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Speaker 1: Yo, Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,

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where you suggest the animal for us to write a

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story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand

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new animal story here just for you. There are over

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four hundred animal tales now and all are available on

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our premium service alongside over sixty premium only stories for

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a tiny fee. They are all advert free, and don't

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forget to look for the Animal Tales books on Amazon.

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Kelvin is for Melbourne in Australia and he would like

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a story with a tiger, a lion, a cheetah and

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a snow leopard. You can learn more about these creatures

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in the Animal facts after the story. Settle back, relax,

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and I'll begin the wishing well. Calvin smiled and stood

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back to admire his handiwork. Kelvin was a tiger and

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he'd spent the whole weekend building a new well at

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the bottom of his long back garden. He had built

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it so he could have fresh water for all his

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flowers and vegetables. First, he dug a deep hole down

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to the water, lining it with bricks. At the surface,

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He'd raised the bricks up into a small circular wall

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then added wooden supports for a tiled roof. Finally, across

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the drop, he'd made a winch with a long length

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of rope attached to a bucket. Calvin couldn't be prouder

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of himself, and now was the moment of truth. The

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tiger wound the winch, lowering the bucket to the water below.

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He heard the splash as it struck the water, so

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gave it a moment to feel before winding it back

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up again. Much to his relief, the bucket was full

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of clear, shimmering water. Calvin grinned he'd done it. He'd

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built a working well all by himself. Was there anything

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he couldn't do? Whistling a happy tune, the tiger poured

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the contents of the bucket into his watering can and

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began sprinkling his vegetables. His success had got him wondering

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what sort of project he could tackle next. When from

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behind him he heard an echoing splash. Calvin was surprised

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to see that some one was beside his knew well

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it was a cheetah. His next door neighbor, the spotted Cat,

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was looking down into the well whilst muttering to herself,

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Um excuse me, Calvin called out, Can I help you? Oh, high,

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replied the cheater, I was just using the wishing well.

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Oh it's not a wishing well, Calvin corrected her. It's

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just well, a normal well. I've just built it. I'm

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afraid you're mistaken, chuckled the cheeter. All wells are wishing wells.

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If you throw a penny in, that is, it's like

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well magic or something. Calvin was doubtful. He felt that

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if he'd made a magic wishing well, then he'd have

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been the first to know about it. But the cheetah

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seemed excited by what he'd built, so he let it be.

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So what did you wish for? He asked. I wished

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that my neighbor on the other side would stop being

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so loudly at night. The cheeter sighed, I can't seem

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to get a proper night's sleep because of them, so

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now I'm tired all the time. That does sound frustrating.

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The tiger agreed, let's hope that your wish comes true.

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The cheetera thanked him for that, then left via the

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back gate. Kelvin watched her go, then turn to the well.

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Leaning over its low wall, he peered down into the depths.

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It may have been his imagination, but he thought he

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could see the tiny glint of a penny at the bottom.

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Even so, he was sure his well wasn't a wishing well,

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and yet despite this, he couldn't help but think that

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it would be nice if the cheater's wish came true.

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That night, Kelvin decided to go to the cinema to

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watch a movie. It was dark when he returned, and

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he was almost home when he heard a loud thumping

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echoing along the street. It soon became obvious that it

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was caused by some very loud music. He walked past

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his own house and the cheeters to stand before the

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next house in the row. He could see what the

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cheetah was so upset about. Whoever was playing that music

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was sharing it with the whole neighborhood. Checking his watch,

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Calvin noticed that it was way past ten o'clock, far

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too late to be so loud, and so the tiger

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marched right up the driveway and knocked hard upon the door.

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He had to bang very loudly to be heard over

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the music, and it was some moments later that a

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zebra answered the door. He looked quite startled to find

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a cross looking tiger stood on his doorstep. Hum can

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I help you? Zebra asked you most certainly. Can other

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animals live in this street too? You know your music

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is keeping them awake. It would be very kind and

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neighborly to play it more quietly, especially after ten o'clock.

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The zebra looked embarrassed. I'm sorry, he mumbled. I didn't

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think I mean, I don't sorry. I'll turn it down

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right away. Thank you, Calvin replied sternly, I'm sure all

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your neighbors will appreciate it. The door closed, but Calvin

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didn't move until a moment later the music shut off.

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Satisfied the nuisance was over, Calvin went home, glad to

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have been able to help the cheetah. The following morning,

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Calvin was out in his garden bright and early. He

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needed to get lots of weeding done to day. He

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was head down amongst the flowers when he heard his

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back gate creak. He looked up just in time to

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see a snow leopard flip a coin into his well er. Hello,

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called Kelvin, Can I help you? No need? The snow

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leopard replied, I've found what I'm looking for. This really

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is a wonderful wishing well. I couldn't wait to give

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it a try. It would seem that the cheetah had

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been talking, thought Kelvin. It's not a wishing well, Calvin insisted,

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but because he didn't want to appear rude, he asked,

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may I ask what you wished for? I wish that

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the bakery would stop running out of strawberry tarts before

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nine thirty. The snow leopard replied, with a lick of

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his lips. I like to look in the window on

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my way to work, but they always seem to have

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sold out already. If you like strawberry tarts that much,

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then I suppose that is a pretty good wish. Calvin admitted,

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I've had one of those strawberry tarts before. It's no

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wonder they go so fast. Well, hopefully not any more.

