to enjoy sandwiches and juice.
S3 (05:45):
Oh, and maybe some marmalade. I've heard bears love marmalade.
Or is that just Paddington Bear?
S1 (07:31):
V is for vision. A is for Australia. R is
for radio.
S3 (07:38):
Teddy bear picnic day sounds delightful. He may be your
teddy bear. Could even lead a game of hide and seek.
S2 (07:47):
Joe. It is Captain Bunny. Okay? She looks like she's
been fighting too much crime.
S3 (07:54):
Oh she does. Geraldine. It feels like her ear is
coming apart. Oh, and her stuffing isn't as full and
fluffy as it normally is.
S2 (08:02):
Oh, no. What are we going to do?
S3 (08:04):
Oh, no. No. I know we can take her to
the Teddy Bear hospital.
S2 (08:09):
Will they be able to fix Captain Bunny as good
as new?
S3 (08:13):
They sure will. The Teddy Bear Hospital will fix all
types of teddies and soft toys. It's in Kelmscott, Western Australia.
The team there will take in any teddy bear or
soft toy that has rips or tears, missing eyes or
ears and make it better again.
S2 (08:32):
Well, we'd better get Captain Bunny there right away.
S3 (08:35):
Or she will be well taken care of. And we
will have Captain Bunny back in no time.
S2 (08:41):
Well, I hope she's back before bedtime. Teddy's help us
feel safe and cozy, especially on nights when the wind
howls or the rain taps on the windows.
S3 (08:52):
Oh. That's true. And soft toys can be like little protectors.
Always there with you when you need them.
S2 (09:01):
I have a teddy bear named snuggles. He's been with
me since I was little. What about you, Joe?
S3 (09:09):
Well, Geraldine, mine is a soft dragon named flame. He's
not scary. He's super cuddly. And he loves stories.
S2 (09:19):
Speaking of stories, today's story is too many teddies read
by Mike cannon.
S4 (09:29):
Too many teddies by Glenn Martin. Ned had a teddy.
His teddies name was pixie. They went everywhere together. Ned
was very happy. As Ned grew older, he started doing
chores for his parents. Pixie helped of course. Ned enjoyed
(09:52):
earning some money and started saving money in his piggy bank.
One day, Ned walked past a teddy bear store. He
saw a beautiful teddy in the window. He used the
money from his piggy bank and bought his new teddy.
He named him Jerry. Now Ned, pixie and Jerry would
(10:14):
play together. Ned was happy. A week later, the Teddy
Bear store was selling new teddies. Ned had been doing
lots of chores and wanted to buy more teddies. Ned
went into the store and bought three new teddies. He
put them in his cart with pixie and Jerry. The
(10:36):
five teddy bears went everywhere with Ned. He was happy.
After a few weeks, though, Ned was feeling a little sad.
He missed feeling excited about buying a new teddy. Why
work so hard doing chores if you are not buying
new teddies? So Ned went back to the store. He
(10:59):
saw a large yellow bear. He had to have it.
He called him Rex. Ned started to do more chores
to earn more pocket money to buy more teddies. Sadly,
Ned didn't stay happy for long. He wanted more teddies.
He went back to the store and bought many colourful teddies.
(11:22):
Too many to name. He needed to buy a larger
cart too. Ned was happy for a day or two.
Ned was tired from doing so many chores. He missed
playing with Pixy. He had bought so many teddies that
he could no longer even find his beloved Teddy. One day,
(11:46):
Ned decided to go to the top of the hill
to pick some apples off the old apple tree. The
walk up the hill was slow and painful. It was
very hard pulling his teddies up the hill. They were heavy.
