Speaker 1: Yo, Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,
where you suggest the animal for us to write a
story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand
new animal story here just for you. There are now
over one hundred extra stories on the Animal Tales premium service.
Find out how to join by visiting our new website
at Animaltales dot uk. And remember, for a tiny fee,
they're all advert free. Ian is from San Diego in
the USA and he would like a story with an
I and a blobfish. You can learn more about these
creatures in the animal Facts after the story. Now, settle back, relax,
and I'll begin Ugly Animal Club. The Eye Eye nervously
gazed up at the impressive stone building in the quiet street.
It had taken a lot of courage for him to
get this far, and now that he was here, he
was seriously considering giving up. But I mustn't, the eye
Eye said to himself, I need to go through with this,
And so he marched up the wide stone steps and
pressed the door bell with an incredibly long eye Eye finger.
It came as something of a surprise for the door
to be opened by a goldfish bowl Beneath the bowl
was a set of robotic crab legs with two long
pincer like arms, one of which was holding the door
open and filling much of the glass bowl was the
unmistakable face of a blobfish. Can I help you, asked
the blobfish politely. Um yes, said the eye eye, with
a slightly shaky voice. My name's Ian. I'm looking for
the Ugly Animal Club. Ah, I see, smiled the blobfish.
Please come in. Ian. Ian stepped into a lavishly decorated,
high ceilinged hallway with a sparkling chandelier and an enormous
oil painting of a naked mole rat in a top hat.
Have you traveled far, asked the blobfish. All the way
for Madagascar, replied the eyeye. Ah, very good, smiled the blobfish.
We get animals from all over the globe here at
the Ugly Animal Club. As he said this, a maraboo
stalk strode past. On his way to the next room.
Ian couldn't help but noticed the bird's bald head with
its patchy red and black skin. Ian thought he looked
quite frightening, and yet the bird still gave him a
friendly smile. As he passed. Come this way, said the Blobfish,
and I'll give you a tour. The robotic crab legs
scuttled off down the hallway, heading to the room where
the maraboo stalk had emerged from. It was some sort
of lounge with animals sitting in high backed chairs. One
or two were reading newspapers. A proboscous monkey was typing
away on a laptop, and a hammer head backed was
hanging upside down while scrolling on her mobile phone. Ah,
what's this called? A female Walruss sitting in a chair
that was straining beneath her weight. A new member, potentially
smiled the blobfish. Ian, this is Wendy. Wendy, meet Ian Hallo,
nodded Ian. Nice to meet you. Always a delight to
see a new face here, grinned the Walruss around her
long tusks and bristly mustache. Under Nice to see yours,
said Ian, immediately regretting his choice of words. The war Us, though,
didn't seem to mind. You're getting the tour, I see,
said Wendy. Well, don't let me hold you up. Have fun.
Ian waved good bye, folding back his oddly long finger
in an attempt to hide it and through here, said
the blobfish, scurrying into the next room is our game's room.
A lumpy faced wart hog with curling horns was playing
a game of snooker against a Vietnamese pot bellied pig.
There was lots of grunting and snuffling going on as
they lined up their shots. On a nearby table, a
purple frog was playing solitaire, while in the far corner,
a star nosed mole was playing chess against a giant salamander.
Check Mate, said the star nosed mole. Happily I win,
good game, Reggie, said the giant salamander. Say you're new,
aren't you, said the star nosed mole to Ian. Fancy
a game? Oh no, not right now, said Ian shyly.
He's having the tour, explained the blobfish. Maybe later. Ian
nodded at the possibility, but in truth he didn't want
to play. He just wouldn't be comfortable playing a game
where anyone that walked by could just stare at him.
He was grateful that the blobfish was already heading on.
Across the hallway was a tall dining room with several
round tables laid out with fine glassware and shining silver cutlery.
An extremely wrinkled Damascus goat was tucking into a salad,
while on a neighboring table, a snub nosed monkey was
wiping ice cream from her chin. The club will serve
you food wherever you want, explained the blobfish. But if
it's a proper meal that you want, then you're better
off coming in here. Would you care for something to eat?
Asked a pottoo bird appearing with that day's menu. It
had extremely large yellow eyes, neither of which were quite
looking at ean. I'm fine, thank you, said the eye
eye politely. He was used to having his meals alone
in the dead of night, not in the middle of
a restaurant. Well, well you know where to find us,
smiled the pottoo bird, as it waddled off the crab
legged goldfish bowl scampered back into the hallway, with ian following.
The deep plush carpet changed to a smooth black and
white tile lined with ferns and palms that erupted from
plump vases and pots. This opened out into a room
with a glass roof. In the center was a swimming
pool where a goblin shark was doing lengths. Hi there,
said the long nose shark, with a wave of a
fin er Hello, replied Ian. He wasn't used to so
much friendly attention. This is a popular part of the club,
said the blobfish. Here you can swim, enjoy a sauna,
soak in a jacuzzi, or even have a massage. It's
a great place to relax, Yes, said Ian, trying to
look impressed, but in truth he wasn't keen on this
area at all. It didn't make him feel relaxed one bit.
In fact, quite the opposite. Is everything all right, asked
the blobfish. You look if you don't mind me saying
so a little worried. No, no, I'm fine, lied the eyeye.
