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  • WOMAN: ♪ Hey, now... ♪

  • ♪ Hey, wow... ♪

  • ♪ Here's how ♪

  • ♪ Come and read ♪

  • ♪ Between the lions ♪

  • CHORUS: ♪ Come on ♪

  • ♪ Come in ♪

  • ♪ Begin ♪

  • ♪ The world awaits ♪

  • WOMAN: ♪ Between the lions ♪

  • ♪ Between the covers of a book ♪

  • ♪ It's time to look between the lions ♪

  • ♪ Behold the tales beyond the tails ♪

  • CHORUS: ♪ Behind the door ♪

  • ♪ Become, explore ♪

  • ♪ Come in between the lions ♪

  • ♪ Begin between the lions ♪

  • ♪ Be here between the lions! ♪

  • ( laughing )

  • ( inhaling deeply )

  • ( roaring )

  • Leona! Leona! Guess what?

  • What?

  • The great Livingston Dangerously has written

  • a new Cliff Hanger book... and it's coming out today!

  • Oh.

  • ( singing quietly )

  • Well... you don't seem very excited.

  • Well, Lionel, it is just because

  • I don't get why you like Cliff Hanger so much.

  • And, I mean, every story's exactly the same.

  • In the beginning, he's hanging from the cliff

  • and in the end, he's hanging from the cliff.

  • The middle is different!

  • It's always different!

  • And he's so... cool...

  • Using his expert decoding skills, Cliff begins to read.

  • ( Cliff reading )

  • What luck!

  • CLIFF: "Ed."

  • "Bed."

  • Has intrepid Cliff Hanger

  • made his escape at last?

  • Uh-oh...

  • ♪ And that's why he's called Cliff Hanger! ♪

  • And where is he at the end?

  • Back on the cliff.

  • Livingston Dangerously is a genius.

  • Well, son, some good news:

  • Your book's here.

  • Oh! oh! oh!

  • Let me see.

  • Well, now for the bad news, Lionel:

  • Look at the title.

  • "The Lost Cliff Hanger."

  • Awesome, The Lost Cliff Hanger!

  • What's bad about that?

  • No, no, Lionel, sorry, son.

  • See, um, it's not "lost."

  • See, no, that's an "a," "aah" not an "o," "aw."

  • "Aah"?

  • "The...

  • ( sounding out word ): "L... aah... st."

  • "Last"?

  • "The Last Cliff Hanger."

  • No... it can't be.

  • The last?

  • That's what it says, Lionel, honey.

  • The last one?

  • I can't look.

  • I... I can't.

  • I can.

  • Yippee!

  • Maybe he's going to finally

  • get off of that cliff.

  • Well, maybe not.

  • Maybe it's a trick title.

  • Maybe, huh, Dad, huh, Dad?

  • Huh, Mom, huh?

  • Well, I don't think so, Lionel, honey.

  • Do you want to read it and find out?

  • I can't.

  • I can't.

  • Oh, it's okay, Lionel, I'll do it.

  • Today's adventure, 3785.

  • "The Last Cliff Hanger, by Livingston Dangerously."

  • CHORUS ( singing ):

  • THEO: "We find Cliff Hanger where we left him last--

  • hanging from a cliff."

  • "Suddenly, in the water below

  • he catches sight of a mammoth whale."

  • A whale!

  • "Cliff grabs his backpack and extracts

  • "his trusty survival manual.

  • Using his expert decoding skills, Cliff begins to read."

  • CLIFF ( reading ):

  • ( coughing ): Not... on... cliff... any longer.

  • "Is this it?

  • "Has Cliff Hanger's life of grasping a branch

  • passed at last?"

  • ( gasps )

  • No...!

  • ♪ Cliff Hanger, living on the beach... ♪

  • ♪ And that's why he's called... oh, phooey! ♪

  • ( cheers )

  • I love happy endings.

  • Happy?!

  • What's to be happy about?

  • It was the last Cliff Hanger!

  • The last!

  • No more new Cliff Hangers.

  • Well, well, maybe Cliff's happy.