Finally Ned arrived at the top of the hill. His
heart was beating fast and his legs were shaking. After
(12:10):
a quick rest, Ned started to pick apples from the tree. Suddenly,
a strong wind blew over the hill. The wind was
so strong that it started to blow Ned's cart. Ned
gasped in shock. He saw his cart and Teddy start
rolling down the hill. He ran after them. He grabbed
(12:31):
on just in time. The cart. Ned and his teddies
flew down the hill. The cart hit a rock. Ned
and his teddies flew into the air. They landed with
a crash. All the local children came running outside. These
children didn't have toys of their own. They thought it
(12:53):
was Christmas. Each child picked up just one Teddy. Ned
looked up. He saw how happy each child looked with
having just one teddy. This made Ned happy too. He
told the children they could each keep a teddy. The
(13:13):
children thanked him and waved goodbye. Ned realized that buying
too many Teddy's didn't make him happy. In fact, it
made him sad. He worked so hard to buy his
teddies that he didn't have time to play with them.
(13:35):
With great joy. Ned saw pixie and Jerry lying across
the street. He ran over and gave them a big hug.
These two teddies were just enough for him. He was happy.
Ned did less chores. He enjoyed spending more time playing
with pixie and Jerry. From that day on, Ned was
(13:59):
happy with pixie and Jerry. He only bought new teddies
to give away as presents to children who didn't have
any teddies at all.
S2 (14:11):
That was today's story. Too many teddies read by Mike cannon.
S3 (14:15):
Ah, what an amazing story.
S2 (14:19):
Do you think you have too many teddies? It's hard
to part with any when they can all seem special
to us.
S3 (14:25):
I have a lot of stuffed animals when I go
to a museum, the zoo or a special place. I
can't help but bring a new friend home. I have
maybe oh, 1515.
S2 (14:41):
That's far too many teddies. If you buy two new
teddies every time you visit a zoo, how many teddy
bears will you have? After three zoo visits.
S3 (14:52):
Oh, um. Well, let me see. I have 15 already.
If I went to the zoo and bought two more,
that would make 17.
S2 (15:04):
Yes, but you pretend you go another two times.
S3 (15:08):
Oh, okay. Well, that would be another two teddies each time.
So now I have 17 and I'm getting two each
time I go. So say I went this Sunday. That
would be 17. Plus two is 19. 19.
S2 (15:28):
Yep. And then if you went once more that's 19
plus two.
S3 (15:33):
And that would be um oh 21. I'd have 21
teddy bears.
S2 (15:41):
That is definitely too many teddies. You could say overconsumption.
S3 (15:50):
Big word alert. Overconsumption.
S2 (15:54):
Overconsumption is having too much of something, or buying so
much of something that you couldn't possibly need it or
use it all.
S3 (16:03):
Oh, I guess you're right, Geraldine. I could part ways
with some of my teddies. You know, I can't even
fit them all on my bed.
S2 (16:12):
Well, you could pick out your favourite ones and keep them.
And then you could give all the others to the
charity shop. That's a place that helps people. Someone else
that may have no teddies at all can take one
home and have a new best friend. A teddy to love.
S3 (16:32):
Oh yes Geraldine. Everyone deserves a teddy of their own
to cuddle.
S2 (16:38):
And every teddy deserves someone to cuddle them. And that
reminds me of a lovely book by Don Freeman about
a little bear named corduroy, who's waiting for someone to
take him home from the Toy Story and ends up
going on a big adventure. Corduroy is a bear who
(17:01):
once lived in the toy department of a big store.
Day after day. He waited with all the other animals
and dolls for some one to come along and take
him home. The store was always filled with shoppers buying
all sorts of things, but no one ever seemed to
(17:21):
want a small bear in green overalls. Then one morning,
a little girl stopped and looked straight into corduroys. Bright eyes. Oh, mommy,
she said. Look, there's the very bear I've always wanted.
Not today dear. Her mother sighed. I've spent too much already. Besides,
(17:43):
he doesn't look new. He's lost the button to one
of his shoulder straps. Corduroy watched them sadly as they
walked away. I didn't know I'd lost a button, he
said to himself. Tonight I'll go and see if I
can find it. Late that evening, when all the shoppers
(18:03):
had gone and the doors were shut and locked. Corduroy
climbed carefully down from his shelf and began searching everywhere
on the floor for his lost button. Suddenly he felt
the floor moving under him quite by accident. He'd stepped
onto an escalator and up he went. Could this be
(18:26):
a mountain? He wondered. I think I've always wanted to
climb a mountain. He stepped off the escalator as it
reached the next floor, and there, before his eyes, was
an most amazing sight. Tables and chairs. Lamps and sofas
(18:48):
and rows and rows of beds. This must be a palace.
