Paddlecab Radio

## Synopsis

The tale begins with a hawk chasing a bluebird, then a cat attacks the hawk, who flies away. As the bluebird thanks the cat, a static is heard, waking Howie from His imagination. Angry that the radio drama was interrupted, goes to the radio and changes the frequency, but has nothing but static. Later in the day, He sees the cubs disappointed that the radio drama they heard was interrupted, and He learns from Kissyfur that the radio drama station, changed the format to Traffic and Weather. Lennie goes somewhere and Howie follows the Warthog to the dump. Howie pales, remembering that only adults can come to the dump, since the dump is the threshold between the swamp and the human world. Lennie leaves with a bag of spoiled goods, and Howie hides when 2 humans come to the dump and hide a device under a sofa, and escape. Moments later, Howie observes the device, and flies it back, with some difficulty.

Arriving back to the swamp, Howie asks Kissyfur what the device is. Kissyfur answers that it’s a Radio Transmitter, that the circus workers use to promote towns and cities of their coming. But, can be used for many things. Howie gets an idea and places the transmitter on top of Kissyfur’s house, and activates it. Before announcing, Howie realizes that the citizens will get wise if Howie uses His real voice, so, the mockingbird voices like an elderly man, excited adolescent, and crazy woman, while making up a radio drama of his own, while complaining to the other nearby radio stations for removing something sacred like Radio Dramas. But, as Howie was running out of breath, decides to end the drama for the day and head home. miles away, a policeman hears the conversation from his radio, but only hears chirps and squawks. Worse, He thinks that there’s something going on in the swamp.

The next morning, As Kissyfur heads for the school tree, He sees Howie, and goes up the tree. Kissyfur asks why Howie’s here, but leaves when He has to get to class. Howie, knowing that His radio drama is mentally exhausting, goes in Kissyfur’s room and picks up one of His Bruin brothers books, and acts the narrator and characters of said book, just as He completes the story, Kissyfur on his way home spots Howie and says hello, but Howie unknowingly breaks character and ends the drama, and returning the book back in Kissyfur’s room and exits, before the Bear Cub came in. Howie, startled, flies off with the transmitter, and hides in unknown lands. However, Howie gets captured by Floyd and Jolene. Meanwhile, Gus spots three humans on a boat, entering the swamp. Gus informs the citizens to hide as their homes are camouflaged. Two of the humans observe the swamp and try to find the illegal transmitter, they spot a small radio with the sounds of alligator growls. As the gators were going to pluck Howie’s feathers, then cook him, Gus breaks in and tosses the gators miles away, and saves Howie, as Howie said “What about the device?”, Gus said, that the transmitter was attracting humans to the swamp. The humans got it and reported that they haven’t found the people responsible, but finds the message, “Bring back radio dramas!”. Howie, realizing that He put the other citizens at risk, apologized to Gus for what happened. Gus said, that He has to apologize to all the others. And he does that. In his thoughts, the next time He finds another Transmitter, He’s keeping it, leaving the swamp, and will keep running. At the School Tree on a Saturday, Emmy Lou informs the cubs on how a good story is made as She tasks Howie to speak the characters while inside a hollow vintage radio and speaks the characters.