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Speaker 1: Hell yeah, Hello. My name's Josephine and this is the

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Animal Tales podcast, where you suggest the animals featured in

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our stories. There are new tales to enjoy every Monday

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and Wednesday, with a third premium only story every Friday.

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Please continue to share Animal Tales with your friends and

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leave us reviews where you can. Sebastian is from Congleton

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in the UK and he is asked for a story

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featuring a highland cow, a sloth bear, and an otter.

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You can learn more about these creatures in the animal

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facts after the story. Okay, are you ready? That's good,

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then I'll begin the trials of the Black Forest. For Sebasti,

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most days were much the same. The highland cow would

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graze in his field. He would stand by the fence.

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He would watch the world go by. It was peaceful,

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but it was also lonesome. Sebastian's field was on the

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edge of the wasteland, a vast barren area of dry

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dust and rock, almost entirely empty of plant life. Not

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even the birds and insects liked to go there. Any

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trees were long dead, dotting the landscape with their pale

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white limbs. A small handful of animals did live out

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there somewhere, but they were dangerous and nasty. For some reason,

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humans kept wanting to enter the wasteland. It was always

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the same sort of people, knights, indented armor, warriors with

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sharpened swords, here with bows and hooded cloaks. These adventurers

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would come to the wasteland with hopes to cross it,

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and for some reason they always wanted Sebastian's help. They

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wouldn't ask, of course. Instead they would enter his field,

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catch him with a rope, then ride into the wasteland

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while sat upon his back. This was frustrating for Sebastian,

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although once the adventurer reached the dark forest beyond the wasteland,

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they would set him free to wander home again. The

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Highland cow had done this so many times that he

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knew the wastelands very well, every dead tree, hidden pit

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and pool of quicksand he knew the best trails to

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follow and the worst. Even so, he always let the

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adventurers choose the way. Just because they had caught him

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didn't mean he needed to make life easier for them.

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To day had been one of those days, meaning Sebastian

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was again walking the wasteland with a new adventurer on

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his shaggy back. She was grasping his fur tightly as

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they neared the edges of the dark Forest. Have you

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done this before? Asked the adventurer out of the blue.

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Sebastian was taken aback. No adventurer had ever spoken to

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him before. Quite a lot, actually, he replied, Why do

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you ask? This seems to be quite a simple trial.

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She continued, I understand that most people are able to

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complete it trial. Sebastian repeated, what do you mean the

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three trials of the Black Forest, The adventurer said, as

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if it was obvious, pointing to the tree line ahead

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of them. Any adventurer who can complete the three trials

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is granted a wish by the Wizard of the Woods.

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At least that's how the story goes. This was all

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news to Sebastian. What exactly does this first trial require?

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He asked? Catch the bull of the barren land, that's you,

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she said, helpfully, and ride you across the waste land

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before nightfall. Well I never knew that all this time

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I've been a starring role in a trial, said the

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amazed Highland cow. What did the other two involve? The

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woman was happy to explain. The second trial is to

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navigate the caves of the beast without getting caught, and

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the third is to outsmart the river guardian by crossing

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the river. When all that's done, you get to meet

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the wizard for your wish, apparently, and you're going to

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try to do this, Sebastian asked. Oh, yes, only the

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bravest can complete all three, the adventurer said, as they

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neared the trees. Supposedly, not everyone makes it, but I'm

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going to just you wait, I'm going to wish for

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treasure beyond my wildest dreams. Sebastian rounded a fallen tree

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to stop at the very edge of the wasteland, allowing

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the adventurer to slip down from his back. Thanks for

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your help, she said, you can go home now, and

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so Sebastian walked home. It occurs to me, thought Sebastian

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as he walked that, despite being cow, I have successfully

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completed the first trial more times than I can count,

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and that makes me wonder if I shouldn't have a

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go at the other two. He was still thinking about

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it when he got back to his field, and again

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when he woke up the next morning. I'm going to

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give it a try, he decided at last, and so

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back out into the waste land he went. The first

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trial for him, at least, was easy. He reached the

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tree line in record time, then stopped as he considered

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his next step. I can do this, said the Highland cow, positively,

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taking a deep breath. Sebastian walked beneath the trees. Unsurprisingly,

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the black forest was dark, although Sebastian was able to

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follow a path worn down by years of adventurers feet.

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He followed this until the trees parted, revealing a gaping

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cave in a wall of rock. This was trial too

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navigate the caves of the beast. He had to do

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so without getting caught. Immediately, the Highland cow identified a problem.

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There was an animal asleep just inside the mouth of

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the cave. Could this be the beast? If so, it

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seemed unlikely he could sneak past without being noticed. He'd

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fail instantly. The beast appeared to be some kind of

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shaggy black bear. Sebastian had no desire to fight a bear,

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and he was too big to sneak around. He would

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need to find another way. Sebastian, being a smart and

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thoughtful cow searched the surrounding area for a solution, eventually

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coming across a bees nest suspended from a low branch.

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Hoping his thick, shaggy coat would protect him from any

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angry bees, he knocked the nest to the floor with

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his horns, then rolled it to where the bear slept.

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What's going on, griped the bear as she stirred, what

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are you doing? I would like safe passage through the

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caves in return for the honey in this bee's nest.

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Sebastian replied, as sloth bears do like a bit of honey,

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said the bear, with a lick of her lips. But

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why would a cow want passage through the caves? I'm

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trying to complete the trials, explained Sebastian. What trials, asked

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the sloth bear as she licked up some of the

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escaping honey. So Sebastistian explained everything. Do you mean to

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tell me that all those people have been stomping through

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my home on some kind of quest? Said the slothbaar angrily,

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without so much as I please or a thank you?