Corduroy gasped. I guess I've always wanted to live in
a palace. He wandered round, admiring the furniture. This must
be a bid, he said. I've always wanted to sleep
in a bed. And up he crawled onto a large,
(19:11):
thick mattress. All at once he saw something small and round. Wah!
There's my button, he cried. And he tried to pick
it up. But like all the other buttons on the mattress,
it was tied down tight. He yanked and pulled with
both paws until pop off came the button and off
(19:34):
the mattress corduroy toppled bang onto a tall floor lamp.
Over it fell with a crash. Corduroy didn't know it,
but there was some one else awake in the store.
The night watchman was doing his rounds on the floor
above when he heard the crash. He came dashing down
(19:55):
the escalator. Now, who in the world did that? He exclaimed.
Somebody must be hiding around here! He flashed his light
under and over sofas and beds until he came to
the biggest bed of all. And there he saw two
fuzzy brown ears sticking up from under the cover. Hullo!
(20:18):
He said. How did you get upstairs? The watchman tucked
corduroy under his arm and carried him down the escalator.
He set him on the shelf in the toy department
with the other animals and dolls. Corduroy was just waking
up when the first customers came into the store in
(20:39):
the morning, and there, looking at him with a wide,
warm smile, was the same little girl he'd seen only
the day before. I'm Lisa, she said. And you are
going to be my very own teddy bear. Last night
(21:00):
I counted what I've saved in my piggy bank, and
my mother said I could bring you home. Shall I
put him in a box for you? The sales lady asked. Oh, no,
thank you, Lisa answered, and she carried corduroy home in
her arms. She ran all the way up four flights
(21:22):
of stairs into her family's apartment and straight to her
own room. Corduroy blinked. There was a chair and a
chest of drawers, and alongside a girl sized bed, stood
a little bed just the right size for him. The
room was small, nothing like that enormous palace in the
(21:44):
department store. This must be home, he said. I know.
I've always wanted a home. Lisa sat down with corduroy
on her lap and began to sew a button on
his overalls. I like you the way you are, she said.
(22:07):
But you'll be more comfortable with your shoulder strap fastened.
You must be a friend, said corduroy. I've always wanted
a friend. Me too, said Lisa, and gave him a
big hug.
S3 (22:31):
That was a reading of corduroy by Don Freeman, read
by Geraldine. Oh, what a lovely, happy ending.
S2 (22:40):
Teddy's a very important to a lot of people. Now,
here is a poem about just how much Teddy's mean
to us. This is called The Coming of Teddy Bears
and was written by Dennis Lee.
S3 (22:55):
The coming of teddy bears by Dennis Lee. The air
is quiet round my bed. Ed. The doc is drowsy
in my head. The sky is forgetting to be red.
And soon I'll be asleep. A half a million miles away.
The silver stars come out to play and comb their hair.
(23:17):
And that's okay. And soon I'll be asleep. And teams
of fuzzy teddy bears are stomping slowly up the stairs
to rock me in their rocking chairs. And soon I'll
be asleep. The night is shining round my head. The
room is snuggled in my bed. To morrow I'll be big,
(23:40):
they said. And soon I'll be asleep.
S2 (23:45):
That was the poem The Coming of Teddy Bears by
Dennis Lee, read by Joe. So what have we done today?
S3 (25:27):
Well, we explored what's in our happy pants pockets and
discovered superhero soft toys.
S2 (25:33):
We learned about the history of teddy bears and how
they got their name.
S3 (25:37):
And we talked about how soft toys can be protectors, adventurers,
and best friends.
S2 (25:44):
And we listened to a story about too many teddies
and added a big word to our big words list.
Overconsumption means having too much of something or buying too
much of something. And you couldn't possibly need it or
use it all.
