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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, hello, My name's Josephine and this is the Animal

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<v Speaker 1>Tales podcast, where you suggest the animals featured in our stories.

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<v Speaker 1>There are new tales to enjoy every Monday and Wednesday,

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<v Speaker 1>with a third premium only story every Friday. To learn

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<v Speaker 1>more about Animal Tales, please visit our new website at

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<v Speaker 1>Animaltales dot uk, where you can now find stories more

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<v Speaker 1>easily by animal type. THEO lives in Spain and he

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<v Speaker 1>would like a story featuring a scorpion. You can learn

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<v Speaker 1>more about these creatures in the animal facts after the story. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>are you ready? That's good, then I'll begin a scorpion.

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<v Speaker 1>The desert was hot and blistering. High above the sun

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<v Speaker 1>shone bright, with not a cloud in the sky to

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<v Speaker 1>obscure it. The rocks burned to the touch, the sand fizzled,

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<v Speaker 1>and the few thin plants that grew in the harsh

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<v Speaker 1>sunlight became even more withered and browned. In this heat,

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<v Speaker 1>a lone yellow fat tailed scorpion scuttled from rock to rock,

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<v Speaker 1>hiding in what little shade he could find. His name

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<v Speaker 1>was Theo, and he was desperately looking for some place

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<v Speaker 1>to rest from the sun's rays. Yellow fat tailed Scorpions,

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<v Speaker 1>like THEO, are hardy creatures. Their outer body, their exoskeleton

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<v Speaker 1>is thick, allowing them to survive even the harshest sandstorms.

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<v Speaker 1>They fear very little due to the strength of their sting.

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<v Speaker 1>But the blazing sun that was a different matter, and

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<v Speaker 1>on this particular day it was even too hot for THEO.

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<v Speaker 1>He felt like he was melting. His search continued as

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<v Speaker 1>he scurried across the burning sand, even though his feet

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<v Speaker 1>were uncomfortable and he was beginning to feel dizzy from exhaustion.

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<v Speaker 1>He kneeded water, and he needed shade and fast. Luckily,

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<v Speaker 1>for THEO, he stumbled upon the right place. A sandstone

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<v Speaker 1>cliff loomed up before him, and near its base was

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<v Speaker 1>an opening. This would offer the relief from the sun

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<v Speaker 1>that he needed. Hurrying over, he was delighted to find

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<v Speaker 1>that it was perfect, just the right size for a scorpion. Pleasingly,

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<v Speaker 1>it was not only cooler, but once inside, he realized

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<v Speaker 1>it opened into a tunnel, taking him down further beneath

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<v Speaker 1>the ground. The further down he went, the cooler the

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<v Speaker 1>air became. It felt good on his back, allowing THEO

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<v Speaker 1>to breathe a sigh of relief. He was finally out

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<v Speaker 1>of the sun. Unfortunately, it getting cooler went hand in

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<v Speaker 1>hand with it getting darker. He soon couldn't see where

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<v Speaker 1>he was going, which was how he bumped into something soft.

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<v Speaker 1>Who goes there, said a stern voice. This cave is occupied.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm terribly sorry, spluttered THEO into the darkness. I was

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<v Speaker 1>just looking for a place to hide from the sun,

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<v Speaker 1>aren't we all, answered the voice. That's why we're here.

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<v Speaker 1>Tell us stranger. Are you another Jeboah? A jeboah, thought THEO.

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<v Speaker 1>That was a kind of jumping mouse. No, I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>a jerboa, said THEO. I'm a scorpion. Eek, squealed the Jaboa.

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<v Speaker 1>A scorpion. Run, Everybody run. THEO didn't mean any one

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<v Speaker 1>any harm. He just wanted to rest from the sun.

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<v Speaker 1>But the Joboas weren't about to let him explain. They

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<v Speaker 1>were too busy panicking, and it was pandemonium. Joboas were

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<v Speaker 1>leaping and bouncing about in the darkness, barely able to

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<v Speaker 1>see one another or where they were going as they

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<v Speaker 1>tried to escape the deadly scorpion. Unable to see THEO properly,

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<v Speaker 1>he found himself jostled, nudged, and jumped on. In the chaos,

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<v Speaker 1>THEO hadn't meant to scare any one, and was feeling

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<v Speaker 1>quite guilty about the worry he was causing. All he

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<v Speaker 1>could do was try to back up slowly and exit

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<v Speaker 1>the way he'd come in. Arriving back at the opening

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<v Speaker 1>to the outside, Theo toyed with waiting here until nightfall,

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<v Speaker 1>but the noise of the screaming joboas below made him

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<v Speaker 1>feel dreadful, so instead he headed out into the sun

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<v Speaker 1>in search of another place to rest. Somehow, the day

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<v Speaker 1>felt even hotter than before. Theo felt his tail wilting

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<v Speaker 1>in the heat, while his eyes grew heavy as he tired.

