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Speaker 1: Yea. Hello. My name's Josephine and this is the Animal

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Tales podcast, where you suggest the animals featured in our stories.

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There are new tales to enjoy every Monday and Wednesday,

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with a third premium only story every Friday. Oscar is

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from Leeds in the UK, and he would like a

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story featuring a vampire, bat and an angler fish. You

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can learn more about these creatures in the animal facts

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after the story. Okay, are you ready? That's good, then

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I'll begin vampire in training. Ah, good evening, said the

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female vampire. Thank you for meeting me. She was talking

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to a young vampire who had arrived through the darkness.

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He looked nervous. Um, are you the vampire that's going

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to help me? He asked, that's right, smiled the female vampire,

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showing off a pair of sharp pointed teeth. The name's Fran,

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so you must be Oscar. The young vampire nodded. I

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think I've got a lot to learn about being a vampire,

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he said. Oh, it's easy enough, said Fran. The first

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rule to remember is to stay out of sunlight, otherwise

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you'll turn to dust. That's why we're doing your training

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in a dark forest. At night. No danger of any

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dusty accidents here, I see, nodded Oscar. Is this going

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to be like school in a way, said Fran. I'll

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teach you how to do some things that will help

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you be a better vampire, like someone once taught me,

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although that was nearly two hundred years ago. Now you're

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two hundred years old, gasped Oscar. It will take a

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few years, yes, said Fran. Wow, said Oscar. Will I

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get to be over two hundred if you can stay

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out of the sunlight, then yes, smiled Fran. It's very

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hard for a vampire to die, so the chances of

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you seeing a few centuries are rather good. Now, enough

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chit chat, is time for your first lesson, Okay, said Oscar,

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standing up straight. I think I'm ready. That's good, said

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Fran approvingly. Now all vampires can turn themselves into a

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vampire bat. The first try can be difficult, but once

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you've done it, you'll find it really easy. You'll soon

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be flying in and out of windows with ease. Being

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a vampire bat is one of the most essential things

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a vampire can do, all right, said Oscar slowly. But

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how do I do it? I try to imagine what

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a vampire bat looks like, explained Fran. I think of

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those sharp teeth, compact body, and the flappy parts extending outwards.

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Once I have those elements fixed in my head, I

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will my body to change shape like this. In an instant,

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Fran was fluttering around in circles above Oscar's head. See

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nothing hard about that. Now go on, it's your turn, okay,

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said Oscar with a firm nod. I can do this.

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Sharp teeth, compact body, flappy parts extending outwards. Make sure

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to picture them in your mind, said Fran as she

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did another loop. Then, when you're ready transform. Oscar felt

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the sensation of his body altering its shape. He was

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doing it. He was changing. With a splat, he landed

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on the dry pine needles carpeting the forest floor. Have

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I done it? He asked, wriggling around. He was flapping

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with all of his might, but didn't seem to be

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able to get off of the ground. And why are

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you shining that light in my eyes? That's not me,

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said Fran, sounding stunned. That's you. Why aren't I flying?

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Grunted Oscar as he continued to flap furiously. My wings

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look really tiny, oh, Oscar, said Fran as she did

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a couple of circuits of his struggling body. Something's gone

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terribly wrong wrong, asked Oscar, trying to duck his head

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away from the brightness, but wherever he turned, the light

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seemed to follow him. Is my vampire bat not very good?

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It's not so much that it isn't good, said Fran diplomatically.

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It's more that it isn't a vampire bat at all, Oscar.

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Dear boy, there's only one way to tell you this.

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You've turned yourself into an angler fish. An angler fish,

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yelped Oscar in surprise. That's not even close to a bat.

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I think I can see where it might have gone wrong, though,

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said Fran, as she landed upside down on the trunk

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of a tree. I said to think of sharp teeth,

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a compact body, and flappy parts extending outwards. Well, anglerfish

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have sharp teeth, a compact body, and flappy parts extending outwards,

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although their flappy parts are their fins, not wings. Oh

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what a mess, wailed Oscar as he rolled about in

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the pine needles. This is hopeless. I can barely move.

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I'm useless now now, cautioned Fran. Remember this was your

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first try, and I said that the first time is difficult.

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Have you heard of Dracula The first time he turned

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into a vampire bat, he forgot the wings and ended

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up falling down three hundred castle steps like a little

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furry bouncing ball. It happens. But what do I do?

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Oscar asked quietly. Change back, said Fran, matter of factly.

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Just imagine your normal body and transform. A second later,

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Fran was stood beside the tree, back to normal, although

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now she towered over the wriggling body of Oscar. Now

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you do it, she said, o k said Oscar, sounding determined,

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with a grim look on his face. He pictured what

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he was supposed to look like and concentrated hard at transforming.

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Nothing happened. As soon as you're ready, just change, said

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Fran helpfully. I'm trying, gurgled Oscar. It should be easy,

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added Fran. But it's not, grunted Oscar. After a minute

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or two of straining, he slumped forward, exhausted. I can't

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do it, oh my, said Fran, looking worried. This has

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never happened before. I'm stuck. Stuck as an angler fish,

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shouted Oscar. I'm not sure what to do, fretted Fran

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as she nervously rubbed a fang with her forefinger. Oh wait,

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I have something. She ferreted in her coat pocket and

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pulled out a small, leather bound book. It was very old.

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What's that, asked Oscar. It's called be a better vampire.

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Top tips and fascinating facts she read. There might be

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something in here that can help us. Trouble is, it's

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so dark in these woods. I can barely see the writing.

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Use my light, suggested Oscar, flexing the glowing stalk that

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protruded from his head. Ah good idea, said Fran, and

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knelt down beside him. She began flicking through the pages.