  • I mean, after all, he's on a beach.

  • He can rest.

  • He's a hero.

  • A hero's not supposed to rest.

  • Don't worry.

  • I'm sure you can find something else

  • to sing about!

  • Yeah, right, no problem!

  • This just can't be the last book.

  • It can't.

  • We've got to think of something to do.

  • ( muttering )

  • Come on, Leona, I've got an idea.

  • Click?!

  • My brother needs me.

  • Coming!

  • What do you suppose...

  • ♪ And that's why it's called black stapler! ♪

  • Super!

  • Really great!

  • Thank you.

  • Wow, terrific.

  • What talent.

  • ( both yelling )

  • And now, Barnaby B. Busterfield

  • and Walter and Clay Pigeon race around the library.

  • Whee!

  • ( laughing )

  • Believe it or not, this was my idea.

  • Are you ready to race?

  • Yeah, yeah, we're ready.

  • Ready to see who's the, uh...

  • Uh, fastest?

  • Yeah.

  • ( laughs )

  • All right, then.

  • Ready...!

  • Set...

  • Go!

  • Both: Whee!

  • ( laughs )

  • Alone at last!

  • There's a method in my madness.

  • Whee!

  • ( both laughing )

  • Hey, Clay, look!

  • He beat us!

  • Wow, Buster is the, uh...

  • Um, fastest?

  • Yeah.

  • Hey, how'd he do that?

  • I have no idea.

  • BOTH: Whee!

  • ( laughing )

  • This, too, shall pass.

  • ( groans )

  • "Last."

  • "Aah"... "aah."

  • Hey, it's standing room only

  • for Martha Reader and the Vowelles

  • singing that fabulous short "a"-- "aah"-- sound

  • in the world "fast!"

  • ( Martha singing repeated short "a" sound to pop tune )

  • ( Vowelles respond rhythmically with short "a" sound )

  • ALL: "Fast!"

  • ( monkeys hooting )

  • ( imitating band playing music )

  • "F... ast."

  • "Fast... fast."

  • ( imitating race car )

  • Fast.

  • "F... ast...er."

  • "Faster."

  • ( imitating race car )

  • "F... ast... est."

  • "Fastest... fastest."

  • ( imitating race car )

  • And now, some names with the short-a, "aah" sound in them.

  • And that makes me happy.

  • ( music playing )

  • WOMAN: ♪ Meet Hannah, Ali, Mackey, Stan ♪

  • ♪ Alana, Al, Jack and Chan ♪

  • ♪ Ralphie, Max... ♪

  • The name is Sam.

  • WOMAN: ♪ And Alfie, Axel ♪

  • ♪ And the ram! ♪

  • ♪ Here's Patches, Gabbi, Babs and Fats ♪

  • ♪ And Satch and Tabby, Gabbi's cats. ♪

  • ♪ Alejandro, Manny, Candy ♪

  • ♪ Calley, Pandro, Van and Brandy! ♪

  • CHORUS: ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's your name? ♪

  • ♪ What's your name, what's your name, what's your name? ♪

  • ♪ Enjoy your little moment of fame! ♪

  • ♪ ♪ ♪

  • ♪ Here's Nancy, Barry, Vance, King Zack ♪

  • ♪ And Lance and Harry, Lance's yak ♪

  • ♪ In all these names you'll find short "a" ♪

  • ♪ It sounds like "aah," that's that....Good day! ♪

  • ♪ Aah. ♪

  • And there you have it.

  • My data search and cross- referencing are complete.

  • Yeah, way to go, Click.

  • You rock!

  • All right, yeah!

  • What's that mean?

  • ...would indicate

  • that Mr. Cliff Hanger is on this island...

  • ( clicking )

  • Here.

  • BOTH: Cool.

  • Oh, please, please, please, please, Click

  • could you drag-and-drop us there?

  • We need to find Cliff Hanger

  • and beg him to do more stories.

  • Oh, please, please, please, please.

  • Please, please, please.

  • Certainly.

