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No, that's not his real nose. His real nose is much larger than that! Carroll, my son, turned four on July 29. He's such a hoot. The other day we were changing the oil in our mini van when Carroll saw us. He called out from the porch while we were getting frustrated under the van trying to get the oil plug loose: "Hey, Mom and Dad! You're supposed to ride in the van not under it." Yep, he's a funny kid!

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This week's show has a story set in the deepest part of the darkest forest. It's a rerun because, after writing 12 (?) stories I decided to retire the characters and let them rest in peace. That doesn't mean I can't drag them out now and then to parade around. I do like this series because I could write about castles and enchanted forests and strange people who live in trees. Sounds a lot like my house.!

Rick Brown
Host & Producer
[email protected]

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"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is."

—Yogi Beara

About A Jarful of Stories
A Jarful of Stories is a weekly radio program of original stories, poetry, and music for children of all ages heard on public, non-commercial radio. Each week the stories follow a theme and each program ends with a story about my pet mouse, Duke. Do you have a friend like Duke the Mouse? Just when I think Duke is more trouble than he's worth, he reminds me of what it really means to have a friend. A Jarful of Stories is filled with friends of all sorts. You're invited to sit down with your friends and listen to these stories. Come enjoy the fun of A Jarful of Stories.

July 29 - August 4, 2006

THE FLYING ZWAFFLE

Rick Brown

It was one of those hair-brained ideas Dixie was always dreaming up. She was the one that decided about the circus. Oh, it wasn't a real circus. No, it was just four kids from the neighborhood getting together on a weekend with nothing better to do.
"What a cool idea," Abby said. "We can put on a circus for everybody in the neighborhood."
"Yeah," Kyle said.
And then Marcus said, "One slight problem. What are we going to do at our circus?"
"Marcus, you are absolutely impossible," Dixie said. "I mean, look: everybody is so excited about our circus and all you can do is point out the problems."
"Well," Abby asked, "what are we going to do?"
"I don't know," Dixie said. "I guess we're going to need some clowns. Right?"
"And a circus always has a lion tamer," Kyle said.
"And acrobats," Abby added.
"What about something really exciting?" Dixie asked. "We could shoot somebody out of a cannon. We could have a human cannon ball."
"Wow, that's great!" Kyle said.
"What a really cool idea," Abby said.
"A cannon?" Marcus asked. "We're going to shoot somebody out of a cannon? Not only to we not have anybody foolishness enough to get shot out of a cannon, we don't even have a cannon."
"Oh, please," Dixie said. "Do you think that stuff is real? I went with my dad to a circus museum in Sarasota, Florida and the whole thing is a trick. They showed how its done. I mean, come on. You can't really shoot somebody out of a real cannon. Get real."
"So how are we going to do it?"
   "First things first," Dixie said. "First we need a name. We need a name for this act that will make people sit up and take notice, you know what I mean?"
   "How about," Kyle suggested, "the Cannonites?"
   "That sounds like a towel company," Dixie scowled. "No, I'm thinking of something different. Something that tells you all you need to know with just one simple title, ya know? I've got it: The Flying Zwaffle Brothers."
"Sounds like something you'd have for breakfast if all the cereal was gone," Marcus said.
"And you," Dixie said, pointing to Marcus, "are the first Zwaffle Brother."
"Cool," Abby said.
"Abby, you're the other one."
"WHAT?!" she shrieked. "I can't be one of the Zwaffle Brothers. I'm a girl, Dixie. And Marcus and I aren't even brother and sister. Besides, I've got a piano recital coming up and if I break my arm, my mom will break my arm."
"Well, if your arm's already broken, how bad can that be?" Dixie asked.
"Maybe she meant her other arm," Marcus said.
"There you go again," Dixie said. "Pointing out the bad side of everything."
"I did not."
"Yes you did. Two broken arms is twice as bad as one broken arm," Dixie said. "For once, let's look on the positive side. Do the both you have bike helmets?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we're going to need them. You go get your helmets while we figure out how to shoot you out of a cannon. Better bring some extra padding, too. You know, bulky sweaters, shoulder pads, whatever you can find."
The whole project halted for lunch. At their different homes, Dixie, Kyle, Abby and Marcus could think of nothing but the circus. As they each ate their lunches, they each thought about how the circus might work. Marcus and Abby were more worried than excited. They were worried because they were going to be in the cannon. Dixie and Kyle were excited because they weren't.
After lunch, they all met again to continue with their plan.
"Let's see your padding," Dixie commanded.
Standing before her where Marcus and Abby, both decked out in helmets, roller blade pads, parkas, hockey pads and about five thick, woolly weathers between them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, may I present to you, the Flying Zwaffle Brothers," Dixie said. "Now all Kyle and I have to do it figure out some sort of cannon. That shouldn't be too difficult. While we're doing that, you guys practice."
"Practice?" Marcus asked. "Practice what?"
"Practice being a human cannon ball," Dixie said. "Duh!"
"How are we going to do that?" Abby asked.
"I have a rope, just for that purpose," Dixie said. "You guys climb that tree and then each of you tie an end of the rope around your waist. Are you with me? Loop it over a branch and just practice coming down. The weight of one will slow down the other so you won't get hurt, but you'll still get to practice falling. Got it?"
She didn't even wait for an answer. Dixie took a hold of Kyle and started walking away.
"Is she out of her mind?" Abby asked. "If I break my arm . . ."
"I know, I know," Marcus said. "But we do need the practice. Come on, let's climb the tree."
It didn't take long before Marcus and Abby were in the tree with the rope tied around them, one on either side of a branch.
"I'm not sure I like being a human cannonball," Abby said.
"Then why are you doing it?"
"Oh, well, I guess," Abby continued, "I mean . . . well, you know Dixie. She should sell snow to the Eskimos. How about you?"
"To be honest," Marcus said, "I think it's a neat idea, only it won't work. I guess I feel pretty safe that Dixie and Kyle will never, not in a thousand years, come up with a cannon. Thank goodness. But this is kinda fun, don't you think. Ready?"
The rope was looped over a branch and Marcus was ready to jump down from another branch in the tree. The idea was that Abby's weight would slow him down and he would drift gracefully to the ground.
"Go!" he shouted.
Neither of them had been able to guess what would happen next. Neither of them knew exactly how much the other weighed. Because if they had known, they wouldn't have tried this stunt. Because if they had known that they both weighed exactly the same—well, it was too late for that because now Abby and Marcus were both hanging in mid air. Abby's weight was not enough to pull Marcus up and Marcus didn't weigh enough to sink to the ground. They balanced. Perfectly.
"I can't believe this," Marcus laughed as he hung off the ground. "We both weigh the same. We're stuck. And I can't reach anything to pull myself down. Can you?"
"This is crazy, Marcus! We really are the Flying Zwaffle Brothers! Only we're not flying anywhere. We're floating! I love it!"
"Don't make me laugh too much, Abby," Marcus said. "I've got to use the bathroom."
Well, that was too much because they laughed so hard big tears flowed down and finally, after laughing and waiting so long, Marcus couldn't hold it any longer. And suddenly, neither could Abby. They both wet their pants.
Finally Abby was able to swing herself close enough to a branch and pull herself higher in the tree which enabled Marcus to be lowered to the ground. After they untied themselves and got out of the tree, they laughed even harder.
"Flying Zwaffle Brother?" Abby said, "promise me on a stack of dry clothes that nobody ever find out about this?"
"Promise!"
And sure enough, nobody ever found—until you heard this story. Of course Dixie and Kyle never figured out a way to make a cannon and that was the end of the circus idea because after that Dixie went to spend two weeks with her grandmother. And believe it or not, that was the end of Dixie's hair-brained ideas—until she got back.

