01x06 - Bark that Bark

[bunniefuu]

What's the story, Wishbone?What's

this you're dreaming of?Such a

big imagination on

such a little pup?

What's the story, Wishbone?Do you

think it's worth a look?It

kind of seems familiar, like a

story from a book.

Shake a leg now, Wishbone. Let's

wag another

Sniffing out adventure with

Wish Phone on the trail. Come on,

Wish Phone.

What's the story, Wish Phone?

What's the story, Wish Phone?

What's the story, Wish Phone?

What's the story, Wish Phone?

This has got to be my lucky day.

Oh, Ellen, thank you

so much for hosting this party for my

brother. Oh, it's the least I can do. The

performance he's putting together is

going to raise a lot of money. Excuse me,

Mom, Mrs. Talbot, we need to have a final

technical rehearsal. We should be back in

plenty of time for dinner, OK?How

about a little something now?Just that

tide me over. Oh, potato pancakes

and applesauce. Nice. Nice

But my personal favorite?Pigs in a

blanket, because they're right in front

of me. Wishbone be good.

Oh, hey, don't worry about me. You run

along. I'll just mingle.

Oh, boy, I am starving.

This is going to take real

brains.

Classic African-American folk tales.

Yes! That's it!

Anansi.

The Ashanti people of West Africa began

telling the story of Anansi the Spider.

Anansi stories are so popular, I'm known

around the world.

In the West Indies man, once he call me

Anansi.

That's French, don't you know

In America, I became Aunt

Nancy. Go figure.

So, like Anansi, the trickster,

I'll expect a sneak attack.

First, I gotta case the joint out. Okay,

quiet. Steady, smooth,

no big sound... WOAH! Would you look at

all that...

Wishbone, get... Goody

grandpa. Been working out. Ugh

Ugh, sit. Sure, I'll sit.

But, sit where?

Ooh See, I believe I'm still sitting. I'm

still sitting. I've had enough of this

sitting. I've got plans for this

feast. Plans within plans.

I am Anansi, clever trickster of

African legend, small and hungry.

Anansi stories are usually told at feast

times.

It started in Africa, but in all places,

I am clever and hungry. If you

leave some food that disappears, it just

might be... Anansi.

Spinning my web of mystery...

I bounce!

Wristbone down. I really gotta work on my

timing. What?

Just want to cable outside. Uh-huhI'll

repatch the whole system when I get

there. Oh, yes. This

is neat. Okay, how's the audio?

Hey, David. How's it going?Great. Hi,

Mom. Hi, baby. Oh, no.

Just use more extension cords. David,

honey. Something wrong?No, just a

few technical problems. Well, I can help

you, David. No, he's my uncle. I can

handle it. Knock, knock. David, I

just got back from the box office. Your

uncle's show tomorrow is sold out. The

benefit is a hit. That's great news.

What is this?This is my uncle Homer, the

storyteller. Oh, well, I am

just so thrilled to meet you.

Oh, Ellen, would you get this?On

behalf of the Historical Society, I

welcome you to Oak Dale. And thank you

for donating your services

to our cause. Oh, would you mind?Oh, not

at all. Let me get this for you. Just

make it out to miss Wanda Gilmore,

you know, the society really needs the

money. Just make it out to my

dear Wanda The The

building needs a complete renovation the

wiring the plumbing. I'm glad to do it

The Historical Society is the perfect

place for a performance of stories from

the African

tradition

Why don't we show you a littleA little

bit of the dances we've been working on.

A preview?Divine.

I'm glad you're here. These need mustard

right away. Now, if I could just get a

little bit of room, then we could start

that rehearsal, that preview. David,

David, you want to help us out?I still

have a lot of things I have to check out.

David, you know you don't have to do it

all yourself. It's no problem, Mom. The

show's going to be great. Just five

minutes of your time, Mr.

Joe, Sam, could you help us out a minute

here?Let's Let's show them some of the

dances. Thanks. Oh, I don't know. Oh,

please, honey. Come on, Joe, it'll be

fun. Wait. Okay. The audio set

up, it's back at the auditorium. Well,

we'll just have to make do. I'll keep the

rhythm.

There you go. In African

storytelling, dance helps us

remember. By moving and feeling

the rhythm, you begin to hear the sound

of the story. Begin.

Stories are in the muscles as

well as the head. That reminds

me of a dance that we used to do. You

know what it reminds me of. Girl. The

hustle.

One, two, three, four, five, 1978. The

Aurora Roller Disco. Man,

just take me back. All the way back. Mom,

I didn't know you used to like dancing.

We all did. Oh, ohh back in the day,

your mother and I used to practice for

hours. Now, most line dancers like the

hustle. Or the electric

slide have African roots.

Hey, Dad, you know how in our dance

class, we learned the samba and the mambo

and the tango?Homer says they all come

from African dances, too. Really?Sure,

sureNow, take your basic African hip

isolation. OohMix in a little

Brazilian and Cuban steps,

and there you go. There you go, Ellen.