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The snow leopard said, cheerfully, see you around. He disappeared

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back through the gate, leaving Kelvin looking thoughtful. This was

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the second time some one had thought his well was magic,

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and he was still quite sure that it wasn't. Later

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that day, Calvin realized he was out of milk, so

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headed out to buy some. This meant he had to

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walk past the bakery, and as he did so, he

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caught sight of the owner, a chimpanzee, and went in

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to say hello, good afternoon, Kelvin. The chimp said, hope

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you're not after anything special. I've only got a couple

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of lemon cakes left. Then, I guess I'll take both

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of them, Calvin replied happily. In fairness, he'd have rather

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had one of those strawberry tarts that the snow leopard

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had mentioned. You've just reminded me about something, said Kelvin,

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as the chimp put the cakes into a paper bag.

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I was talking to some one who said that they

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really love your strawberry tarts, but there's never any left

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when they passed by in the morning. Could you, by

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any chance make a bigger batch, the chimp sighed. I'd

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love to, he said, but I never have enough strawberries.

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If I had more, i'd make enough tarts to feed

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the whole town. I grow strawberries, said Kelvin eagerly. I've

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got lots growing in my garden. I could supply you

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with some every day. That would be perfect. The chimp grinned.

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In that case, you can have these lemon cakes. For free.

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Then I'll go and fetch some strawberries now, said Kelvin,

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with thoughts of buying milk forgotten. Calvin dashed home with

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his lemon cakes to begin strawberry picking. The next day,

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Kelvin was in his garden again, enjoying the morning sun.

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This time when he heard some one come in through

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the gate. He was all but expecting it. This time

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it was a lion. Hullo. Kelvin called out, are you

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here to use the well? The wishing well? She said,

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I sure am, I've been hearing good things. She lifted

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a coin and flicked it into the depths of the well.

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This time he didn't correct the visitor for calling it

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a wishing well. He was feeling quite proud of the

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effect it was having. May I ask what you wished

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for for? He asked, Oh, nothing much. The lion replied,

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I just wish that my new restaurant, The Sizzling Cheese,

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will be a huge success. I've put a lot of money,

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time and effort into it. You see, it opens to night.

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If I'm honest, I've been terrified that nobody will come.

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I'm sure it would be fine. Calvin replied, of course

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it will the lion said, I've used the wishing well.

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Now I've heard it's done. Wonders. She waved good bye,

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leaving behind a concerned Kelvin. If people think the wishing

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well had granted the cheater's wish, and now that it

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had granted the snow leopard's wish, it was no wonder

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that the lion thought the well would grant her wish.

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But it's just an ordinary well, said Kelvin to himself,

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not a magic wishing well. The tiger scratched his head

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as he peered down at the gathering coins. Unless he

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could think of something, that lion would end up feeling

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very disappointed. So instead of working in his garden, Calvin

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spent the day running around town. He did his best

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to talk to as many animals as possible, telling them

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about the amazing, brand new restaurant, The Sizzling Cheese. He

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discovered from an otter that the local fishing club had

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been struggling for somewhere to meet up that evening, so

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was able to persuade them to give the new restaurant

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a try. Then he bumped into a bashful pair of

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buffalo and suggested that they might like to go to

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the restaurant on a date. He even persuaded a few

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families that to day was International eat some Cheese Day,

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so therefore they should head down to the Sizzling Cheese

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to celebrate. By the time the restaurant's doors opened that evening,

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there was a line around the block of excited animals,

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all hoping to get a table. Kelvin watched all this

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from a bench opposite. It had been a tiring day,

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but it looked like his efforts had been worth it.

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The lion saw him sat opposite and dashed over to

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see him see. She said excitedly, your wishing well does work.

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I'm so pleased. Now do excuse me, I've got customers

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to serve. Kelvin grinned. The lion didn't know it had

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been him, not the wishing well, that had made the

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wish come true. Hi, Kelvin called out the cheetah as

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she passed near by. I got such a good night's

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sleep last night thanks to your wishing well. I'm off

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to the restaurant. Would you like to join me? That

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very kind, said Kelvin, but I'm thinking of heading home.

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The cheeter accepted this and joined the back of the

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queue as Calvin stood up from the bench. Oh hello, Kelvin,

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fancy seeing you here, said the snow leopard through a

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mouthful of strawberry tart. I've been eating these all day

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thanks to your wishing well, he confessed. Are you going

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to the new restaurant? No, not me, yawned the tiger.

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It's been a very busy few days. I think I'm

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just going to head home to bed. Fair enough, said

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the snow leopard as he licked his paws clean of crumbs.

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Feeling proud of himself, the tiger headed home. Although he

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knew his well wasn't magic, he didn't mind if the cheater,

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snow leopard, and lion thought it was. That was until

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Kelvin turned into his street and found a long line

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of animals snaking into his garden. He followed the queue

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to its end, where, sure enough, the animals were taking

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turns to make a wish at his well. What are

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you going to wish for, asked a hippo. Kelvin sighed,

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I'm going to wish for a little help, he said.

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Animal fat tigers, lions, snow leopards, and cheetahs are all

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part of the cat family. They're often known as the

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big cats, along with leopards and jaguars, although cheaters along

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with mountain lions really belong in the group known as

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small cats. Lions have the mightiest roar of all the

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cats because their larynx is longer than other cats. In humans,

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we often the larynx the voice box. Sadly, cheaters and

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snow leopards cannot roar. Thank you for your suggestions, Calvin.

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We hope that you all enjoyed the story. Wherever you're

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listening in the world, there are new stories every Monday

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and Wednesday, with a new premium story every Friday. If

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you're enjoying Animal Tales, please take a moment to leave

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us a review so others can find us. It helps

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us get noticed amongst all the other podcasts out there.

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Make sure you join us next time for another great

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animal tale. Goodbye,