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Speaker 1: Max, did you feel that the air in the attic

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just shifted? It wasn't a breeze exactly. It felt more

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like the whole room just took a deep, settling breath.

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Look over at the corner, past the stack of old encyclopedias.

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The shadows are stretching out, looking soft and purple. But

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the story light jar, Oh, Max, look at it. It's pulsing.

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It's not just a wake. It's humming with a kind

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of golden warmth that makes my wings tingle. I see

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it loomy. It's glowing really bright tonight. It looks like

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a jar full of warm honey, or maybe like the

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sun when it's sleepy and dipping behind the hills. It's

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making the whole attic feel cozy. That deep, rich golden

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color is the amber light, the listening blow. It means

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a story has arrived that is very old and very strong.

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I can hear the dream word echoing inside the glass. Smacks.

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It's a word that connects one heart to another. I'm

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going to think it clearly helping. Ah.

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Speaker 2: Yes, the lid is trembling. It knows we are ready.

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Watch now as the light lifts, drifting up like a

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dandelion seed caught in a gentle updraft. Ha ha, Come here,

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my friend, my beard is ready to catch you.

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Speaker 1: It's floating right into your beard grumps. It's making your

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face glue. It looks like you have a sun on

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your chin. Do you know where this story comes from?

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Speaker 2: I do, max. As soon as that warmth touched me,

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I smelled the scent of dry, sun baked earth, and

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heard the sound of tall grass rustling in a hot breeze.

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I feel the heaviness of a long afternoon nap. This

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is a classic tale, one that has been told for

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centuries to help children understand that even the smallest hands

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can do great things. It is called the Lion and

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the Mouse. The story is ready to be told. Are

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you comfortable? Is your pillow soft enough?

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Speaker 1: My pillow is perfect.

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Speaker 2: Then let us begin. Long ago, in the heart of

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a vast and golden savannah, the sun hung high and

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heavy in the sky. It was the time of day

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when the heat makes the air shimmer and dance, and

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every creature in the jungle seeks out the cool relief

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of the shade under the branches of a sprawling acacia tree.

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The king of beasts was asleep The lion was magnificent Max.

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He was huge, with pores as big as stones, and

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a mane that flowed like a river of gold around

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his magnificent head. He lay draped across the earth, his

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body heavy and completely relaxed, sinking into the ground as

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if the earth itself was holding him.

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Speaker 1: That sounds incredibly peaceful, to be so big and strong,

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but so still.

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Speaker 2: It was a deep, RESTful sleep. His breathing was a slow,

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rhythmic rumble in and out that seemed to set the

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pace for the whole jungle. Um whoosh. Even the birds

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had stopped singing to let the king rest. But in

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the tall yellow grass nearby, there was a tiny ripple

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of movement. A little mouse was hurrying home. He was

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a busy little thing, with whiskers that twitched and paws

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that scrambled over twigs and pebbles. He was running so fast,

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his mind racing with thoughts of his cozy burrow, that

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he didn't see the golden mantain rising in front of him.

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Speaker 1: She didn't see the lion. That's a very big thing

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to miss when.

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Speaker 2: You are that small, Max, and the grass is that tall,

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The world is a maze. The mouse scrambled up what

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he thought was a smooth, furry hill. He ran along

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a ridge that was actually a powerful shoulder, and then,

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quite by accident, he tumbled down a slope and landed

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PLoP right on the lion's wet black nose. The lion's

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whiskers twitched, the rhythmic breathing stopped. One giant golden eye opened,

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then the other.

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Speaker 1: I imagine waking a sleeping king is terrifying for a.

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Speaker 2: Mouse, the lion was not pleased to be woken from

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such a lovely, heavy slumber. He let out a low

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growl that vibrated in the mouse's tiny chest. Slowly, lazily,

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the lion lifted one massive paw. It cast a shadow

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over the little creature, blocking out the sun. He brought

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it down gently but firmly, trapping the mouse. The mouse froze.

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He was caught his tiny heart beat against his ribs

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like a moth's wings. Flutter, flutter, flutter. He looked up

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at the giant face and squeaked, oh, king, please, please

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don't eat me. I didn't mean to wake you. I

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was just trying to get home.

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Speaker 1: He must have been shaking, but he spoke up anyway.

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Speaker 2: He did. He gathered every ance of courage he had.

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If you let me go, the mouse whispered, I promise,

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I promise that one day I will help you. The

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lion stared at the tiny thing between his claws. A

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smile curled the edge of his mouth. Then a deep,

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rumbling laugh bubbled up from his chest. You, the lion chuckled,

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his voice thick with sleep, Help me. I am the

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strongest creature in the savannah. You are smaller than my ear.

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What could you possibly do for me?

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Speaker 1: It does seem impossible, doesn't it like a snowflake trying

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to help a mountain?

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Speaker 2: Ha ha ha. It did seem impossible. But the lion was

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not cruel. He was just big, and he was sleepy,

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and he was amused by the little mouse's bravery very well,

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the lion yawned, lifting his heavy paw. You have made

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me smile, little one, Go run along to your home.

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The mouse didn't wait. He scampered away, vanishing into the

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safety of the grass, his tiny paws barely touching the ground.

