1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to a special taster of our new 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:23,280 premium only story. We hope you like it. Hey Yale, Hello, 3 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,079 I'm Josephine and this is the Animal Tales podcast, home 4 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,559 to over four hundred stories written just for you. Our 5 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:36,880 Friday story is especially for our Premium subscribers only. Ahlus 6 00:00:37,079 --> 00:00:40,759 is a Premium member from Maryland in the USA, and 7 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,439 she would like a story with a blue axe Lottle 8 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,960 of a loss raptor and a cat. Don't forget to 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,039 listen to the animal facts after the story to learn 10 00:00:51,079 --> 00:00:54,560 more about these creatures. For now, it's time to sit 11 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,039 back and get comfy, because it's time to begin the 12 00:00:59,119 --> 00:01:03,840 Big Boss and the Beast. Ahlus was not having a 13 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,599 good day. It had started out all right when the 14 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,680 small blue axe Loottle had headed out to her job 15 00:01:10,719 --> 00:01:16,599 at the university. ALUs studied quantum physics, which is the 16 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,079 mind bending world of the tiny atoms that make up 17 00:01:20,159 --> 00:01:24,760 everything around us. Most people understand very little about the 18 00:01:24,799 --> 00:01:30,239 quantum world, but to ALUs it was endlessly fascinating. She 19 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,439 was just waiting to cross the street when a large 20 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,640 white van screeched to a halt before her. She thought 21 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,599 it must have been making an urgent delivery, until a 22 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,640 bulldog and a honey badger leapt out and bundled her 23 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:50,040 into the back. I've been kidnapped, said the blue axelottle 24 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,560 crossly as she bumped along the rainforest city streets. I 25 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,239 don't have time for this. I've got important work to do. 26 00:02:00,239 --> 00:02:03,159 Side of the van was very dark, so when the 27 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,760 sliding side door was eventually opened again, Aloose found herself 28 00:02:07,799 --> 00:02:12,400 blinking into the bright light. Once again, the bull dog 29 00:02:12,479 --> 00:02:15,759 and the honey badger were dragging her through a doorway, 30 00:02:16,159 --> 00:02:20,400 up a flight of bare wooden stairs, into a carpeted corridor, 31 00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:24,479 and then into a richly decorated room where all the 32 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:29,840 windows were obscured by blinds. Lounging on a very expensive 33 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:36,159 sofa was a mean looking cat sipping an espresso coffee. Ah, 34 00:02:36,479 --> 00:02:40,960 so this is the boffin? The cat asked. This is 35 00:02:41,039 --> 00:02:48,479 her boss, said the bulldog. Good good, grinned the cat. Listen, boffin, 36 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,800 Now you work for me, I most certainly do not, 37 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:59,639 said a loose defiantly. I work for the university. I 38 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,039 have a very important experiment to run to day, and 39 00:03:03,199 --> 00:03:08,639 you're stopping me from doing it. Yes, yes, nodded the 40 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,680 cat as he set down his cup. But you see, 41 00:03:12,879 --> 00:03:16,599 I have a problem. My rivals are causing me a 42 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:21,000 lot of problems. My business is in trouble, and you're 43 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,800 going to help me sort it out. What rivals? What 44 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:33,240 sort of business? Asked a'luse. Are you some sort of criminal? Now, now, 45 00:03:33,599 --> 00:03:38,319 let's not start name calling, chuckled the cat. Some of 46 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:43,400 my operations might be on the shall we say, shady side, 47 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,520 and I certainly wouldn't enjoy the police poking their noses 48 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:53,879 into my affairs, but let's not use the word criminal. Well, 49 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,280 if it's illegal or wrong, I won't do it, said 50 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:05,719 a'luz firmly. I'm a highly respected scientist I know, nodded 51 00:04:05,759 --> 00:04:10,280 the cat. I know all about you, which is why 52 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,280 you are going to help me. Otherwise, some shall we 53 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,279 say accidents are going to start happening to your friends 54 00:04:18,319 --> 00:04:24,720 and family. Do you understand? Ehlous gulped as she realized 55 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,759 what serious trouble she was in. They were threatening those 56 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,399 she held dear and what could a small axe lot 57 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,360 ll do about it? When faced with a burly bull 58 00:04:35,439 --> 00:04:40,240 dog and a hefty honey badger. What exactly is it 59 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:45,279 you want me to do? She asked quietly. Apart from 60 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,680 my two boys here, said the cat, gesturing to his henchmen. 61 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,240 The animals of this city are too civilized. I need 62 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,480 a ruthless assassin to do my dirty work for me, 63 00:04:58,199 --> 00:05:01,399 and you're going to reach into the past and get 64 00:05:01,439 --> 00:05:07,240 one for me. I don't understand what you're suggesting, said Eloose. 65 00:05:08,399 --> 00:05:12,839 I want one of them vicious dinosaurs, said the criminal cat. 66 00:05:13,399 --> 00:05:16,600 If you'd like to hear more, please join our premium service. 67 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:21,319 You can find out how in the description. The premium 68 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,279 service means. You can listen to all animal tale stories 69 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,639 advert free, get bonus stories, and we guarantee to turn 70 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:32,800 your animal suggestion into a future tale. I look forward 71 00:05:32,879 --> 00:05:33,720 to seeing you there.