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 --> 00:00:23,000 premium only story. We hope you like it. Hell Yale, Hello, 3 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:27,120 I'm Josephine and this is the Animal Tales podcast, home 4 00:00:27,199 --> 00:00:30,839 to over four hundred and fifty stories written just for you. 5 00:00:31,719 --> 00:00:35,159 Our Friday story is especially for our Premium subscribers only. 6 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,240 Elliot is a Premium member from Cardiff in Wales, and 7 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,280 he would like a story with a green phoenix, a 8 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,719 great blue heron and a wilderbeast. Don't forget to listen 9 00:00:47,759 --> 00:00:50,520 to the animal facts after the story to learn more 10 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,079 about these creatures. For now, it's time to sit back 11 00:00:54,119 --> 00:00:59,600 and get comfy, because it's time to begin Phoenix Fire 12 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,760 a wilderbysts. Life can at times be a little boring. 13 00:01:05,599 --> 00:01:08,959 Apart from being chased by the occasional lion or having 14 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,920 to avoid crocodiles at the watering hole, most days involve 15 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,799 eating grass, walking for a while, and then eating more 16 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:21,680 grass again. Not terribly exciting. I'm sure you would agree. 17 00:01:22,879 --> 00:01:26,319 There's got to be more than just this, said Eliot. 18 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:33,120 One particularly dull day on the Serengetti grass Lands. Nothing ever, happens. 19 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,879 Those African wild dogs gave us some trouble yesterday, said 20 00:01:37,879 --> 00:01:42,159 a near by wilderbeast, and last week those hyaenas caused 21 00:01:42,159 --> 00:01:45,159 a stir when they ran amongst the herd, added a 22 00:01:45,239 --> 00:01:49,480 zebra being chased by animals that want to eat us. 23 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:54,719 Isn't the kind of excitement I want, complained Eliot. I 24 00:01:54,840 --> 00:02:03,799 want something different, something unusual. You're weird, Eliot, said another wilderbeast. 25 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,560 We've got everything we'll ever need right here, the finest 26 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,159 grass in all of Africa. You don't need anything more 27 00:02:12,159 --> 00:02:19,159 than that, but Eliot disagreed. That night, while the other 28 00:02:19,199 --> 00:02:23,199 wilderbeast and zebras slept and the great band of stars 29 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,639 rolled across the sky, Eliot stood staring into the darkness, 30 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,400 wide awake. He felt as if his life needed something, 31 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,479 something new, but he just didn't know what it could 32 00:02:36,479 --> 00:02:40,520 be or where he would find it. Everything he knew 33 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,240 and understood about the world was right here with the herd. 34 00:02:45,879 --> 00:02:50,000 As he stood thinking, something bright green rose up into 35 00:02:50,039 --> 00:02:54,319 the sky and circled amongst the stars. It left a 36 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,280 blazing trail of pale green light behind it as it 37 00:02:58,319 --> 00:03:03,039 gently weaved and swooped. So fascinated was Eliot by the 38 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,520 sight that he found himself drawn towards it, walking away 39 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,280 from the herd in order to see more. Drawing closer, 40 00:03:12,719 --> 00:03:16,800 he realized he was looking at a magnificent bird surrounded 41 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:23,039 by long streamers of emerald fire. Hello, called up Eliot 42 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:28,639 from the ground. What are you? I'm a green phoenix, 43 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:34,639 laughed the exotic bird as she circled overhead. But what 44 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,919 are you doing? Asked Eliot, unable to take his eyes 45 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:45,840 from her doing, repeated the phoenix. Why I'm being free. 46 00:03:46,719 --> 00:03:51,000 I'll spend some time gliding beneath the shimmering stars. Then 47 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,919 I'll light up the mountain peaks to the east with 48 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,280 my dazzling fire, before heading west to race like a 49 00:03:58,319 --> 00:04:05,879 comet across Lake Victoria. That sounds wonderful, agreed Elliot. I 50 00:04:06,039 --> 00:04:10,800 wish I could do that. But you're just a wilder beast, 51 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,479 laughed the green phoenix. You could never do what I can. 52 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:21,800 Considering the conversation over, the green Phoenix rocketed into our 53 00:04:21,879 --> 00:04:24,800 high arc until she was just a speck of light 54 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:31,040 lost amongst the blanket of stars. Over the next few days, 55 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:36,120 all Elliot could think about was the green Phoenix. He 56 00:04:36,199 --> 00:04:39,839 thought about the graceful way she flew, how the bright 57 00:04:39,959 --> 00:04:44,519 fire illuminated all around her, and how happy and free 58 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:50,279 she seemed. And here he was stuck amongst the grunting, chewing, 59 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,759 wilder beast and zebra's He was so lost in his 60 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,160 thoughts that he failed to notice the herd arriving at 61 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,600 a narrow river to drink. Feeling thirsty, he took his 62 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,560 turn at the water's edge, and as he did so, 63 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,240 he noticed a small hut of grass and sticks on 64 00:05:09,319 --> 00:05:12,519 the opposite bank. If you'd like to hear more, please 65 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,720 join our premium service. You can find out how in 66 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:20,199 the description. The premium service means. You can listen to 67 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,839 all animal tale stories advert free, get bonus stories, and 68 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,800 we guarantee to turn your animal suggestion into a future tale. 69 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,160 I look forward to seeing you there.