Speaker 1: Yo, Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,
where you suggest the animal for us to write a
story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand
new animal story here just for you. Animal Tales Premium
members get an extra story every Friday. Find out how
to listen to them by visiting Animaltales dot uk and remember,
for a tiny fee, all our stories are advert free.
Patrick is from Melbourne, Australia and he would like a
story with a fox and a sloth. You can learn
more about these creatures and the animal facts after the story.
Now settle back, relax, and I'll begin The soup Witch.
Princess Amy was sick and everyone in the castle was distraught.
The King, who was a large stag with impressive antlers,
summoned the castle doctor, but even though they tried every
medicine he suggested, the princess did not get better. So
they tried comfy bedding and a warm bath, but the
young royal deer did not improve. They even tried fresh
lemon tea and honeycakes and butter on bread, but nothing
seemed to work. The princess remained unwell, spending her time
sleeping coughing and sneezing, without the energy to get out
of bed. In the end, her most loyal knight, Sir Patrick,
vowed to go out into the vast kingdom and not
return until he found a cure. Those ten to the
princess were unsure if Sir Patrick would succeed. After all,
why would he find a cure when they had not?
But Sir Patrick was a fox, and foxes are cunning
and smart, so they sent him on his way. Sir
Patrick did not know where he was going or what
he was searching for. A cure could come in many forms, potions, spells, plants,
or perhaps an enchanted object, So he looked high and low,
asking anyone and everyone if they knew of a cure
to help the sickly princess. Nobody did. One evening, Sir
Patrick took shelter in an inn. He asked the innkeeper,
and the cook and the hen who brought him his
food if any of them knew of a possible cure.
But none of them could help him. But his question
was overheard by a sloth sitting near the roaring fire.
Have you tried soup? The sloth asked, soup is good
for you? We have tried many soups, Sir Patrick said, mushroom, garden, pea, squash,
and others besides, but none of them worked. Ah, said
the sloth, But did you try a magic soup? A
magic soup, Sir Patrick repeated. Where would I find such
a thing from the soup witch? Of course, the sloth said,
showing a toothy smile. The soup witch, how do I
find her? Asked the Knight. She's sitting right in front
of you, the sloth said quietly. She clapped her hands,
making the inn melt away as she and Sir Patrick
were transported to her home. It was a cabin built
from wood, cramped and low roofed. A large, empty caldron
sat in the middle of the room, while the surrounding
walls were lined with shelves that overflowed with ingredients. The
sloth smiled as she tied a cape around her neck.
A curing soup is hard to make, she said, rummaging
through a thick leather bound book. It makes your blood
feel warmer and your heart feel lighter. I can make it,
of course, but you'll need to help anything, said Sir
Patrick quickly. I'll need some ingredients. The soup, which explained,
As you can see, I'm a sloth, so very slow.
If I were to fetch the ingredients, this soup would
take months, even years to complete. Just say what you need,
Sir Patrick replied, Is it vegetables, herbs, garlic? I need vegetables, yes,
said the sloth, but very specific ones. I will need
a carrot grown by the world's fastest rabbit, a potato
from the top of the tallest mountain, and a tomato
hand picked with love. Then I shall fetch them for you,
announced the fox. He tightened his boot laces, picked up
a sack, and told the soup which that he would
not return until he'd collected all three. Sir Patrick began
with the carrot. Knowing that he needed the world's fastest rabbit,
he consulted the swiftest animals he could find. He chatted
with a horse, sought out a cheetah, and questioned a
peregrine folk, which led him to a burrow beside Sapphire Lake.
Sir Patrick had barely laid a hand on the front
gate when the rabbit appeared before him as quick as
a flash. Who are you and what do you want?
The rabbit demanded, My name is Sir Patrick, said the fox.
The princess is ill, so I require a carrot to
help her get better. One of my carrots, questioned the rabbit.
But every one of my carrots is carefully grown, hand reared,
measured and watered every day. This way they all turn
out perfect. They help keep me fast. And you just
want me to give you one. Well, yes, said Sir Patrick,
I do, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.
The rabbit thought about it, then did all right. He said,
I'll give you a carrot, but only if you can
beat me in a race around Sapphire Lake. Sir Patrick
knew that this was impossible. The rabbit, after all, was
the fastest in the world. What hope did he have
of beating it? But nor could he afford to say no, deal,
said the fox. On your marks, said the rabbit, Get
set go. The rabbit sped away around the wide lake,
his feet pounding against the grass as he left the
fox far far behind him. As for Sir Patrick, he
just watched the rabbit go. Then the cunning fox strode
into the rabbit's garden and plucked a single carrot, placing
it carefully into his sack. My apologies, said Sir Patrick.
He felt bad for tricking the rabbit, but the soup
which and the princess needed it. By the time the
rabbit had completed his circuit, the fox was long gone.
Sir Patrick's next stop was the tallest mountain. It took
him a week to climb it, but his hard work
paid off when he found a small cottage built into
the rock near the summit. Breathless, Sir Patrick knocked on
the wooden door, which was answered by a very surprised
looking goose. Yes, the goose asked, I see you have
a small garden, said the fox. Would you be growing
potatoes there? Oh? No, said the goose. Nothing much grows
up here. I'm lucky if I get a couple of strawberries.
