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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to a special taster of our new

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premium only story. We hope you like it. Hey Yale, Hello,

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I'm Josephine and this is the Animal Tales podcast, home

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to over four hundred and fifty stories written just for you.

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Our Friday story is especially for our premium subscribers only.

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Eli is a Premium member from Bend in Oregon, U

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s A. And he would like a story with a

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cheetah and a black emperor scorpion. Don't forget to listen

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to the animal facts after the story to learn more

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about these creatures. For now, it's time to sit back

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and get comfy, because it's time to begin pinches and stings.

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A cheetah was once sunbathing upon an old termite mound,

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watching a distant herd of wilderbeast and zebra amongst the

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long grass. The day was warm, making the cheetah feel sleepy,

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and so gradually the cheetah closed her eyes. Good morning,

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said a voice, startling the spotted cat. It took her

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a moment to locate the source of the greeting, for

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the speaker was below her, low to the ground, a

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large black emperor scorpion. Are you talking to me, said

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the cheetah, sounding surprised. Of course, said the Emperor scorpion cheerfully.

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I was just wondering, are there any tasty termites in

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that old termite mound you're sitting on. I wouldn't be

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sack here if there were, said the cheetah, sniffily. I

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wouldn't want to be pinched and stung by the little crite,

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now would I. That's a shame, said the scorpion. He

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considered the cheetah for a moment, then said, sure, is

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high up there. Can you see a long long way?

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This wasn't quite true. The old termite mound was only

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a little taller than the cheetah. But to a scorpion,

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even one as large as an Emperor scorpion who spent

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his life low to the ground, the old termite mound

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was enormous. The cheetah shrugged. I can see the zebra

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and the wilderbeast herds crossing the plain, she said, matter

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of factly. It wasn't impressive to her, as it was

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a scene she saw often. Wow, said the scorpion, whose

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view of the world was just stones, dirt and the

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base of plants. That sounds amazing. I've seen a zebra's

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foot before, and once I saw a wilderby snows when

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it bent down to bite some grass. But I can't

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imagine what an entire herd must look like. May I

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climb up and join you so I can see for myself?

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Certainly not, said the cheater. You're no better than a termite.

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Your pincers pinch and your tail stings. So no, I

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do not want you to climb up here. Oh, said

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the Emperor Scorpion, sadly, I understand. Saddened, he wandered away

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and was soon lost amongst the long grass. A little later,

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the cheetah decided that she was thirsty, which meant a

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short trip to the water hole to get herself a drink.

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She enjoyed going there because there were always plenty of

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animals to see and friends to catch up with. She

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emerged from the long grass to see that to day

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there was a marabou stork stood in the shallows, a

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group of hyaenas on the water holes far side, and

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near by a wart hog taking a long, deep drink.

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Hi cecil, said the cheeta. Upon recognizing the wart hog,

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are you well? The wart hog lifted his long, lumpy

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bumpy head and smiled. I'm marvelous. As a matter of fact,

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replied Cecil. I was just saying to my friend Zuri,

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the Maraboo stalk, that I've never felt better. The Maraboo

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stork turned her bald, pink head and heavy beak and added,

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it must be all this wonderful weather we're having. The

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Cheetera agreed that this may well be the case, before

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bending her head to drink. She lapped at the water

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for several seconds before realizing that her head was level

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with a large black lump. Hello again, said the Emperor Scorpion.

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