That's what it-- Excuse me. Hello. Emily,

may I have this dance?

Ohh

Don't touch anything. I'll be right

there. Guys, we need to get down to the

auditorium now. Mom, Dad's going. We

should be ready at 6:45. Check, honey.

Honey?Come on.

Everybody.

Hey, how's it going?Great.

Ow. Uh,

David, do you need any help with that?Uh,

no, it's pretty complicated.

Well, I hooked up my stereo system at

home. Um, this is more than a home stereo

system. See, I designed it myself. I'm

the only one who knows how it works.

Well, we could help you if you'd... No,

no, there's so much to explain. It'd be

better if I'd just do it.

Mm, I don't know. I'm just a dog, but

this doesn't look good. I'm thinking

Anansi. What about you?Did

I ever tell you the story of Anansi,

the spider?Who was very

small, and he lived

very high at the

top of the Great Tree of Life.

You all know Anansi was very

clever. Well, Anansi, he

knew he was clever as well,

but he didn't get much respect. He

sat in his tree, waiting for someone,

anyone, to call on him

with a problem. Problems here! Get your

problems solved! You got problems, I got

solutions! One time only, get-- I'll

tell you, business is slow. Nobody wants

my advice.

In those days,The sky god

had given everyone a little

bit of wisdom.

He couldn't give out too much at once

because wisdom is so strong. It

had to grow as the world

grew. The problem is there's

too much loose wisdom. I need to get it

all so everyone will have to come to me.

Psst,

listen here. Let me take that wisdom off

your hands. Anansi went all over

town tricking people out of their wisdom.

And what he could not bargain for, he

stole. Hey, best deal in town. Leave it

to me. I'll double your wisdom or my

name's not Anansi. Trust me.

Anansi, he went on until he had stolen

all the wisdom he could find.

Anansi, he put all the wisdom into his

calabash. It's mine,

all mine. Anansi, he knew that at the

top of the tree of life, he could

hide the wisdom and keep it

all for himself. He tied

the calabash around his neck and started

to climb the tree.

Hmm, I think I may be in trouble.

He jumped, scratched,

but he couldn't get up. The calabash got

in his way. Hey, what are you looking at?

Hello?If you're not part of the solution,

you're part of the problem.

Anansi, he knew he had to get to the top

before his trick was discovered.

Anansi, sir, I just thought if you

put that calabash behind your back

instead of in front, I bet you can climb

that tree. Well, the girl was right, and

Anansi, he knew it.

Yeah, okay, thanks. But, uh, let's just

keep this between you and me, Punk it.

Anansi, he tied the calabash to his back,

and quick, Scratch ran to the top of

the tree. Anansi was sad.

Here I am. I stole all the wisdom in the

world, and that child knows more than I

do. I don't deserve this wisdom. I haveto

give it back. Amansi let the

wisdom fly. It flew

all over the world, and everyone got a

small piece.

Some of this wisdom entered into the

souls of people, and they began to hear

magic from within.

But that's another story.

OK, guys, we're ready to go. Uh,

David. Emily, look, I'm busy right now.

Okay, just a few technical problems here.

Oh, gee, I found the problem, guys.

Can I say something here?Give me just a

minute, guys. There we go.

Look, Emily, I know what I'm doing.

Wow! A dance recital with explosions!

This thing's gonna be a hit! Why is it

dark?Great.

Knock, knock. Oh, any luck?We

tried all over. Every place is

booked. The Shriners are in town.

There's a virtual reality convention. I

don't know. I guess we'll have to cancel.

How's David?He was too embarrassed to go

to church this morning. Fire Marshall

inspected the auditorium. The entire

electrical system is shot. Well, David

shouldn't feel bad. We were raising money

to fix the wiring in the 1st place. I

told him that, but he won't listen. He is

so upset he won't even eat. He won't

eat. This is an emergency. You guys get

the Marines. I'll call the White House.

I'm going to go talk to him. I'd better

go with you. I mean, let's face it, who

can resist my charm?

Hey, David, what's up?I don't know. Cheer

up, pal. I know what it's like to be in

the dog house. Do you

feel lower than a snake's belly?

Push one, what are you doing?Do you want

to hide from the wall?Look at that.

What's gotten into him?Oh, so you want to

play tough, huhHow about a major dose of

cute?Oh, look, David, I'm being so

cute. Come on. This is my

best stuff. Guaranteed crowd pleasers.

OK, here it is. The big finish.

Take my paw. Please.

Thank you. Thank you. You've been the

best audience I've had in minutes.

Really. Really. Good

luck. The kid's like a rock.

Come on, David. It wasn't your fault.

Yes, it was. I totally blew it. Yeah.

Kaboom.

I'm sorry. But listen, we've got

to do something or they're going to

cancel the whole show. Do it without me.

I can't think anymore. Hey, David.