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<v Speaker 1>He needed to find another place to hide before he

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<v Speaker 1>became barbecued scorpion. Staggering onwards, THEO saw a large shape

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<v Speaker 1>loom up before him. It was a human building made

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<v Speaker 1>of stone. Maybe this could be somewhere he could rest

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<v Speaker 1>until it grew cooler. THEO scuttled up to a wooden door,

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<v Speaker 1>but was unable to fit beneath it. There were windows,

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<v Speaker 1>but it looked like too far to climb in this heat.

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<v Speaker 1>That was when he noticed something on the ground. There

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<v Speaker 1>were several pairs of shoes just outside the door. If

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<v Speaker 1>I got inside one of those, thought THEO, I'd be

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<v Speaker 1>out of this direct sunlight. It seemed like a sensible

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<v Speaker 1>thing to do, But which one. Checking the shoes one

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<v Speaker 1>by one, THEO ummed and ard as he inspected them.

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<v Speaker 1>In the end he decided that one of the large

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<v Speaker 1>brown boots would be best. He climbed up the side

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<v Speaker 1>and tipped himself in. Immediately he felt cooler, and so

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<v Speaker 1>tired was he that the scorpion soon fell asleep. Sleep

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<v Speaker 1>though didn't last long. THEO was awoken by the shoes

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<v Speaker 1>sudden movement. He was rocked sharply back and forth. Then,

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<v Speaker 1>to his surprise, the light coming from the boot's opening

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<v Speaker 1>was blocked out by the arrival of a large foot,

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<v Speaker 1>and it was coming his way. Fearing he was about

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<v Speaker 1>to be squashed, THEO held out his pincer and snipped

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<v Speaker 1>at the nearest toe. Yow yelped the owner of the toe,

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<v Speaker 1>pulling his foot free. The boot was thrown down, thumping

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<v Speaker 1>to the ground, with THEO still in it. Shaken up,

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<v Speaker 1>the yellow, fat tailed scorpion staggered out Ee a scorpion,

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<v Speaker 1>The human cried, get it, get it. THEO didn't wait

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<v Speaker 1>to be squashed by stamping feet. Instead, he ran for it.

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<v Speaker 1>Forgetting all about the heat, he sprinted into the desert

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<v Speaker 1>to put as much distance between himself and the humans

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<v Speaker 1>as possible. Well, that was a mistake, he panted. Clearly

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<v Speaker 1>the humans didn't like snippy surprises in their shoes. He

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<v Speaker 1>would have to remember that in future. With the sun

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<v Speaker 1>continuing to beat down, Theo's mouth was dry from thirst.

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<v Speaker 1>He needed a drink. The thought of water made him

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<v Speaker 1>think of a bath. Oh, yes, a bath that would

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<v Speaker 1>surely cool him down, a nice cool bath, with the

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<v Speaker 1>gentle water lapping against his sides, cooling his red hot exoskeleton.

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<v Speaker 1>As THEO day dreamed, a splash of green appeared in

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<v Speaker 1>the distance. At first, he feared it was a mirage,

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<v Speaker 1>a strange sight that desperate creatures in the desert saw

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<v Speaker 1>when they were hot or tired. But this patch of

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<v Speaker 1>green just kept growing larger. Green was such an unusual

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<v Speaker 1>color in the desert that it could only mean one thing.

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<v Speaker 1>THEO had stumbled across an oasis. Oases were rare in

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<v Speaker 1>the desert. They occurred whenever water flowing underground reached the surface,

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<v Speaker 1>allowing plant life to thrive where otherwise they could not.