S3 (26:02):
If there was anything in today's program you'd like to
know more about, you can contact us at Radio Australia.
Keep wearing those happy pants and we'll catch you next time.
Happy adventuring everyone!
S5 (26:32):
Happy pants is produced on the lands of the Whadjuk
Noongar people. Vision Australia Radio acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples as the first Australians, and the traditional owners
of the land across our working area. We pay our
respects to elders past, present and future in maintaining their cultures,
countries and their spiritual connection to the lands and waters.
Vision Australia Radio acknowledges and respects the genuine diversity and
(26:55):
richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.
Happy pants has been made possible with the support of
the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
One, two, three. It's happy pants.
S2 (00:21):
G'day, and welcome to Happy Pants shows. Especially for kids.
And especially for you. My name is Geraldine and.
S3 (00:28):
My name is Joe.
S2 (00:30):
And together, we're your happy pants team for today. Are
you wearing your happy pants? We are today. Mine are
soft and fuzzy like a teddy bear. When you touch them,
they feel just like a warm hug.
S3 (00:45):
And mine are covered in little paw prints, just like
the ones a teddy bear would make if it walked
through fresh snow.
S2 (00:54):
Happy pants have lots of pockets. Let's see what we
can find in them today, shall we?
S3 (01:00):
In this pocket. Oh, I've found something soft and squishy.
It feels round with little ears. Oh, it's a teddy bear.
S2 (01:11):
A teddy bear. But why? This isn't just any teddy bear.
It's wearing a tiny cape. It's super teddy. Ready to
save the day?
S3 (01:23):
Oh, that's so cool. Hey, check your other pocket, Geraldine.
Maybe there's another superhero in there.
S2 (01:30):
Oh, let me see. Um, well, there is something small
and fluffy with a little puff of a tail. Ah.
It's Captain Bunny, the brave adventurer. She's here to join
Super Ted.
S3 (01:46):
Captain Bunny and Super Ted. Sounds like the ultimate team.
S2 (01:52):
Soft toys aren't just for cuddles. They can spark amazing
adventures in your imagination. We could take Super Ted and
Captain Bunny on real adventures and take photos Two of
them at different locations.
S3 (02:07):
Oh, like at the beach or on a road trip? Oh,
that sounds like a fun idea.
S2 (02:13):
Exactly. It looks like Super Ted and Captain Bunny are
full of energy. So grab your teddy. Whether it's a bear,
a rabbit, or some other creature and let them fly, bounce, jump,
and dance their way through this next song.
S3 (04:30):
Oh, that was fun. Super Tad's looking rather puffed out. Oh,
I think I am, too. Hey.
S2 (04:39):
Joe, do you know how teddy bears got their name?
S3 (04:44):
Um, well, I've heard it has something to do with
a president.
S2 (04:49):
Well. That's right. The story goes that in 1902, the
United States of America, President Theodore Roosevelt, went on a
hunting trip. When he refused to shoot a bear that
the other hunters had captured and tied to a tree.
A toymaker was inspired to create a stuffed bear and
(05:11):
named it Teddy's Bear. Isn't that a great story?
S3 (05:15):
It is. You know, teddy bears remind us to be
kind and gentle. And did you know there's a special
day just for teddy bears?
S2 (05:25):
Yeah, and it's called Teddy Bear Picnic Day, and it's
on the 10th of July. You can have a picnic
with your favorite teddy bear and soft toys. Let's set
the scene. A sunny day, a blanket on the grass
and all your toys lined up to enjoy sandwiches and juice.
S3 (05:45):
Oh, and maybe some marmalade. I've heard bears love marmalade.
Or is that just Paddington Bear?
S1 (07:31):
V is for vision. A is for Australia. R is
for radio.
S3 (07:38):
Teddy bear picnic day sounds delightful. He may be your
teddy bear. Could even lead a game of hide and seek.
S2 (07:47):
Joe. It is Captain Bunny. Okay? She looks like she's
been fighting too much crime.
S3 (07:54):
Oh she does. Geraldine. It feels like her ear is
coming apart. Oh, and her stuffing isn't as full and
fluffy as it normally is.