David, we need your help. Yeah, you know

more about putting on a show than any of

us. Really?Look how it turned

out. You guys don't need me.

You just had a small setback. Don't let

that shut you down. If you believe in

yourself, anything's possible.

You can fly if you want to.

There's an old story about flying. You

mean in a n*zi story?No, no

This is a story about a man named

Baba and a boy

named Juana. Hmm

You know how everyone got wisdom?Well, it

was so strong that people even began to

grow wings and fly like birds.

One of these was Juana.

A sl*ve ship. I must find Baba.

In Swahili, Baba means father.

He watched over the wisdom, one of which

means son was his helper. Then

all men were fathers. All boys were sons.

Because we are one people, we

belong to each other. Baba,

Baba, I saw a sl*ve ship. They are

heading this way. What will we do?Evil

was coming. Baba sent Wala to find out

what was happening. The

sl*ve traders captured our people and

herded them onto boats. In this

confusion, people could not hear one

another. Their wings cracked and broke

off. It seemed as if they had never

flown, never been free.

They were forced to forget the magic they

had inside.

The sl*ve traders came and destruction

followed. Nearly all the wisdom plants

were damaged. Many died.

Baba, the sl*ve ship is leaving. We have

to help our people. You know, Wala,

we cannot take our wings with us. I

know, but we can take our wisdom with us.

They packed a few belongings, taking with

them the precious plants of

wisdom.

They hid on the ship and brought their

ancient wisdom to America.

Excuse me. I'm sorry, Uncle Homer.

I don't feel like a story right now. I

just want to be left alone. Listen to us.

You can help us. You've got the

imagination, and we're counting on you.

You have to say that 'cause you're my

uncle. I have to say it because... it's

the truth.

I bet everybody thinks I'm a total loser.

Forget about what everybody else might

think. What do you think?

I just feel... bad.

I mean, I tried so hard to think of

everything, but I still messed up.

My being in charge of the show was gonna

be my gift to the family. David, the

best gift you can give

is to keep trying. He's

right, David. Never give up and never

stop yourself from flying.

Baba and Juana didn't give up.

In America, our people were made to

forget that they ever had wings.

The sl*ve owners made them drink sorrow

and filled them with shame to block

out our wisdom.

But Baba and Guana hid in the woods and

tended the wisdom plants. The

plants grew very slowly.

One womanbut a little. Her day of

freedom seemed like a dream. It's not a

dream. Hold on. How long,

brother?Soon, sister.

Soon.

Finally, enough wisdom had grown

for Baba to make a medicine.

I need to visit the fields to

pass this out. They will

be watching. Leave everything to me,

Baba. I'll clear the way.

Did you forget how to work?

How'd you like to pick on someone who can

fight back?Come on, give me your best

shot! Catch me if you can!

Baba, it's begun. The time has

come. I'll keep them running.

While Brave wanna let the overseers off,

Baba slipped into the field.

He gave the woman some wisdom and

whispered the magic word.

Listen, daughter.

Open your mind,

and your wings will

grow.

As he spoke, Benti felt the glow of the

ancient wisdom, and she rose into the

air like a bird.

Fly, Venti. Fly!

You ain't going nowhere.

What's that?That

is a brand new day.

It's the old man?

Stop!You can't stop us.

Freedom will come.

The spirit of freedom, fed by the

ancient wisdom of Africa, spread.

The wings of the motherland

live on. You

can fly with your

imagination. If we're going to

save this benefit, we're going to

need your help. We need... What's

so funny?I just had a crazy idea.

Is there any other kind?Let's hear it.

We can make a whole new story. Yeah.

How David fell apart. No.

NoHow Oakdale

came together.

What's your idea?Well, what

about little lights?Well,

what do you mean?I have a plan, but I

definitely need everybody's help. You got

it. Whatever you need. What are we

waiting for, people?Action! What's up?

Uh, this little art of mine. I'm gonna

let it shine. Everybody! Thank

you. Thank

you.

I want to begin this performance with a

dance. In the African

tradition, when we tell our stories, we

say that we talk, that talk, but we

also walk that walk.

Dance, movement.

Performance is part of our storytelling.

I call this Scratch that Scratch.

Dance is celebration. It is both

praise and prayer. Hey!

Hey You use your body to tell a

story. All

stories start that way, from the

inside out.

No matter what form it ends up being,

a book, a movie, or a computer game,

all stories start from inside you

and move out to the world.

If you want to tell a story, you don't

need anything more than you already have.

You imagine your body speaking,

and what happens is you

imagine the truth.

In the African-American folktale, Baba

says open your mind and your wings will

grow. Here's a crew member testing out a

flying harness. It's kind of like a pair

of short pants attached to wires. Very

fashionable. Once the tangles are worked

out, it's time to hoist up the actress.

You know

The spirit of freedom, fed by the

ancient wisdom of Africa, spread.

You can sniff out Wishbone books and

other great things to read at your local

library.