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The lion watched him go, then laid his great head

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back down on his paws, closed his eyes, and drifted

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back into his heavy golden dreams.

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Speaker 1: That was nice of the lion. He let him go

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just because he was kind.

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Speaker 2: Kindness is often its own reason. Max days turned into weeks.

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The sun rose and set, painting the sky pink and

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orange over and over again. The savannah continued its slow,

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steady rhythm. But one afternoon, the lion was prowling through

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a dense thicket, looking for a new place to rest.

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He stepped forward, and suddenly the ground seemed to leap

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up at him. Whoosh, a hunter's trap had been waiting.

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Thick rough ropes sprang into the air, wrapping around his legs,

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his body, and his mane and net.

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Speaker 1: They are terrible things. They hold you tight and don't

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let go.

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Speaker 2: The lion roared in surprise and anger. He twisted and turned.

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He pulled with all his mighty strength, but the ropes

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were knotted tight, and the more he struggled, the deeper

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they dug into his fur. He was the king of beasts,

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but he was trapped, suspended in the hot air, unable

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to break free. His roars turned to low, sad groans

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that drifted on the wind.

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Speaker 1: Did the mouse hear him?

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Speaker 2: Far away? Deep in his cool, dark burrow, pricked up

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his ears. He knew that voice. It was the voice

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that had laughed, but also the voice that had shown mercy.

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That is the king, the mouse said, and he needs me.

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He didn't think about how small he was. He didn't

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think about how dangerous it might be. He just ran.

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He followed the sound of the sad groans until he

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found the lion, tangled and defeated.

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Speaker 1: The lion must have felt very lonely.

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Speaker 2: Right then he did loomy. When he saw the mouse,

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he sighed, you have come to see the end of me.

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The lion said heavily. I cannot break these ropes, but

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the mouse shook his head. I made a promise, he squeaked,

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and today is the day I keep it. The mouse

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scampered up the lion's leg and found the thickest knot,

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the one holding the net together. He began to chew

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nor nor nor.

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Speaker 1: It's a very rhythmic sound, gnawing.

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Speaker 2: It was a slow, steady work. Max The mouse's teeth

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were small, but they were sharp and persistent. He worked

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on one strand snap it broke. He moved to the next.

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Nor nor Nor. The sun began to set, casting long,

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sleepy shadows across the lion's face. The lion lay very still,

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feeling the tiny vibrations of the mouse's work. Slowly, inch

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by inch, the tension in the net began to loosen.

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The ropes slackened, Snap, snap.

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Speaker 1: He was unraveling the problem one bite at a.

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Speaker 2: Time, exactly loomy. Finally, with one last determined bite, the

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main rope gave way. The net fell open like a

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shedding skin. The lion stood up. He shook his legs,

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feeling the blood return to them. He was free. He

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looked down at the mouse, who was sitting on a leaf,

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catching his breath. Thank you, The lion rumbled softly, and

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his voice was full of wonder laught when you said

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you would help me, but you have saved my life.

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The mouse just smiled, twitched his nose and said, big

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or small, a friend is a friend.

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Speaker 1: I love that the mouse was the hero. He really

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was a helper. He was max And look, the story

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is finished. But the light in Gramps' his beard is changing.

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The deep amber is softening, turning into a beautiful, shimmering

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rose gold.

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Speaker 2: That is the learning glow. The story has told us

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what happened, But now the dream word helping wants us

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to understand how it feels. We are going to step

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inside the story just for a moment, to see what

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happens after the net falls.

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Speaker 1: The attic is melting away. I can see the tall

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grass growing up through the floorboards. The air is getting warmer.

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Speaker 2: Step gently, Max. We're in the savannah now. The sun

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is low, turning the whole world golden. And look there,

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near the roots of the baobab tree. It is our friend,

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the mouse.

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Speaker 1: I see him. He looks tired, but he's busy again.

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Hello mouse. We can talk to him here Max. In

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the learning glow, the characters can share their hearts with us. Mouse.

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We saw what you did for the lion. You were wonderful.

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Speaker 2: The mouse is looking up at us. He is wiping

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his brow with a tiny paw. He seems to be

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struggling with something big.

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Speaker 3: Oh hello, I'm glad you saw it. But oh dear,

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the work is never quite done, is it.

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Speaker 1: What are you doing now, mouse? You should be resting.

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Speaker 2: Look closely, Max. He is trying to push a large

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seed pod that has rolled in front of the entrance

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to his burrow. It looks very heavy for him. He

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pushes and slips, pushes, and slips.

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Speaker 3: Ah, I am trying to clear my door. My family

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is inside sleeping. I want to make sure they can

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get out easily when they wake up. But my paws,

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they are so tired from chewing the ropes. I don't

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think I have any strength left.

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Speaker 1: That's not right. He helped the lion, so someone should

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help him now. Helping is supposed to be passed around,

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isn't it like sharing a toy? That is a beautiful

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thought to Max, helping is a circle. Why don't you

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ask him if he needs a hand?

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Speaker 2: Mouse?

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Speaker 1: Can I help you with that? I'm bigger than you.