I've never grown potatoes, Sir Patrick, it seemed had all
this way for nothing. Come inside, said the goose. You
must rest. I'm making stew. She sat Sir Patrick down
at her table before returning to the pot on the stove.
May I ask why you're looking for a potato way
up here? I have been tasked with finding a potato
from the top of the tallest mountain. But if they
don't grow up here, how can I get one? Beside
the pot was a chopping board where the goose was
about to slice and dice some vegetables from amongst them,
she plucked up a potato. If your words are correct,
she said, then you've simply been asked to find a
potato from the top of the mountain, not find a
potato growing at the top of the mountain. And with
that she tossed the potato into Sir Patrick's hands. That's
very clever, Sir Patrick said, with a bow of his head.
I do believe that will work. He placed it into
his sack alongside the carrot. Sir Patrick stayed for the
stew and a good night's sleep, setting out again the
next morning for the final ingredient, the tomato, Sir Patrick
had assumed would be the easiest item on the list.
It could be any tomato, any size, any shape, grown
by anyone anywhere. It just had to be hand picked
with love. Surely this couldn't be too hard, And yet
Sir Patrick traveled far, coming eventually to a large village
surrounded by fields of ripe, juicy vegetables. Animals of all
kinds were watering, weeding, pruning, trimming, and harvesting, filling up
bars with fresh corn, large beans, bulging parsnips, and so
much more. It wasn't difficult to locate a field of
juicy red tomatoes with vines stretching for as far as
he could see. They were being tended to by a
family of squirrels, filling baskets with their crop. Excuse me,
called Sir Patrick, Would you be so kind as to
let me have one of those? Take all you want,
laughed one of the squirrels. We have a bumper harvest
this year. Sir Patrick reached into one of the baskets,
then paused, Could I just ask? He said? Were these
tomatoes picked with love? Are you asking if we enjoy
our jobs? Wondered the squirrel. I think what I mean,
stammered Sir Patrick, is did you pick these tomatoes lovingly?
Farming is hard work, explained the squirrel. We must prepare
the soil, plant the seeds, and tend to the vines.
We must keep away pests, collect the harvest, wash them,
and then sell them. And we do this all over
again the next year, year after year. I would definitely
say we grow them with care, but I'm not sure
you could argue that any of that is done with love,
I see, said Sir Patrick, with drawing his hand from
the basket. If he was going to save Princess Amy,
then he was going to have to try somewhere else.
He was putting in so much effort for her, determined
to make her well again, and he wasn't going to
give up now. He was her most loyal knight and
would do anything to protect her. Ah, he said with
a smile. Of course, he didn't need to find some
one to pick a tomato with love, because he could
do it. He cared for the princess deeply. It was
why he was here. Sir Patrick selected a large red
tomato dangling from a vine and gave it a gentle tug.
It seemed to glow softly as he placed it in
the sack alongside the carrot and potato the soup, which
was pleased to see the fox return, clutching the sacks
top tightly. Good work, the sloth said, taking the ingredients
the soup, which washed and sliced the vegetables before holding
them over the bubbling water of the caldron. The carrot
grown by the world's fastest rabbit will provide energy, she said,
dropping in the cat arrot slices. The potato found at
the top of the tallest mountain will cleanse the body
purified by the crisp mountain air. In went the chopped
up potato pieces, and the tomato hand picked with love,
will provide a soothing warmth. The diced tomato fell into
the water. The caldron bubbled and boiled as the soup,
which added herbs and spices. What are those for, asked
Sir Patrick. Flavor, of course, grinned the soup witch. Finally,
the sloth dipped a ladle into the soup and filled
a wooden bowl. Go now, she said, let the soup
do its job. Before Sir Patrick could thank her, the
hut faded away, transporting the fox to the familiar walls
of the castle. Fetch a spoon, Sir Patrick shouted to
a maid. While the soup is still hot. Princess Amy
sat up in bed as best she could, and with
a little help from Sir Patrick, was able to eat
the entire bowl of magic soup. Almost immediately. She felt
herself strengthen and her aches fade away. Thank you, my knight,
Princess Amy said to the fox, I feel better. Already
tell me where did you get this wonderful soup? I
wish I knew, Sir Patrick replied, honestly. The very next day,
thank you gifts were sent all over the kingdom, one
to a rabbit who lived by a lake, one to
a goose who lived up a mountain, and one to
a family of squirrels who lived on a tomato farm.
There was a fourth marked for the attention of a
sloth who lived in a cabin in a swamp, and
when she unwrapped it, she discovered a soup ladle made
from solid gold, engraved with the words for the soup
which animal fact, the fox in our story is a
red fox, a carnivorous mammal found throughout the northern hemisphere
of the world. They have also been introduced to Australia
by humans. Unlike wolves, foxes don't pose a threat to
humans and have instead thrived by living alongside us. There
are seven species of sloth on our planet, split between
two types, the three toad sloths and the two toad sloths.
Two toad sloths only have two digits and claws on
each of their fore limbs, but three on their hind limbs.
They spend their entire lives in trees, but will struggle
to move if they find themselves on the ground. Surprisingly,
they can also swim. Thank you for your suggestions, Patrick,
We hope that you all enjoyed the story. Wherever you're
listening in the world, discover our Animal Tales books at
animaltales dot uk. Great bedtime reading, especially if you've discovered
the joy of reading for yourself. Make sure you join
us next time for another great animal tail. Goodbye,