S2 (08:02):
Oh, no. What are we going to do?
S3 (08:04):
Oh, no. No. I know we can take her to
the Teddy Bear hospital.
S2 (08:09):
Will they be able to fix Captain Bunny as good
as new?
S3 (08:13):
They sure will. The Teddy Bear Hospital will fix all
types of teddies and soft toys. It's in Kelmscott, Western Australia.
The team there will take in any teddy bear or
soft toy that has rips or tears, missing eyes or
ears and make it better again.
S2 (08:32):
Well, we'd better get Captain Bunny there right away.
S3 (08:35):
Or she will be well taken care of. And we
will have Captain Bunny back in no time.
S2 (08:41):
Well, I hope she's back before bedtime. Teddy's help us
feel safe and cozy, especially on nights when the wind
howls or the rain taps on the windows.
S3 (08:52):
Oh. That's true. And soft toys can be like little protectors.
Always there with you when you need them.
S2 (09:01):
I have a teddy bear named snuggles. He's been with
me since I was little. What about you, Joe?
S3 (09:09):
Well, Geraldine, mine is a soft dragon named flame. He's
not scary. He's super cuddly. And he loves stories.
S2 (09:19):
Speaking of stories, today's story is too many teddies read
by Mike cannon.
S4 (09:29):
Too many teddies by Glenn Martin. Ned had a teddy.
His teddies name was pixie. They went everywhere together. Ned
was very happy. As Ned grew older, he started doing
chores for his parents. Pixie helped of course. Ned enjoyed
(09:52):
earning some money and started saving money in his piggy bank.
One day, Ned walked past a teddy bear store. He
saw a beautiful teddy in the window. He used the
money from his piggy bank and bought his new teddy.
He named him Jerry. Now Ned, pixie and Jerry would
(10:14):
play together. Ned was happy. A week later, the Teddy
Bear store was selling new teddies. Ned had been doing
lots of chores and wanted to buy more teddies. Ned
went into the store and bought three new teddies. He
put them in his cart with pixie and Jerry. The
(10:36):
five teddy bears went everywhere with Ned. He was happy.
After a few weeks, though, Ned was feeling a little sad.
He missed feeling excited about buying a new teddy. Why
work so hard doing chores if you are not buying
new teddies? So Ned went back to the store. He
(10:59):
saw a large yellow bear. He had to have it.
He called him Rex. Ned started to do more chores
to earn more pocket money to buy more teddies. Sadly,
Ned didn't stay happy for long. He wanted more teddies.
He went back to the store and bought many colourful teddies.
(11:22):
Too many to name. He needed to buy a larger
cart too. Ned was happy for a day or two.
Ned was tired from doing so many chores. He missed
playing with Pixy. He had bought so many teddies that
he could no longer even find his beloved Teddy. One day,
(11:46):
Ned decided to go to the top of the hill
to pick some apples off the old apple tree. The
walk up the hill was slow and painful. It was
very hard pulling his teddies up the hill. They were heavy.
Finally Ned arrived at the top of the hill. His
heart was beating fast and his legs were shaking. After
(12:10):
a quick rest, Ned started to pick apples from the tree. Suddenly,
a strong wind blew over the hill. The wind was
so strong that it started to blow Ned's cart. Ned
gasped in shock. He saw his cart and Teddy start
rolling down the hill. He ran after them. He grabbed
(12:31):
on just in time. The cart. Ned and his teddies
flew down the hill. The cart hit a rock. Ned
and his teddies flew into the air. They landed with
a crash. All the local children came running outside. These
children didn't have toys of their own. They thought it
(12:53):
was Christmas. Each child picked up just one Teddy. Ned
looked up. He saw how happy each child looked with
having just one teddy. This made Ned happy too. He
told the children they could each keep a teddy. The
(13:13):
children thanked him and waved goodbye. Ned realized that buying
too many Teddy's didn't make him happy. In fact, it
made him sad. He worked so hard to buy his
teddies that he didn't have time to play with them.