  • ( beeping )

  • ( exclaiming )

  • Hey, what do you think you're doing?

  • ( gasps )

  • Hey, it's him!

  • It's Cliff Hanger!

  • Yes, that's right, Cliff Hanger...

  • hanging on a beach.

  • And that's why I'm called...

  • Never mind.

  • Uh, Mr. Hanger?

  • I'm Lionel, and this is my fan, Leona

  • and I'm your biggest sister!

  • I, I... hmm...

  • Uh, uh... you know

  • he can't really talk very well

  • because, well, you know

  • he really likes you a lot

  • and you're his greatest hero

  • and you're not going to do any more books

  • and, aw... you just got to do more books.

  • What? And leave all this?

  • Come on, everybody

  • it's limbo time... again!

  • ( groans )

  • Please do more books.

  • Please...

  • No can do.

  • Life is just... great.

  • Hey, Mister, didn't you use to be

  • Cliff Hanger, hanging from a cliff

  • and that's why you're called Cliff Hanger?

  • Yes, son, that's me.

  • Well, what do they call you now?

  • Okay, I admit it.

  • I can't stand this easy life!

  • Where's the danger?

  • Where's the excitement?

  • Where's the...

  • Cliff?

  • I'm dying to go back!

  • So why don't you?

  • Yeah!

  • I can't.

  • Why not?

  • Because my author, Livingston Dangerously

  • wrote me here.

  • There's nothing I can do about it.

  • Go talk to him.

  • Talk to him?

  • Well, we could talk to him.

  • Huh?

  • Sure we could, Lionel.

  • We could talk to him!

  • Yeah! Click!

  • Click!

  • Click!

  • LIONEL and LEONA: Whoo, hoo, hoo!

  • ( dryly ): Yes, thank you, very much.

  • Yeah, yeah!

  • Why don't you guys take five, huh?

  • Or 25, huh?

  • Yeah.

  • Thanks.

  • ( sighing )

  • Quick, Click

  • search for Livingston Dangerously.

  • Lionel is going to talk to Livingston Dangerously

  • and ask him to write

  • more Cliff Hanger books.

  • Oh, hey, good idea!

  • Searching online, searching and connecting online...

  • Task completed-- Livingston Dangerously on live feed.

  • DANGEROUSLY: Yes?

  • Do I know you?

  • Hi, Mr. Dangerously!

  • Sorry to interrupt.

  • You don't know us

  • but Cliff Hanger books are my favorite

  • and we really want you to keep writing them.

  • But I'm busy!

  • I'm working here.

  • Can't you see I'm working?

  • You mean...

  • on your paper clip chain?

  • Yes...

  • on my paper clip chain.

  • Do you think

  • it's because I don't have any ideas

  • for more Cliff Hanger stories?!

  • LIONS: No, sir, we wouldn't...

  • Well, I don't!

  • Not one!

  • Not one idea!

  • I had to make it the last one

  • because I couldn't think of anything else!

  • Aw, is that all?

  • Well, maybe we could help you.

  • How do you usually get your ideas?

  • Well, they usually come over me in a wave...

  • LIONS: Yeah?

  • Then they kind of lift me

  • out to a sea of inspiration.

  • LIONS: Yes?

  • And sometimes it's a doozy

  • a real whale of an idea...

  • LIONS: Yes?

  • I've got it!

  • Oh!

  • Thank heavens!

  • Excuse me, I must get to work.

  • Oh!

  • Ye gads!

  • This is wonderful!

  • First-rate!

  • ( whooping and shrieking )

  • ( all laughing )

  • Stop!

  • Please!

  • I can't take it!

  • LIONS: Write fast, Livingston!

  • Welcome back to the National Word Cup Championship.

  • Writing star Tiger Words is now approaching the "t."

  • He must write the word "stack."

  • This could be tricky for Tiger.

  • There's the "st" blend at the beginning

  • followed by the "a" sound

  • then the "k" sound at the end.

  • St... a... ck... Stack.

  • If he makes this word, he will win a stack of flapjacks!

  • Tiger is selecting a writing tool.