MORE STORIES ABOUT DUKE THE MOUSE

sidewalk jarful

(What's the name of this show?)

August 20 - 26, 2006

Duke the Mouse in:

If It Ain't Broke
by Rick Brown (& Duke)

I have a pet mouse who is always up to something. I figure if I can keep him busy, all the better for me. So I’ve invented this machine that will help keep my pet mouse active.
You see, he loves to fix things. Too often Duke fixes things that are working just fine — until he gets his claws on them. Then they positively don’t work. So this machine I invented takes care of that little problem. See, you put something that works in here, press a button and CRUNCH now it needs to be fixed. With a little luck, this machine will keep my pet mouse busy for months. I think it’s a very clever invention and well worth the cost of a new toaster or blender or whatever.
If only you knew my pet mouse. And that’s the way it is with Duke.
And that’s the way it is with Duke.

MORE STORIES ABOUT DUKE THE MOUSE

Copyright © 2000 - 2006 by Rick Brown - "Speak Rick, spreak!"

Each program has a title and a theme. This section will let you know what is coming up in the next several weeks so you can plan ahead. Just look for the date and you'll find the title of the show, too. If you have an idea for a theme, please let me know! I can use all the help I can get. Write to me: [email protected]. ENJOY!

August 5, 2007 -
August 12, 2007 -
August 19, 2007 -

Raining Cats and Dogs
Sister, Sister

Titles are arranged alphabetically to help you search for a story you might be interested in reading. If you know the date the story was aired, CLICK HERE to check out that list. Just click on the title to open the file. If you read a story you like, please let me know. You can e-mail me about ANYTHING! [email protected] Thanks and ENJOY!