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I should complain to some one, then come with me,

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Sebastian suggested, you could mention it to the wizard and

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asked him to change the second trial to something else

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good idea. The sloth bear agreed, wait there while I

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finished this delicious honey. Once done, the sloth bear led

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the way, meaning Sebastian successfully navigated the caves faster than

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any one had ever done before. He'd now completed the

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second trial. They exited the caves in a part of

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the forest where the trees grew less thickly. Continue along

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the ancient path, Sebastian could soon hear rushing water ahead.

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It was a river cutting through the forest. It was

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a deep, fast moving obstacle with no obvious way to cross.

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The path appeared to continue on the far bank, but

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it was too wide to jump and the water too

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fast to swim. This is the third trial, explained the

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highland cow, out smart the river guardian. Somehow we have

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to cross over. I don't see a river guardian, said

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the sloth bear as she looked about. As she spoke,

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a sleek, brown animal climbed onto the bank before them.

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It was a river otter, and he eyed them with suspicion.

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Are you the river guardian? Sebastian asked, I am replied

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the otter. For a moment, I thought you were more adventurers.

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They're always bothering me. Ah, yes, about that, said Sebastian, cautiously.

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Have you heard about the three trials before? Of course,

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I have, said the otter, surprising them both. They don't

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call me the River Guardian for nothing, you know. I

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ask each adventurer three riddles, and each one they get

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right lifts a stepping stone out of the river's depths.

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If they get them all right, they can cross. If

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they get just one wrong, they get washed away, and

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I win. Fancy that, cried the sloth bear. You seem

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to know all about it, whereas this cow and myself

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have been included without anyone bothering to ask. It's why

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we're going to complete the trials and talk to the Wizard,

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Sebastian explained to the otter. Talk to the Wizard, repeated

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the otter. I don't want to miss out on that,

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not if the two of you from the other trials

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are getting to go, I'll come along if you don't mind.

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And to show willing, he flicked his tail and the

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row of stepping stones emerged, allowing them to cross safely.

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Once across. Sebastian took a moment to look back. He'd

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somehow completed all three trials, although not in the way

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he was supposed to, no doubt. Nonetheless, all they had

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to do now was find the wizard. The path sloped

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upwards through the trees, taking them on a long walk

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to the top of a hill. Here they found a

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large circle of tall, ancient standing stones. Is this where

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we'll find the wizard, asked the sloth bear. I've no idea,

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confessed Sebastian, before calling out a hello. There was a rumble,

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The sky darkened and lightning flashed as a man in

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long green robes and a pointy hat appeared in the

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middle of the circle. Greetings, adventurers, the Wizard of the

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Woods said, in a booming voice. You have passed the

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three trials of the Black Forest, and now hang on

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a minute. You're not adventurers, You're a bunch of animals.

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The dramatic clouds faded to let the sun through again,

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leaving the Wizard looking disappointed. He'd wasted his dramatic entrance

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on a highland cow, a sloth bear, and an otter.

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But we did complete the trials. Sebastian said, fair and square,

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sort of, So we'd like our wishes, please, The sloth

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bear demanded. Wait a moment, the Wizard said, his eyes narrowing.

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You three are part of the trials, we are, admitted

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the Highland Cow. But at least two of us weren't

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even aware we were until to day. I did, said

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the otter, raising a paw. Oh yes, said the wizard,

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looking guilty. I uh, I apologize, So I suppose I

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should perhaps grant you each your wish. I wish that

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the second trial is changed so it leaves me in peace,

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the sloth bear said. The Wizard nodded, granted. He said,

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I wish to write my own riddle instead of using

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the ones you gave me, said the otter. The Wizard nodded, granted,

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he said, and what would the cow like? Sebastian shifted

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uncomfortably under everyone's gaze. Um, I'm not sure, he admitted.

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I don't really want anything. I just wanted to see

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what this was all about. Well, now that you do,

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does it change anything, the wizard asked. Sebastian thought about it,

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about how the otter wanted a change and the sloth

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bear wanted peace, and made his decision. It was two

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weeks later when the next adventurer reached the edge of

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the wasteland. Once upon a time he'd have had to

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enter Sebastian's field and capture him with a rope, but

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this time things were different. Sebastian was waiting for him,

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his long horned head poking out of a small information booth.

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Good morning, said Sebastian. I'm here to help you cross

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the barren lands. Am I supposed to ride you? The

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adventurer asked, Oh no. Sebastian replied, I'll be staying right

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here in my field where the grass is green. So

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how do you help? Asked the adventurer. I've got maps

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showing the safest route, smiled the Highland cow. Would you

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like to buy one? Animal facts? Highland cows have impressive horns, which,

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in their native Scotland, are an excellent tool for clearing

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snow to reveal the plants underneath. Female cows have thinner

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horns with a more obvious upward curve. Sloth bears feed

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mainly on ants and termites, and have unusually long lower lips,

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which allow them to suck up the insects. They're also

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partial to a bit of fruit as well. Potters feed

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mostly on fish, but they'll also eat frogs and other amphibians.

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Crustaceans such as crayfish and shellfish such as clams. Worms,

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insects and eggs also form part of their diet, and

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they have even been known to take the young of beavers.

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Thank you for your suggestion, Sebastian. We hope you enjoyed

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the tale, and thank you to all of you across

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the world for listening to it. If you prefer your

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Join us next time for another great animal tale. Good Bye,