Wild Pet Shop

Cole is going to buy a pet, but is more than surprised by the choices on offer.
Written especially for this podcast by Simon. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
He yo. Hello, My name's Josephine and this is the
Animal Tales podcast where you suggest the animals featured in
our stories. There are new tales to enjoy every Monday
and Wednesday, with a third premium only story every Friday.
If you're enjoying Animal Tales, please take the time to

(00:33):
leave us a review. Reviews help to get us noticed
amongst all the other podcasts out there. Cole is from
New Zealand and he is asked for a story featuring
a jaguar and a commodo dragon. You can learn more
about these creatures in the animal facts after the story. Okay,

(00:53):
are you ready? That's good? Then I'll begin. While a
pet shop, Coal had been past Missus Wilde's pet shop
on many occasions, but until to day, he had not
been inside. But to day was different. To day, Coal

(01:14):
was going to get a new pet. He had money
in his pocket and he couldn't wait to choose. The
pet shop was in an old brick building with a
large glass window. Although Coal couldn't see any pets through
the glass, it was just a big display of dog toys,
cat beds, and fish tanks. He patted the pocket with

(01:38):
his money in put his hand up to the door
handle and went inside. Oh, good morning, young man, said
a woman from behind the counter. She was sat on
a stool and was quite possibly the oldest person that
Coal had ever seen in his life. Can I help you,

(01:59):
she asked. I'm here to buy a pet, said Cole
with a big grin. How lovely, said the woman. How
I love helping a new pet and their owner get together.
It's why I've had my little pet shop for so long?
Are you, missus wild Cole asked, that's right, dear. The

(02:23):
very same smiled Missus wild Do you know what sort
of pet you would like? Not yet, admitted Coal. Mum
says pet shops are more about selling pet supplies than
pets these days, so she thought i'd be safe to
choose from whatever you've got. Well, I'm old fashioned, smiled

(02:46):
missus Wilde. I've got plenty of pet supplies and plenty
of pets here. Why don't you take a look around.
You'll find a sweet little kitten down the aisle on
your left. There a kitten, really, said Coal in excitement.
His mum had been quite sure they wouldn't have any

(03:08):
puppies or kittens. In truth, she was expecting him to
come home with a gerbil. Coal marched down a cramped
aisle loaded with chew toys, balls, and pet collars to
arrive at a wire cage that was almost as tall
as he was. There was a sign on it that

(03:28):
just said kittens in what was presumably missus Wyld's handwriting.
Coal peered in, trying to see where the kitten was
on the spotty blanket that lined the base of the cage. Hullo,
said the spotty blanket. It wasn't a blanket at all,

(03:48):
but a fully grown jaguar. You're not a kitten, said Coal.
Meow replied the jaguar, gruffly. You're a jaguar, said Cole,
who was good at noticing this sort of thing. Jaguars
are cats, aren't they said the jaguar, and kittens are cats.

(04:11):
I'm close enough. You're not what I was expecting, said Cole.
I thought you'd be small and fluffy, and then I
could pick you up and cuddle you. You can pick
me up and cuddle me if you like, said the jaguar.
I probably won't eat you if you did eat me,

(04:33):
said Cole in surprise. Probably not sniffed the jaguar. Not
straight away anyway. This was all so unexpected. How much
are you, asked Cole. Says on my sign, said the jaguar.

(04:54):
Cole read the price that Missus Wilde had printed neatly
underneath the word kittens, pulled out the money in his pocket.
After checking carefully through the notes, he realized that he
had enough. So what do you reckon, asked the jaguar.
You're going to take me home. I'm thinking about it,

(05:17):
said Cole. I'm trying to imagine what mum will say
about a jaguar getting on her nice clean sofa. I'm
very clean, said the jaguar. Honest I am. I do
make a bit of a mess when I eat someone. Though, Then,
after a brief hesitation, the jaguar added, if I eat someone,

(05:42):
I might not not right away anyway. Oh I don't know,
said Cole, carefully, putting his money away again. I don't
want to choose the first pet that I see. I'm
going to have a think about it. It's all right
with me, said the jaguar. I ain't going nowhere. Cole

(06:05):
returned to the front of the shop, to where Missus
Wilde was reading a magazine. All right, dear, did you
like the little kitty, she asked. Um, I guess, so,
said Cole. But I was wondering if you had any
other pets I could look at. It would be silly
to buy the first pet that I came across. Very wise,

(06:29):
said missus Wilde, setting aside her magazine. Head down the
middle aisle. There near the end is our reptile section.
We've a very sweet gecko that's looking for a new home.
Thank you, said Cole. A gecko would be perfect for
his bedroom. It would be cool to lie in bed

(06:52):
and watch it sticking to the glass of its tank.
So he made his way down the middle aisle, dodging
sacks of dog biscuit and cat litter, to arrive at
a large glass tank on the middle shelf, right at
his eye level. He was hoping to see the gecko
clinging to the glass straight away, and to be fair,

(07:14):
what was inside was touching the glass, but only because
it was so big. In fact, it was so big
that most of its tail was hanging out of the side.
You're not a gecko, said Cole as he stared at
the enormous lizard looking out at him. Yes, I am,