(13:35):
With great joy. Ned saw pixie and Jerry lying across
the street. He ran over and gave them a big hug.
These two teddies were just enough for him. He was happy.
Ned did less chores. He enjoyed spending more time playing
with pixie and Jerry. From that day on, Ned was
(13:59):
happy with pixie and Jerry. He only bought new teddies
to give away as presents to children who didn't have
any teddies at all.
S2 (14:11):
That was today's story. Too many teddies read by Mike cannon.
S3 (14:15):
Ah, what an amazing story.
S2 (14:19):
Do you think you have too many teddies? It's hard
to part with any when they can all seem special
to us.
S3 (14:25):
I have a lot of stuffed animals when I go
to a museum, the zoo or a special place. I
can't help but bring a new friend home. I have
maybe oh, 1515.
S2 (14:41):
That's far too many teddies. If you buy two new
teddies every time you visit a zoo, how many teddy
bears will you have? After three zoo visits.
S3 (14:52):
Oh, um. Well, let me see. I have 15 already.
If I went to the zoo and bought two more,
that would make 17.
S2 (15:04):
Yes, but you pretend you go another two times.
S3 (15:08):
Oh, okay. Well, that would be another two teddies each time.
So now I have 17 and I'm getting two each
time I go. So say I went this Sunday. That
would be 17. Plus two is 19. 19.
S2 (15:28):
Yep. And then if you went once more that's 19
plus two.
S3 (15:33):
And that would be um oh 21. I'd have 21
teddy bears.
S2 (15:41):
That is definitely too many teddies. You could say overconsumption.
S3 (15:50):
Big word alert. Overconsumption.
S2 (15:54):
Overconsumption is having too much of something, or buying so
much of something that you couldn't possibly need it or
use it all.
S3 (16:03):
Oh, I guess you're right, Geraldine. I could part ways
with some of my teddies. You know, I can't even
fit them all on my bed.
S2 (16:12):
Well, you could pick out your favourite ones and keep them.
And then you could give all the others to the
charity shop. That's a place that helps people. Someone else
that may have no teddies at all can take one
home and have a new best friend. A teddy to love.
S3 (16:32):
Oh yes Geraldine. Everyone deserves a teddy of their own
to cuddle.
S2 (16:38):
And every teddy deserves someone to cuddle them. And that
reminds me of a lovely book by Don Freeman about
a little bear named corduroy, who's waiting for someone to
take him home from the Toy Story and ends up
going on a big adventure. Corduroy is a bear who
(17:01):
once lived in the toy department of a big store.
Day after day. He waited with all the other animals
and dolls for some one to come along and take
him home. The store was always filled with shoppers buying
all sorts of things, but no one ever seemed to
(17:21):
want a small bear in green overalls. Then one morning,
a little girl stopped and looked straight into corduroys. Bright eyes. Oh, mommy,
she said. Look, there's the very bear I've always wanted.
Not today dear. Her mother sighed. I've spent too much already. Besides,
(17:43):
he doesn't look new. He's lost the button to one
of his shoulder straps. Corduroy watched them sadly as they
walked away. I didn't know I'd lost a button, he
said to himself. Tonight I'll go and see if I
can find it. Late that evening, when all the shoppers
(18:03):
had gone and the doors were shut and locked. Corduroy
climbed carefully down from his shelf and began searching everywhere
on the floor for his lost button. Suddenly he felt
the floor moving under him quite by accident. He'd stepped
onto an escalator and up he went. Could this be
(18:26):
a mountain? He wondered. I think I've always wanted to
climb a mountain. He stepped off the escalator as it
reached the next floor, and there, before his eyes, was
an most amazing sight. Tables and chairs. Lamps and sofas
(18:48):
and rows and rows of beds. This must be a palace.
Corduroy gasped. I guess I've always wanted to live in
a palace. He wandered round, admiring the furniture. This must
be a bid, he said. I've always wanted to sleep
in a bed. And up he crawled onto a large,
(19:11):
thick mattress. All at once he saw something small and round. Wah!