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See anything, he asked? Hopefully Not yet, said Fran. Ah

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transformations here it is, it says most vampires can master

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three basic transformations, vampire, bat, wolf, and fog. What about

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an anglerfish, whimpered Oscar. There's more, said Fran. Elder vampires

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or vampires of supreme power have been known to master

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further transformations, mastering such hideous forms as giant rat, deadly serpent,

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and monstrosities from the deep. That last bits me yelped Oscar.

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Anglerfish are from the deep ocean. But I don't understand,

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said Fran. You're not supposed to be able to do this.

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You're a new vampire, not an elder vampire. I'm two

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hundred years old, and even I can't manage more than

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vampire bat, wolf and fog. But does it say how

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to turn back? Asked Oscar. No it doesn't, said Fran,

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closing the book. Sorry, then I really am stuck. Oscar wailed.

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We may have a bigger problem than you being a

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balloon shaped blob. Warned Fran. It will be morning soon.

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Oh no, groaned Oscar. Sunlight. That's right, nodded Fran. We're

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a long way from the nearest place to hide. I

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didn't think that was a problem when I arranged for

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you to meet me here. I thought that as vampire bats,

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we'd make short work of the journey back. Can't you

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still do that? Asked Oscar? And maybe carry me I

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can try, said Fran. With a shrug of her shoulders.

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She transformed again, flapping madly in her vampire bat form. Unfortunately,

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she was smaller than him and wasn't quite sure where

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to get a grip on the oddly shaped fish. In desperation,

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she closed her feet around the length of his light

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stalk pulling upwards. Ow ow owl, screeched Oscar. That hurts.

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I'll try your tail instead, said Fran. Luckily that didn't

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hurt at all, but Oscar was clearly too heavy for

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the bat's tiny wings. Fran gave up, changing back again

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to pant on the ground beside him. Well that didn't work, Uck,

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Could you carry me like you are now, wondered Oscar.

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I guess I'll have to, replied Fran. But it will

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be slow progressed through these trees. I'm worried we won't

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make it before the sun comes up. We'd better get started, then,

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said Oscar. So Fran scooped up the angler fish and

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off they went. It was certainly a help having the

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light on Oscar's head to guide their way. That at

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least allowed them to travel a little faster, but it

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was painfully obvious to both of them whenever they caught

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a glimpse of the sky through the branches, that the

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new day had almost arrived. We're not going to make it,

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said Fran, sounding defeated. In another ten minutes or so,

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the sun will have risen, and you know what that means.

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Oscar nodded, we'll be turned to dust. Hopefully, by staying

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under the cover of the trees, we can buy ourselves

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a bit more time, said Fran, trying to remain positive,

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which was why when they stumbled upon the shores of

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a wide, dark lake, Fran turned aside to stay in

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the gloom. Wait, said Oscar. Suddenly I have an idea.

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There's no time, said Fran, stumbling to a stop. The

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sun's nearly up. But the lake, we can use it,

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said Oscar. It looks deep. We could swim to the

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bottom and hide from the sunlight there. But Oscar, I

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can't follow you down there, she answered, visibly sagging. You'll

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be okay, but I still need to hide. Even if

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I was to turn into a vampire bat now, I

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won't make it back home. I'm as good as dust.

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Then change into an anglerfish, too, insisted Oscar. Your book

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said elder vampires and vampires of supreme power can do that.

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That must be you. I hardly think so, said Fran.

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I'm not that special. Have you even tried, he asked.

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Fran sighed in truth, no, I haven't. She looked across

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the lake towards the horizon that was now bright. Although

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the sun still hadn't quite appeared very well, she said,

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striding out onto the lake shore. I've got nothing to lose.

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I'm sure if I can do it, then you can,

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said Oscar supportively. All you need to do is think

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of those sharp teeth, compact body, and the flappy part

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extending outwards. But think of those flappy parts being fins,

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not wings. Okay, said Fran with a firm nod. I

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can do this. Sharp teeth, compact body, flappy parts extending outwards,

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fins not wings. Make sure to picture them in your mind,

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said Oscar. From her arms, he cast a nervous look

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to where the sun was on the brink of making

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them permanent dust piles. Then when you're ready transform, Here

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goes said Fran, screwing up her face tight. As the

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very edge of the sun appeared to announce the new day,

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Fran felt the sensation of her body altering its shape.

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She was doing it, she was changing. Suddenly Oscar was falling,

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tumbling into the lake water with a splash. He quickly

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righted himself, straining to look back to shore and fearing

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all he'd see was a scattering of dust where Fran

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had stood, But instead all he got was a face

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full of light, but not some light. It was Fran

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successfully transformed into an angler fish. Quickly, she urged, let's

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swim as deep as we can. The lake bottom was

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indeed dark and murky, next to no light from above

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made it this far down. I hope I've not been

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too much trouble, said Oscar nervously trouble, laughed Fran. This

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is the most fun I've had in over a hundred years.

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I bet no vampire has ever been down here before.

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By the light of their head stalks, two giggling vampire

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anglerfish swam on animal fat. Vampire bats are found in

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Central and South America, where they feed mainly on large mammals.

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They approach their food source by landing on the ground

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and crawling forward. Then they'll make a tiny bite, licking

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up the blood to feed themselves. We've made our anglerfish

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in the story large and round, but in real life

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only female anglerfish are this size. Male anglerfish are much

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much smaller and will fuse themselves to a female like

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a parasite. Thank you for your great suggestions, Oscar. We

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hope you enjoyed the story, and thank you to all

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of you across the world for listening to it. Join

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us next time for another great animal tail. Good Bye,