Don't you worry about me? The blobfish, though, smiled as
if he'd seen this all before. Let's head out into
the garden. We can chat there, he said. Despite being
in the middle of a city, the club's garden was
so well looked after, with mature trees and colorful plants,
that you could be forgiven for thinking that you were
in the jungle. Somewhere they found a private table and
two chairs tucked away on a patty where a waiter
brought Ian a tall, cold glass of orange juice. So
tell me, said the blobfish. What made you interested in
the Ugly Animal Club? The eye eye fidgeted awkwardly in
his seat. You may have noticed, Ian said slowly that
I'm not the most handsome of animals. Some would say
that I'm well weird looking. The blobfish gazed at the
eyes rodent like teeth and bulging orange eyes and bat
like ears. I wouldn't say that, he replied. You're just
being kind, said Ian. You see where I come from.
I'm so strange compared to all the other lemurs that
it's best that I only come out at night when
nobody can see me. So you spend a lot of
time alone, suggested the blobfish. That's right, nodded Ian. I mean,
who wants to stare at a face like mine? Best
that I stay out of everyone's way. So why travel
all the way here? The blobfish inquired. You're called the
Ugly Animal Club, said Ian, A club for ugly animals
like me. I thought, I might you know fit in here,
I see, smiled the blobfish. Well, you'll be pleased to know.
That's why most animals seek us out. It's a perfectly
normal thing to do. Do you have lots of animals
as members, asked Ian, Oh, you'd be surprised, laughed the blobfish.
We are a very very big club. I was surprised
at how unbothered the animals were that we met today,
pointed out Ian. Unbothered, repeated the blobfish. Unbothered about what? Well?
You know, said Ian about the way they look. Oh,
I see what you're saying. The blobfish nodded. Do you
recall the large painting when you arrived of the naked
mole rat in the top hat, asked Ian. That's the
one smiled the blobfish. That's theopalis snook. The club's founder,
like you, he didn't consider himself a handsome animal, what
with his giant teeth and hairless skin, at least to
begin with. What do you mean? Asked Ian. The blobfish,
though didn't answer. He was watching a peacock walk by,
trailing his beautifully colored feathers behind him. Once he'd passed,
Ian turned to his guide in astonishment. Was that peacock
supposed to be here? Ian asked? Isn't this a club
for ugly animals. Surely peacock's are anything but ugly. That's
precisely what I was trying to explain, said the blobfish.
Theopolis snook realized something very important, and it's something that
we at the Ugly Animal Club work very hard to
share with every one that comes here. And what's that,
asked Ian. It's very simple, the blobfish said, you, Ian,
are not ugly, but protested the eye. Eye. But the
blobfish wasn't finished, And neither are any of the animals here,
continued the fish, not a single one of them. You see,
what Theopolis snook realized is that he didn't look ugly,
but different. I'm not sure I understand, Ian said. Let
me put it this way, said the blobfish. Theopolis was
a naked mole rat amongst naked mole rats. He looked
exactly how a naked mole rat should look. He did not,
he realized, look like a leopard, or a dolphin or
an armadillo, and nor was he supposed to. Of course,
he looked different to those animals, but comparing himself to
them was pointless. He was a naked mole rat and
looked like a naked mole rat. I think I understand,
said Ian. At last, you're saying that I'm precisely how
an eeye is supposed to look. So is that why
the animals we met weren't bothered about me looking at them.
You've got it, grinned the blobfish. They've realized that there's
nothing wrong with how they appear to others. They look
how they're supposed to and I hope you're starting to
realize that too. But what about the peacock, asked the
eye eye? Why is he here? He believes that he's ugly,
sighed the blobfish, a bird with some of the finest
plumage in all the world, thinks he's a terrible sight
to behold. But why, Ian asked? Anyone can have those feelings,
the blobfish explained, Even if you're not comparing yourself to
other animals but those of your own kind, you might
find yourself feeling in secure and unsure about your looks.
So that peacock's taking the time to consider that even
amongst other peacocks, he's different. Every single one of us
is different. We're each unique and special because of it,
and there's nothing wrong with that. It's something to be
proud of, realized Ian, not ashamed of You've got it,
said the blobfish. Well done. I knew when I first
laid eyes on you that you were perfect for the
Ugly Animal Club. Now, how's that appetite? Feeling hungry? Yet?
I rather think I am, said the eyeye. And do
you know, I've never eaten with another animal in all
my life, but right now I'm rather looking forward to it.
But before we go through, I'd just like to do
one thing. And what's that, asked the blobfish. I'm going
to run after that peacock and ask him to join us,
said Ian. Just maybe I can help him understand that
there's nothing wrong with looking a little different animals that
my eyes are a nocturnal lemur for Madagascar. Sadly, they
are on the brink of extinction due to the actions
of humans, so are now a protected species. Although we
may consider them strange looking, we must remember that their
adaptations are what allow them to be successful foragers in
the nighttime forests. Blobfish are very misunderstood creatures. They live
in a section of the ocean called the midnight zone,
which is incredibly deep and under tremendous pressure, so their
bodies have adapted to living there. When we catch them
and bring them to the surface, their bodies collapse into
the blob shape we've seen in photographs, so not at
all like they look normally. Thank you for your suggestions, Ian,
We hope that you all enjoyed the story. Wherever you're
listening in the world, don't forget to look at our
animal Tales books. Discover them all at animaltales dot uk.
Great bedtime reading, especially if you've discovered the joy of
reading for yourself. Make sure you join us next time
for another great animal tale. Good Bye,