(07:38):
said the lizard. Look, it says so on my sign.
Another of Missus Wilde's signs was stuck to the glass,
and sure enough, in her neat handwriting, it said gecko.
I've seen geckos before, insisted Cole, and they don't normally
get as big as you. Have. You seen every kind

(08:02):
of gecko in the world, asked the lizard. How do
you know some of us don't get this big. I've
seen pictures of komodo dragons, said Cole, and you sure
look more like one of those, rumbled, said the komodo
dragon with a sigh. But I can pretend to be

(08:25):
a gecko if you like. I don't know, said Cole thoughtfully.
I mean your glass tank is far too small. I
don't think I could fit a bigger tank in my bedroom.
I don't need a tank, explained the komodo dragon. I
can just live under your bed. If you're lucky. There's

(08:49):
a reasonable chance that I might not even eat you.
How much of a chance, asked Cole. Hard to tell,
replied the komodo dragon. Do you taste good? I don't know,
shrugged Cole. That's not something I've ever had to think
about before he checked the price on the sign he

(09:12):
could afford this pet too. I'm going to have a
think about it for a few minutes. You're only the
second pet I've seen. I might be back fair enough,
said the Commodo Dragon with a hint of disappointment. Cole
returned to the front of the shop, where Missus Wilde
was currently stirring a cup of fruity smelling tea. Any

(09:37):
luck with the gecko, dear, she asked upon seeing him. Um,
I liked it, he said. It was a bit bigger
than I was expecting. I doubt it'll grow much larger, though,
said Missus Wilde. Awfully popular those geckos, unless you preferred
the kitten. Of course, that was good too, he admitted.

(10:03):
So cute and cuddly, isn't it, beamed Missus wild I
can imagine it's snuggling up on your pillow at night.
Coal tried to imagine this as well, but was left
wondering what sort of room would be left for him.
Do you have any other pets I've not seen yet?
Asked Coal. Have you seen our aquatic section down the

(10:28):
end aisle. We've got some lovely goldfish, said Missus wild
Do any of them have teeth? Inquired Coal slowly. Missus
Wild thought about this for a moment. Now you mention it.
There's one that's a bit off color, that can get

(10:48):
a bit snappy. It's more gray than gold. That one
a gray one, you say, repeated Coal, big pointy fin
on its back by any other aunts. Yes, that's it,
nodded missus Wilde helpfully. Have you got anything else? Asked Cole.

(11:11):
Got a budgy, said missus Wild, gesturing to the corner.
Hunched over on a perch, a large black vulture glared
at him hungrily. No, thank you, said Cole. Choosing a
pet is harder than I thought it would be. It's
because you're spoiled for choice, chuckled missus Wild. But if

(11:35):
you're struggling, you could always come back on Friday. I've
got some sweet little puppies coming in. All Coal could
picture in his mind was a drooling wolf. I really
wanted to take something home to day, he said, a
hint of frustration in his voice. Is there anything else,

(11:57):
you know? Maybe a bit smaller, like a furry hamster?
Oh my, yes, a hamster, she said, struggling to get
down from her stool. I completely forgot. She's in the storeroom.
Wait a moment, said Cole quickly. It definitely is a hamster,

(12:20):
is it? Oh? Yes, nodded Missus wild enthusiastically. You'll just
love her lovely soft brown fur and sweet little paws,
and she just loves stuffing her cheeks full of food.
Cole relaxed. This sounded more like it sounds perfect, he said,

(12:46):
I'll take her. Wonderful, said Missus Wilde. I'll be right back.
She disappeared down the central aisle and into the storeroom,
to return moments later with the hamster. She wasn't carrying it,
though she was leading it on a piece of string

(13:06):
tied around its neck. It did indeed have lovely soft
brown fur, but its sweet paws were far from little.
They were huge, but you'd expect that from a grizzly bear.
Here she is, said Missus Wilde, as she passed the
feeble bit of string into Coal's hand. Isn't she a cutie?

(13:32):
Cole stared up into the bear's face. So you like
stuffing your cheeks full of food, do you? He asked?
I do, said the bear with a lick of her lips.
But I'm not sure I could get you in hole?
How would you like to pay, asked missus wild as

(13:55):
she climbed gingerly back onto her stool. Card or cash.
Cole looked up at the bear again. Is there a
chance that if I take you home you might eat me?
He asked, I might do, admitted the bear with the
shrug of her shoulders. But if it helps, I can

(14:19):
try really hard not to, fair enough, said Cole. He
pulled his money from his pocket, held it out to
Missus Wilde, and said cash please. Animals. Fat jaguars are

(14:40):
a Central and South American big cat. They were once
found in the United States as well, but humans are
rapidly shrinking the jaguar's range, and it's thought they currently
have half the space they once had. Jaguars are larger
than the other American big cat, the puma, or so
called the cougar or mountain lion. In fact, jaguars are

(15:04):
the third biggest of the cats, after the tiger and
the lion. Kimodo dragons are the largest lizards on the planet,
growing up to three meters long that's ten feet. They
are ambush hunters, lying in wait for something to pass,
and they will pounce on anything regardless of how big

(15:26):
it is. Thank you for your suggestions, Coal, We hope
you enjoyed it, and thank you to all of you
across the world for listening to it. If you prefer
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(15:51):
Find out how to do so in the text that
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Good Bye,