There's my button, he cried. And he tried to pick
it up. But like all the other buttons on the mattress,
it was tied down tight. He yanked and pulled with
both paws until pop off came the button and off
(19:34):
the mattress corduroy toppled bang onto a tall floor lamp.
Over it fell with a crash. Corduroy didn't know it,
but there was some one else awake in the store.
The night watchman was doing his rounds on the floor
above when he heard the crash. He came dashing down
(19:55):
the escalator. Now, who in the world did that? He exclaimed.
Somebody must be hiding around here! He flashed his light
under and over sofas and beds until he came to
the biggest bed of all. And there he saw two
fuzzy brown ears sticking up from under the cover. Hullo!
(20:18):
He said. How did you get upstairs? The watchman tucked
corduroy under his arm and carried him down the escalator.
He set him on the shelf in the toy department
with the other animals and dolls. Corduroy was just waking
up when the first customers came into the store in
(20:39):
the morning, and there, looking at him with a wide,
warm smile, was the same little girl he'd seen only
the day before. I'm Lisa, she said. And you are
going to be my very own teddy bear. Last night
(21:00):
I counted what I've saved in my piggy bank, and
my mother said I could bring you home. Shall I
put him in a box for you? The sales lady asked. Oh, no,
thank you, Lisa answered, and she carried corduroy home in
her arms. She ran all the way up four flights
(21:22):
of stairs into her family's apartment and straight to her
own room. Corduroy blinked. There was a chair and a
chest of drawers, and alongside a girl sized bed, stood
a little bed just the right size for him. The
room was small, nothing like that enormous palace in the
(21:44):
department store. This must be home, he said. I know.
I've always wanted a home. Lisa sat down with corduroy
on her lap and began to sew a button on
his overalls. I like you the way you are, she said.
(22:07):
But you'll be more comfortable with your shoulder strap fastened.
You must be a friend, said corduroy. I've always wanted
a friend. Me too, said Lisa, and gave him a
big hug.
S3 (22:31):
That was a reading of corduroy by Don Freeman, read
by Geraldine. Oh, what a lovely, happy ending.
S2 (22:40):
Teddy's a very important to a lot of people. Now,
here is a poem about just how much Teddy's mean
to us. This is called The Coming of Teddy Bears
and was written by Dennis Lee.
S3 (22:55):
The coming of teddy bears by Dennis Lee. The air
is quiet round my bed. Ed. The doc is drowsy
in my head. The sky is forgetting to be red.
And soon I'll be asleep. A half a million miles away.
The silver stars come out to play and comb their hair.
(23:17):
And that's okay. And soon I'll be asleep. And teams
of fuzzy teddy bears are stomping slowly up the stairs
to rock me in their rocking chairs. And soon I'll
be asleep. The night is shining round my head. The
room is snuggled in my bed. To morrow I'll be big,
(23:40):
they said. And soon I'll be asleep.
S2 (23:45):
That was the poem The Coming of Teddy Bears by
Dennis Lee, read by Joe. So what have we done today?
S3 (25:27):
Well, we explored what's in our happy pants pockets and
discovered superhero soft toys.
S2 (25:33):
We learned about the history of teddy bears and how
they got their name.
S3 (25:37):
And we talked about how soft toys can be protectors, adventurers,
and best friends.
S2 (25:44):
And we listened to a story about too many teddies
and added a big word to our big words list.
Overconsumption means having too much of something or buying too
much of something. And you couldn't possibly need it or
use it all.
S3 (26:02):
If there was anything in today's program you'd like to
know more about, you can contact us at Radio Australia.
Keep wearing those happy pants and we'll catch you next time.
Happy adventuring everyone!
S5 (26:32):
Happy pants is produced on the lands of the Whadjuk
Noongar people. Vision Australia Radio acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples as the first Australians, and the traditional owners
of the land across our working area. We pay our
respects to elders past, present and future in maintaining their cultures,
countries and their spiritual connection to the lands and waters.
Vision Australia Radio acknowledges and respects the genuine diversity and
(26:55):
richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.
Happy pants has been made possible with the support of
the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
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