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<v Speaker 1>If THEO was right, this place could present a lovely

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<v Speaker 1>resting spot with food, water and shade. It was just

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<v Speaker 1>what THEO needed. But the scorpion soon realized that he

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't the only animal drawn to the oasis. It was

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<v Speaker 1>already crowded around a central pool of water ringed by

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<v Speaker 1>bushes and trees were lizards, snakes, foxes, and birds, all

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<v Speaker 1>enjoying the cool w water and shade. Everyone was so

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<v Speaker 1>relaxed that they failed to notice THEO arrive at the

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<v Speaker 1>water's edge, where he dipped his pincers in to cool down.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh wonderful, said THEO with a sigh. That's better. Gek

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<v Speaker 1>e Fennick fox cried as she saw who was standing

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<v Speaker 1>next to her, a scorpion. It was just like the

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<v Speaker 1>joboahs all over again, except with even more animals. They

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<v Speaker 1>shrieked as they scrambled to get away from him and

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<v Speaker 1>his nasty looking stinger. Fearing he was about to get

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<v Speaker 1>stepped on, THEO scuttled backwards and bolted yet again. He

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<v Speaker 1>was back in the hot, harsh desert. To make matters worse,

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<v Speaker 1>the sun was now at its hottest. THEO dragged himself

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<v Speaker 1>across the squawing sand and rocks, knowing that he couldn't

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<v Speaker 1>afford to stop, he didn't know what to do. Everyone

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<v Speaker 1>he'd come across had been terrified of him, leaving him

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<v Speaker 1>nowhere to shelter. At this rate, could he make it

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<v Speaker 1>to nightfall? Or would he roast out here in the sun.

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<v Speaker 1>He realized he was passing a low, flat rock that

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<v Speaker 1>left just enough room beneath it for him to slide

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<v Speaker 1>into the shade. It would have to do. He collapsed

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<v Speaker 1>into it, grateful to be out of the direct sunlight.

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<v Speaker 1>But as he lay in the shadow of the rock,

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<v Speaker 1>someone screamed, eek, a scorpion. THEO sighed, but he was

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<v Speaker 1>too tired and exhausted to even think of moving. Oddly,

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<v Speaker 1>what he was looking at was another scorpion, although where

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<v Speaker 1>he was yellow was brown, and she was smiling only joking.

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<v Speaker 1>She giggled. To be honest, I'm ever so pleased to

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<v Speaker 1>see another scorpion, you are, asked THEO. Really, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>you look awfully hot and tired, said the brown scorpion.

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<v Speaker 1>If you can crawl a little further, you can hide

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<v Speaker 1>in my burrow with me. It's much cooler underground, even

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<v Speaker 1>cooler than here. That sounds wonderful, said THEO with relief.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Joanne, by the way, she said, come on, it's

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<v Speaker 1>not far, and she was right. They were soon beneath

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<v Speaker 1>the desert's surface, in a large cool chamber that Joanne

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<v Speaker 1>had made her home. Do you know you're the first

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<v Speaker 1>animal I've come across that's been nice to me, pointed

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<v Speaker 1>out THEO. Well, you are a scorpion, said Joanne, and

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<v Speaker 1>I should know. It happens to me all the time too.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not much fun, is it, said THEO. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't mean anyone any harm me. Neither, said Joanne.

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<v Speaker 1>But some folk will insist on judging others on how

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<v Speaker 1>they look, not on what they do. I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>change that right now, said THEO. Thank you, Joanne for

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<v Speaker 1>inviting me into your home. You're most welcome, grinned the

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<v Speaker 1>brown scorpion. Please stay for as long as you like.

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<v Speaker 1>For the first time in his life, THEO felt accepted,

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<v Speaker 1>and perhaps he just might have found himself a home animal.

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<v Speaker 1>Fat yellow fat taileds scorpions are found across North Africa,

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<v Speaker 1>where they can grow up to ten centimeters in length

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<v Speaker 1>that's around four inches. They are nocturnal, so will hide

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<v Speaker 1>from the sun during the day and go out to

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<v Speaker 1>hunt at night. Their sting is extremely toxic, making them

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<v Speaker 1>one of the most dangerous scorpions on the planet. They

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<v Speaker 1>use their sting in self defense when threatened by other

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<v Speaker 1>animals or when they're hunting. They will feed on insects,

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<v Speaker 1>small lizards, and occasionally small mammals too. Thank you for

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<v Speaker 1>your suggestion THEO. We hope you enjoyed the story, and

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<v Speaker 1>thank you to all of you across the world for

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<v Speaker 1>listening to it. In addition to the five hundred free

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<v Speaker 1>to listen stories, there are over one hundred extra stories

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<v Speaker 1>Find out more at animaltales dot uk and remember, for

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<v Speaker 1>a tiny fee, all the stories are advert free. Join

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<v Speaker 1>us next time for another great animal tale. Good Bye,