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Speaker 3: You would do that, you would help a little mouse

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move a dusty old seed pod.

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Speaker 1: Of course. I'll crouch down here. I'll put my hands

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on this side, and you push from that side. Ready, one?

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Two push?

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Speaker 2: Look at it move with your steady hands. Max. The

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heavy pod rolls away easily. It tom into the grass,

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clearing the entrance completely.

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Speaker 1: There it's gone. How does that feel, mouse?

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Speaker 2: Ah?

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Speaker 1: It feels like breathing out.

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Speaker 3: It feels light.

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Speaker 1: When you helped me, the worry just floated away. Thank you.

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Look at him, Max, he's leaning against the tree root now,

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and his little chest is rising and falling much more slowly.

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He looks so peaceful, Max, How did it feel for

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you to do that, to use your strength for him?

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It felt good warm. My hands are a little dusty,

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but inside I feel quiet. It wasn't a big adventure, loomy,

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I just moved a seed. But the mouse looks so relieved.

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Speaker 2: That is the secret of the dream word, Max. Helping

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isn't always about saving a life.

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Speaker 1: More gentle sleep.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes it is just about moving away so someone else

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can rest good night. It is the feeling of saying

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I have got this for you.

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Speaker 1: I've got this. Yeah, that's a nice thing to say.

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The mouse is smiling now. He's crawling toward his door.

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He knows he is safe, he knows he is supported.

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The circle is.

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Speaker 2: Complete, And because the circle is complete, the story can

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truly rest. I think we've found what we came for.

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Speaker 1: Look, Max, the rose gold light is fading. It is

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cooling down, turning into a soft, misty lavender blue. The

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heat of the savannah is lifting. It's the dream gate.

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It's opening right there between the tall blades of grass.

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It looks like a curtain made of twilight.

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Speaker 2: The living glow is here the time for doing is over.

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Now is the time for drifting. The dream gate is

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open because the helping is finished. We can leave the

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savannah behind.

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Speaker 1: Come let's float through gently into Nocturnia. It's so different here.

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The ground isn't hard earth anymore. It feels like plush velvet.

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Speaker 2: We have arrived in the marsh mellow meadows.

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Speaker 1: Max.

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Speaker 2: The ground here is soft and springy, remembering the feeling

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of your favorite douvet. The light is dim and purple,

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like the sky just before the first star appears. Everything

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here moves slowly.

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Speaker 1: Look over there, near the winding dream stream. The water

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glows faintly as it flows. Hush, hush, And there is

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our friend and the mouse. He's moving really slowly. Now

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he's not running, he's just walking.

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Speaker 2: He has crossed over to Nocturnia to return the dream word.

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Watch him. He is carrying a single small piece of

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the golden rope he chewed. It is the memory of

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his helping.

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Speaker 1: He is taking it to the dream tree. Do you

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see it in the distance. Its great branches are wide

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and protective. The leaves are shimmering with a gentle, glowing

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light that pulses in time with your breathing. In and out.

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The mouse is reaching the tree. He looks so tiny

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next to the big trunk. He's reaching up.

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Speaker 2: He is placing the little golden rope on a low,

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sturdy branch. He is letting it go. He knows he

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doesn't need to carry the feeling of helping into his sleep.

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He doesn't need to look for anyone else to save tonight.

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Speaker 1: The branch accepts the rope, It holds it safe. The

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dream tree takes the weight so the mouse doesn't have

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to look. The mouse is settling down in the soft

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moss at the base of the tree. He's curling up.

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He's wrapping his tail around his nose. He looks like

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a little gray pebble.

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Speaker 2: Now he is safe there. The dream tree watches over him.

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The mouse is breathing, is slowing down. His whiskers are still.

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No more work, no more helping, just resting.

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Speaker 1: And as he rests, the lavender light spreads further, covering

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the whole meadow in a blanket of calm. The world

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is quiet, The day is fully put away. It's so peaceful.

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Even the stream sounds sleepy.

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Speaker 2: It is time for us to return to Max. The

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attic is waiting for us. It is steady and warm.

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Let's drift back up through the soft ceiling of Nocturnia,

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higher and higher until we are back.

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Speaker 3: Here.

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Speaker 1: We are back in your room. Feel the bed underneath you, Max.

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It is solid and strong. It is holding you up

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so you don't have to hold yourself.

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Speaker 2: I can feel the story light slipping from my beard.

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It is ready to sleep too. It floats back towards

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the jar, gently, slowly sinking inside.

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Speaker 1: The lid clicks shut. The light is safe, The story

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is tucked away, and you are safe. Max.

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Speaker 2: Just notice your legs, they feel heavy and still. Notice

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your tummy rising and falling gently. Notice your shoulders sinking

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into the mattress.

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Speaker 1: The pillow is soft under your head. The blanket is

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warm over your body. Someone tucked you in because they

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love you very much. You are loved, You are safe.

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Speaker 2: There is nothing left to do, nothing to figure out,

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just drifting.

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Speaker 1: Good night, Max. Good night, sleepy listener. That was a

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good one, Loomy. I think I'm just about asleep. Good night.

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Speaker 3: The VISI