COMPLETE LISTINGS & COMPLETE DUKE STORIES

Ants On The Sidewalk - May 28, 2006
Bookworms, The - May 7, 2006
Bonnet Of Beauty, A - Apr 16, 2006
Feisty The Rooster - May 21, 2006
Lost In The Library - Apr 9, 2006
Lunch Lady, The - Apr 30, 2006
Many Angels Smile - Apr 23, 2006
Out Like A Lion - Mar 26, 2006
Salt In The Sugar Bowl - Apr 2, 2006
Three Equinox Poems - Mar 19, 2006
Will You Wear Them? - May 14, 2006

Here is a list of stories by date. Please note that not all the text of all the stories is available. I know, I know. I'm just too lazy to put it all on this website and besides, there has to be a reason to listen to the show now and then.

July 16, 2006	- In The Doghouse
	- The Doghouse Blues part 1 - The Sound Of Bright Summer Stars - The Doghouse Blues part 2 - Mr. Morris Woodruff and Lucky DUKE: In The Mouse House - The Doghouse Blues part 3
July 23, 2006	- What's The Skinny?
	- Until The Streetlights Come On - A Hammer And A Tin Of Nails - Haskins The Housecat Strikes Again DUKE: Dumbbell Dreams
July 30, 2006	- Ready Or Not
	- Ghost In The Castle - Monkey Work DUKE: Hide and Go Sleep
August 6, 2006	- Reading In The Shade
	- Rock - Paper - Scissors DUKE: Rock Washes Scissors
August 13, 2006	- Rock, Paper, Scissors
	- Maddie - A Day Dreamer's Afternoon - A Piece Of A Tale DUKE: Explorying Laundry Mountain
August 20, 2006	- Ready Or Not
	- You've Got Wings - Secret Room Sweeper - If I Could - Of No Great Importance DUKE: If It Ain't Broke
August 28, 2006	- No new show
	- I was ill this week so there was some odd re-run, I hope!

Dear Duke Dear Duke Dear Duke

In case you don't know, FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. If you have a question about A Jarful of Stories, start here. You just may find the answer you're looking for! If not, please be sure and e-mail me at [email protected] with your question. I love to answer questions. The most recent questions will be at the top of this file.

Is Duke the Mouse your friend or your pet?

Duke is a little of both. He listens to me when I want to talk and I have to get his meals for him. He likes to take naps in the sunshine and he tells me jokes. He finds adventure is almost everything and so do I. I guess the real question is this: does Duke consider me his friend or his pet?

Can you tell me the time and temperature?

No. Time is merely a way to measure the difference between meals and temperature is a way to keep the flies down. Honestly. Why would you want to know about all that? I think you'd better find yourself a hobby like I have done.

Where did the name A Jarful of Stories come from?

I wanted to call the show "The Story Jar" to give the idea of a magical source of stories but that name was already being used. Besides, I thought it sounded a little too much like "The Storage Jar". Duh. What would that be? A radio program about creative storage? Naw. So, at the urging of Fred Marino, station manager of WSCL, I switched the words around and came up with "A Jarful of Stories". Same idea as the other title but it seemed to be presented a little clearer.

Why do all your stories sound the same?

I guess you might as well know the truth: all these stories are the same. Really. Just listen to a couple and you'll find that they are all the same story! Oh, sometimes I change the setting and sometimes the characters are different. The plot changes from time to time and the tone of the story might shift this way or that way but all the stories are the same! Something happens and then something else in the story happens and then, poof!, the story is over. Go figure. Before you know it, all the stories are the same. I'm ashamed to admit it but I think it's clear, all my stories are . . . well, you know. There's nothing new under the sun.

Why did it take you so long to update this website last time? I'm not really keeping track but I think it has been over two weeks since this site was updated. What gives?

I wish I could give you an honest, forthright answer that would get me off the hook. Unfortunately the truth must be told: I was kidnapped by pirates . . . uh, I mean, outlaws who . . . on second thought it was a band of roving Vikings that . . .

Oh, never mind! Are you safe and sound now?

Unfortunately, yes.

More FAQ's for your enjoyment

This is where I will soon be posting letters from you (if only you'd write). Be the first on your virtual block to get your letter posted here. Just send your words to:

[email protected]

I'll check with you before posting your note just to make sure you want the world (well, a very small part of the world, actually) to read your words.

The letters will go right here!

hello . . . good bye . . . hello . . . good bye

	July 29, 2007 Next update: August5, 2007 (maybe!) 30/06:416
		Duke the Mouse