(cuts to Yves in his kitchen)
Yves: Bonjour, bonjour little animals out there! You may have learned that our first guest, Camilla the Chameleon, eats bugs. As a bug myself, yuck! So instead, I’m gonna show you how to properly cook a crab. First, we grab a crab. Where did the little dickens go? Here we are! (the crab pinches Yves’ nose) I finally met a bigger stinker than a skunk. (grabs a ladle) Come here, you crusty crustacean!
(crab blows raspberry)
Yves: That’s it! I’m gonna chase you around and then cook you!
(cuts back to Stinky and Jake)
Jake: And now, from the oceans of the world…
Stinky: World.
Jake: Please welcome Stanley the Flounder!
(Bunnie carries over Stanley in a medium-sized tank)
Stanley: Hello, Jake and Stinky. I’ve been told that you want to talk about camouflage.
Jake: Yes, we do.
Stinky: I thought flounders were yellow, chubby, and hung out with mermaids.
Stanley: Only in cartoons, landlubber.
Stinky: Why are you flat like a pancake?
Stanley: It helps us blend in with our backgrounds. Look!
Stinky: Why are your eyes on top of each other?
Stanley: That’s just how we flounders look. Also, when we hide in the sand, only our eyes are visible.
Jake: Like crocodiles and alligators?
Stanley: Exactly! And just like octopuses, we can change the color of our skin.
Stinky: And what do you eat?
Stanley: Small fish, worms, and crustaceans.
Stinky: What are crustaceans?
Stanley: Boneless animals that include shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. But mostly shrimp.
Jake: Even though you’re not as popular as chameleons, you’re still a cool fish.
Stanley: Thank you, Jake. Can I sing a song for you guys?
Jake: Yes, you may. Here is Stanley singing ‘The Flounder Song’.
Stanley: I am a flounder, a type of fish.
I may not be as be fancy as others wish.
But I can change color and hide under rocks.
You’ll be surprised to hear this flounder talk!
Flounders may be strange, but we’re also cool.
I bet you never saw one in a school!
I am a flounder, and I’m happy as a clam!
I’m not like an angelfish, which is clearly a ham.
I’m an underwater creature who’s a pro at camouflage
And you can fit up to a hundred in your garage!
Bunnie: And now it’s time for the Animal Awards! Today, the animal with the best camouflage! Could it be… The scorpionfish?
Armstrong: The long-eared owl?
Bunnie: The crab spider?
Armstrong: Or the arctic hare?
Bunnie: And the winner is… the long-eared owl! With its brown feathers and silent flying, this owl is the perfect camouflaged predator. Back to you, Stinky and Jake!
Jake: And now, it’s storytime. Today, our story is about a flounder. “Once upon a time, there was a flounder named Francis. Francis is nocturnal, meaning he sleeps during the day, and is more active at night. On this night, he was hungry, so he decided to catch some shrimp. However, he had to stop to avoid a shark. After that, Francis continued to eat some shrimp until he felt full, and he continued his night by exercise-swimming. The end.”
Stinky (now wearing a flower along with his rainbow shirt): That was a great story, Jake.
Jake: Stinky, what’s the flower for?
Stinky: Oh, this crab gave me advice on camouflage if I saved him from Yves. (holds up the crab)
Yves: Bonjour, Stinky and Jake. Have you seen a crab around here?
Stinky (lying): Oh, no. We have not seen a crab around here. Haven’t we, Jake?
Jake: No crabs around here.
Yves: Hmm, no crabs. I guess I’ll make something else. How about chicken nuggets with barbeque sauce?
Stinky: That sounds delicious!
Armstrong: I’d love that, too. I am a chicken hawk, after all.
Yves: Then it’s settled. I’m going to make chicken nuggets today! (walks off to make nuggets as crab sighs in relief)
(cut to Armstrong and Bunnie in front of the habitat door)
Bunnie: Okay, Armstrong. It’s Habitat Time! Today, we’re going to the enchanted island of Madagascar!
Armstrong: Mada-who-ha?
Bunnie: Madagascar. It’s a country to the west coast of Africa, and is home to many unique animals and plants. (opens the door) Let’s go!
Armstrong: So this is Madagascar, huh? Looks like Hawaii.
Bunnie: Many people think Madagascar is one big jungle, but there are also forests, mountains, deserts, and even a few human settlements!
Armstrong: What’s that? Some sort of squirrel?
Bunnie: No, silly! That’s a ring-tailed lemur. There are about a hundred lemur species, all of which can only be found in Madagascar.
Here’s another lemur, the mouse lemur. This animal has the record of being the world’s smallest primate.
Armstrong: You’re telling me that this tiny thing is related to the gorilla?!
Bunnie: You better believe it, Armstrong!
And this little guy is a mudskipper. You know how most fish need to live in water?
Armstrong: Yeah, why?
Bunnie: Well, mudskippers have evolved lungs so they can walk on land. Their pectoral fins had adapted to walking on land, and can even climb rocks and trees!
Armstrong: Well, how about that? A fish out of water.
What are we doing back in the trees?
Bunnie: We’re meeting the master of disguise, the chameleon!
Armstrong: Like Camilla from earlier?
Bunnie: Exactly! About two thirds of the world’s chameleon species live in Madagascar. That’s about 130 chameleon species found only on this island!
As well as lemurs and chameleons, there are also some predators native to Madagascar. Such as this mongoose.
Armstrong: A mongoose? Like Ernie?! Help! Fly for the hills! He’ll ruin the show again.
(Bunnie and Armstrong leave Madagascar and head back to the Animal Show studio)
Bunnie: For Habitat Time, it’s Bunnie Bear-
Armstrong: And Armstrong the chickenhawk.
Bunnie: Just back from Madagascar.
(Tizzy flies around Stinky and Jake again)
Tizzy: Quiz time!
Jake: And what’s the quiz this time?
Tizzy: Well, here it is! (cuts to the screen below)
Is this a dinosaur? Give it a think. Back in a buzz!
(Cuts to Stinky and Jake trying to answer the question)
Stinky: It must be a dinosaur. Just look at those horns!
Jake: That’s impossible, Stinky. Dinosaurs have been dead for 65 million years!
Tizzy: Well, here’s the answer. Is this a dinosaur? No, that’s just a Jackson’s chameleon, but males have horns like a Triceratops. Bee-lieve it, because it’s true!
Jake: Thanks for the quiz, Tizzy. That's all the time we have today, and until next time, keep seeing the world through the eyes of animals. Bye!
Author's Notes: The puppet used for Camilla has also been used for Blanche in Song of the Cloud Forest.
Yves chasing a crab is a nod to The Little Mermaid, which of course had Sebastian being chased by Chef Louis.
On The Animal Show, whenever there was a fully aquatic character on the show, he/she was often put in either a tank or a bucket. Octavio, mentioned by Jake earlier, was one of those guest stars that had to be in water.
In the Animal Show episode 'Koala and Ostrich', Yves St. La Roche asked thousands of koalas if they'd rather have eucalyptus leaves or delicious food such as chicken nuggets, pizza, and strawberries. And what did the koalas pick? Eucalyptus leaves. In another Animal Show episode 'Mongoose and Secretary Bird', a mongoose named Ernie came on the show and tried making lots of changes, much to the chagrin of Stinky and Jake.
 |
| Ernie forcing Stinky and Jake to wear pit helmets. |
Stanley the Flounder is named after the children's book character Flat Stanley.
Next week on The Animal Show, you'll meet two poisonous animals with the poison dart frog and the scorpion!