  • It's a blue pencil, an interesting choice.

  • He stands at the "t," and...

  • wow, just look at that stroke!

  • He writes a perfect "s" in front of that "t"

  • making the blend "st," the first sounds in the word "stack"!

  • Let's see what Tiger does next.

  • Look at that perfect "ck" combination

  • making the sound "k," the last sound in the word "stack."

  • Tiger is now just one letter away from those flapjacks.

  • He looks confident.

  • He raises that blue pencil and writes... an "i"!

  • Ooh, what a setback for Tiger!

  • The letter "i" makes the sound "ih," spelling the word "stick."

  • Tiger doesn't like the way that word looks one bit.

  • But it's not over yet, folks.

  • He's going back to his pencil case

  • and he's pulling out... a big pink eraser!

  • He erases the "i"... picks up his blue pencil yet again...

  • and writes... yes! a beautiful "a"

  • which makes the sound "a," making the word "stack"!

  • Tiger Words has done it again!

  • He wins the Championship, and a stack of flapjacks!

  • CHORUS: ♪ What's Cooking? with Theo and Cleo ♪

  • ♪ Check out what's cooking! ♪

  • Oh, Hi!

  • ( laughing )

  • What's cooking today, Cleo?

  • What's cooking today, Theo, is...

  • ( reading )

  • Yummy!

  • One!-- ( cracks pointer )

  • Hard-hat on.

  • ( hollow knocking )

  • ( laughing )

  • Two!

  • Tackle the hamburger.

  • ( laughing )

  • Hut one!

  • Hut two!

  • Not on the backfield wall!

  • ( grunts )

  • Whoa!

  • Hamburger... tackled.

  • Three!

  • Paddle?

  • Paddle, Paddle!

  • Fabulous paddling, my handsome love.

  • Paddle!

  • ( breathing heavily )

  • Ooh, hamburger paddled and flat!

  • Four!

  • Put flat hamburger patty...

  • ( grunting )

  • in a pan...

  • and cook for...

  • BOTH: Nah!

  • ( growling ravenously )

  • ( groaning and munching )

  • And now, once again, Sam Spud, par-boiled potato detective.

  • SPUD: The name is Spud... Sam Spud.

  • I was working late one night.

  • I had my new partner with me.

  • She's a real peach... but you knew that.

  • She's good, too.

  • It's almost as if she can read my mind.

  • As a matter of fact...

  • Amazing!

  • It was a rotten night out.

  • It was raining cats and... ah... cats...

  • The "zap zap" of the neon sign outside our window

  • was about to drive us crazy...

  • when we spotted... her.

  • She was French...

  • Ah, I feel so fried!

  • Somehow, I knew that.

  • SAM: She seemed nervous.

  • She said she'd heard there was a neighbor in the masherhood.

  • Neighbor in the masherhood?

  • That's not right.

  • Oh, I see.

  • That shouldn't be "neighbor in the masherhood."

  • It should be "masher in the neighborhood."

  • She said there was a masher in the neighborhood

  • and she was sure the masher was close by.

  • As a matter of fact...

  • FRENCH FRY: Sacrebleu!

  • It was close... too close.

  • Come on, buddy.

  • Thanks, Precious.

  • PEACH: You have the right to remain silent.

  • She's good!

  • Good very!

  • "Good very"?

  • Oh! Get out of the way

  • you uncooked potato!

  • So I made a mistake.

  • Hey! She's very good, too.

  • Okay-- B.B., the King of Beasts...

  • "It's Over Now."

  • Take, uh... 41.

  • Here's a little story.

  • Listen up.

  • ♪ Woke up this mornin' ♪

  • ♪ And I rushed downstairs real fast... ♪

  • ♪ e-d, rushed real fast. ♪

  • ♪ Yeah, I woke up this mornin' ♪

  • ♪ And I rushed downstairs real fast... ♪

  • ♪ e-d, rushed real fast. ♪

  • ♪ And the e-d in rushed means my rushing ♪

  • ♪ Happened in the past. ♪

  • ♪ e-d means it's in the past! ♪

  • ♪ Then I went to the kitchen ♪

  • ♪ And I gobbled down my chow! ♪

  • ♪ e-d, gobbled down his chow. ♪

  • Yummy!

