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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. Do let

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your friends know about Animal Tales so that they can

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enjoy our stories too. Edward is from Bournemouth in the UK,

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and he would like a story featuring a blue footed booby.

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You can learn more about these creatures in the animal

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

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then I'll begin Sammy's Splendid Shoes. Edward was taking a

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walk when he noticed a pair of ducks staring at him.

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He tried to ignore them at first, but couldn't help

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but overhear their whispers. Look at his feet, one of

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the ducks said. Blushing, Edward hurried off the path into

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some tall grass. Now alone, he looked down at his

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feet and sighed at what he saw, because Edward's feet

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were bright blue. This was because Edward was a blue

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footed booby, a type of sea bird. No other birds

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had bright blue feet, a fact that Edward was more

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than aware of. To put it simply, Edward didn't much

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like his blue, webbed feet. He felt like everyone was

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always staring. It didn't help that whenever he told someone

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what kind of creature he was, he just ended up

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directing their attention to them. But what could he do.

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They were the feet he was born with. He couldn't

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exactly go anywhere without them. Leaving the grass, Edward tried

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to ignore the flashes of blue that flicked out beneath

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his belly. Instead, he tried to focus on the green

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leaves of the trees above him. This meant that he

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wasn't looking where he was going. Almost walking face first

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into a small wooden cabin, somehow he managed not to

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bash his beak into the wall. I've never noticed this

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cabin before, he said to himself. There was a sign

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fixed to the wall above his head. It said Sammy's

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Splendid Shoes. Now there was an idea. If he had

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a pair of shoes, he could cover up his vibrant feet.

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Edward heard a faint chime as he pushed open the

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cabin's door. It was gloomy in the room, taking him

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a moment for his eyes to adjust, but when they did,

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Edward saw he was in a small shop absolutely filled

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with shoes. There are all sorts, large ones and small ones,

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pretty ones and sturdy ones, and in every color imaginable.

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They were piled so high that they were higher than

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Edward's head. Can I help you, asked a voice, drawing

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Edward's attention to a chair. Hidden amongst the piles of shoes.

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There sat an elderly raccoon with glasses perched on the

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end of his nose. He had a half finished red

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shoe in his hands. Yes, please, said Edward, I'd like

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to buy some shoes. The raccoon set his shoe down. Well,

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you've come to the right place, he said, as he

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peered down at Edward's feet. What interesting feet, he murmured.

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You're a blue footed booby. I take it that's right,

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said Edward, shuffling awkwardly. Well, I'm Sammy and I'm a shoemaker.

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I've been making shoes for very many years. A shoe's expensive,

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Edward asked. I really just want to cover up my feet,

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and I don't have much money. You want to hide

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your feet, said the surprised raccoon. But you're a blue

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footed booby. You have remarkable feat I know, Edward sighed,

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but I wish I didn't, I see, said Sammy. Unfortunately,

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I don't have any shoes that would fit your webbed feet,

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so I'll have to make them. But that's expensive. As

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you don't have much money, you can help me around

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the shop instead. Is that a fair trade? That's ever

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so kind of you? Said Edward with a smile, looked pleased.

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As you can see, it's not very organized in here.

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I could do with some help. I'd be happy to

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Edward said, it's a deal. Producing his tape measure, Sammy

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measured Edward's blue webbed feet. I can make you something

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solid that will last a good while, the raccoon said.

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While I make them, you help any animals that come

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through that door. Edward nodded in agreement, then asked, will

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my new shoes fit perfectly? I mean, will they cover

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up all the blue? All of my shoes fit the

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owner just right, the raccoon replied, as he wound up

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his tape measure, perfect in size and in style, and

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with that he disappeared through a door to his workshop,

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leaving Edward alone amongst the shelves and piles of shoes.

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Certainly a mess, there didn't seem to be any rhyme

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nor reason to what shoes were stacked or displayed were

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He was just studying a pyramid of boots when the

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bell above the door tinkled, although nobody appeared to have

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come in, I'm down here, said a large centerpede, waving

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a piece of paper. I'm here to collect my shoes.

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Edward took the piece of paper, which simply said number

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forty two. Edward looked towards the counter and saw there

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was a shelf of numbered boxes behind it. One of

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them had forty two written neatly on the front. Just

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one moment, said Edward, and went to retrieve the box.

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When he returned, the centerpede had taken a seat on

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the edge of a battered leather chair. I'd like to

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wear them right away, please, said the centipede. Allow me

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to help, said Edward, as he removed the box's lid.

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This box is full of tiny shoes, he said, before

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he could help himself. How many were you expecting, asked

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the center pede. Well, two, I suppose, said Edward. How

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many are here? Eighty six, smiled the center pede. Oh my,

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said Edward, this may take a while. Eighty six sure

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is a lot of feet, and I'm still growing, the

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center pede replied. Every time I molt, I gained two

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new pairs of legs. One day I might even reach

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one hundred. That is a lot, Edward said, as he

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lifted out the first shoe. Like all the others, it

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was ruby red with yellow sparkles. Sure is, said the

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centerpede proudly. And every time I grow, I come here

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for a new set of shoes. I think everyone notices

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my many feet thanks to Sammy's shoes. Edward was amazed.

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He only had two feet, but this centipede had so

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many more, and with the ruby red sparkly shoes, he

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wanted everyone to notice them. It took a while to

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get all eighty six on and the laces tied, but

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the centipede was soon leaving and looking very pleased with himself.

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But before the door could swing shut, it was pushed

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open by a long gray trunk. Hullo, said the elephant

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from outside the door. Is anyone there? Edward looked up

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into the elephant's face. Can I help, he asked. I've

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come to collect my shoes, please, replied the elephant, handing

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over a ticket that said number forty six I'll be

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right back, said Edward, propping the door open with a sandal. Strangely,

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there wasn't a box with forty six written on it

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behind the counter. Surely shoes big enough for an elephant

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should be easy to spot, but Edward couldn't see them anywhere.

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What do they look like, called out Edward. There's four

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of them, the elephant said, Black boots with blue laces,

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thick and sturdy and big. Edward said, almost to himself. Huge,

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the elephant grinned from the doorway. I'm a big animal.

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I need big boots. Edward laughed. When he found the box.

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It was so large that the raccoon had been using

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it as a table. Shall I help you try them on?

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Edward asked, yes, please, replied the elephant. He was soon

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admiring his new boots. Somehow, they made him look even bigger.

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They're perfect, the elephant beamed. I feel and look great.

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He strode away happily, his powerful footsteps making the ground shake.

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Edward couldn't help but admire the elephant's confidence. With the

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shop quiet apart from the noise from the workshop, Edward

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got to work tidying up. He was half way through

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the first pile of shoes. When the door opened for

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the third time. This time it was a Tuken with

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the biggest beak the blue footed Booby had ever seen.

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The beak was bright orange, long, and impossible to miss. Hello,

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Edward said, how can I help you? I'm picking up

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my shoes, the Toucan replied, waving her ticket. This time

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the number was forty five. At least, thought Edward, there

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would be only two shoes this time. He suggested the

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toucan take a seat on the chair before quickly locating

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the correct box on the shelf. But when he lifted

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the lid, he was stunned by what he saw. They're orange,

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he said, holding the pair of shoes up. Of course,

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the Toucan replied, it's a fantastic color. Yes, But well,

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your beak's orange too, Edward said, exactly, said the Toucan proudly.

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I wanted them to match. With a beak like this,

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I simply have to make the most of it. Edward

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couldn't believe his ears. If his beak was as big

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and bright as hers, he didn't think he'd be happy

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at all. It was just as bad as having blue feet.

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But the Tucan wasn't bothered at all. She slipped them

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straight on and admired herself in a near by mirror.

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They're just what I wanted, she said. Please tell that's

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Sammie that he's wonderful. With a wink, she left, skipping

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out in her brand new, bright orange shoes. Edward got

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back to sorting shoes. He was so wrapped up in

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the task that he failed to notice the time passing

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until Sammie came out of his workshop a box in

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his hands. How have you found to day, the raccoon

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asked I really enjoyed it, Edward admitted, I helped a

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lot of interesting animals with a lot of interesting shoes.

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That's good to hear, said Sammie, holding the box out

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for the blue footed Booby to take. As agreed, he said,

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Edward took the box, revealing a pair of ankle high

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sports shoes. They were plain white, with no other color whatsoever.

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Try them on, the raccoon encouraged. Edward did, marveling at

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how well they fit and they covered the blue of

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his feet perfectly. I love them, he said. It was

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a fair trade, Sammy said, showing Edward to the door.

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Good Bye, my blue footed booby friend. Edward marched off

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down the path, feeling great. For the first time in

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his life, he didn't feel as if he was being

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stared at. His blue feet were safely covered. Almost immediately,

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he ran into the ducks from the morning. He flinched

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as he walked past, fearing they would make a comment,

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but they barely took any notice of him at all.

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Edward grinned, feeling victorious, or rather he did for a while.

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He glanced downwards and there was no flicker of bright

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blue from beneath his belly. That didn't feel quite right.

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Oh my, he said, realizing he'd made a terrible mistake.

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I'm not myself. Moments later, the shop bell tinged once more.

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As Edward pushed the door open. Sammy appeared to have

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been waiting for him. Are you unhappy with the shoes,

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the raccoon asked, a twinkle in his eye. They feel great,

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Edward replied, but I'm afraid I need something that's a

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little bit more. Me tell me more, said the raccoon. Well,

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the centipede wasn't bothered about having so many legs. In fact,

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he wanted to show them off, and the elephant, despite

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his size, wanted to appear even bigger, and the tuken

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was so proud of her bright orange bill that she

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wanted shoes the same color, blurted out Edward, so is

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the blue footed booby? Regretting covering up his blue feet,

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asked the raccoon, I think so, nodded Edward, which was

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how the next day Edward took a walk in his

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brand new shoes. They're nice, said the centipede. Lovely color.

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The elephant agreed, they suit you perfectly. The tucun grinned,

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and they did. For Edward was wearing a pair of

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dark blue sandals to really show off his bright blue feet.

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His feet weren't something to be ashamed of. They were

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a part of him, and for the first time in

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his life, Edward was pleased to be a blue footed

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booby animal fat. Blue footed boobies are sea birds found

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off the Pacific West coast of the USA, Central America,

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and parts of South America. There are several species of booby,

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but only one has bright blue feet. There is another

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called the red footed booby, but you'll have to guess

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what color its feet are. They feed on fish, which

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they'll dive into the ocean to catch, even swimming under

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water if they have to. The name Booby comes from

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the Spanish word bobo, which means clown or foolish. This

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is because they have such large webbed feet that they

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look a bit silly when walking on land. Thank you

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for your suggestion, Edward. We hope you enjoyed the story,

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and thank you to all of you across the world

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for listening to it. Remember, if you prefer your stories

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advert free, please consider our premium service through Apple or

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Supercast for a tiny fee, the stories are advert free.

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Join us next time for another great animal tale. Good Bye,