  • ♪ Yeah, I went to the kitchen ♪

  • ♪ And I gobbled down my chow! ♪

  • ♪ e-d, gobbled down his chow. ♪

  • ♪ And the e-d in gobbled means my gobbling ♪

  • ♪ Happened then, not now! ♪

  • ♪ e-d, means it's over now. ♪

  • ♪ e-d-- two letters that let you know ♪

  • ♪ That whatever happened ♪

  • ♪ Happened some time ago. ♪

  • ♪ Yeah, e-d at the end of a word is how you can ♪

  • ♪ Tell what the word is telling you is over now. ♪

  • ♪ Well, I've finished my song, so I guess ♪

  • ♪ It's time to take a bow... ♪

  • Thank you, thank you very much, thank you.

  • ♪ Yes, I've finished my song, so I guess ♪

  • ♪ It's time to take a bow... ♪

  • ♪ e-d, you're finished ♪

  • ♪ Take a bow... ♪

  • ♪ And the e-d in "finished" means ♪

  • ♪ It happened, but it's over now! ♪

  • ♪ e-d, means it's over now ♪

  • ♪ Yeah, the e-d in "finished" means ♪

  • ♪ It happened, but it's over now! ♪

  • ♪ e-d, means it's over now ♪

  • Yeah, e-d means it's over, and we're out of here.

  • ( laughing )

  • ENGINEER: Okay...

  • that was great for me.

  • How was it for you guys?

  • Hey!

  • Where did everyone go?

  • Theo, Theo, come quick!

  • Click's got a surprise!

  • A surprise?

  • I love surprises.

  • Oh, boy!

  • LEONA: Come on, Dad!

  • CLEO: Come on, Theo.

  • Shh... Shh.

  • What?

  • I have downloaded the latest

  • Livingston Dangerously Cliff Hanger adventure story.

  • Yay! That is a surprise!

  • Livingston did it!

  • Come on, let's read it!

  • Let's read it!

  • LIONEL: "The Adventures of Cliff Hanger"

  • by Livingston Dangerously.

  • ( calypso music playing )

  • LIONEL: "Suddenly, a huge wave washes him off the beach and out to sea

  • and he is picked up by a passing whale."

  • This is a blast!

  • ♪ And that's why I'm called Cliff Hanger. ♪

  • He did it!

  • He's back!

  • He's back on the cliff!

  • Yay!

  • Oh! That's wonderful!

  • Excuse me! Excuse me!

  • B... but you can go back now!

  • Hey! Cliff's back on the cliff!

  • We're working!

  • CHORUS ( singing ): ♪ Yay! ♪

  • ( all cheering )

  • CHORUS ( singing ):

  • Barnaby B. Busterfield III is alone at last.

  • And having a blast!

  • And having a blast!

  • With an exclamation point!

  • Barnaby B. Busterfield III is alone at last

  • and having a blast with an exclamation point!

  • Ah, yes.

  • Now, that says it all!

  • Come on, everyone, let's show 'em how it's done.

  • Watch me.

  • ♪ Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants... ♪

  • Mr. Walter Bobbie!

  • ♪ Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants ♪

  • Dr. Ruth!

  • ♪ Ooh, aah, dance in smarty pants. ♪

  • ♪ Ooh, aah ♪

  • You can do it!

  • ♪ Dance in smarty pants. ♪

  • There are games and stories at the Between the Lions Web site:

  • pbskids.org, or America Online keyword: PBS Kids.

  • "And they lived happily ever after."

  • Read to a child once a day, and she'll learn happily ever after.

  • Be a designated reader.

  • "Happily... ever after."

  • Very good, Leona.

  • ♪ ♪ ♪

  • [Captioned by The Caption Center WGBH Educational Foundation]

  • CHORUS: ♪ Between the lions... ♪

  • ♪ Between the lions... ♪

  • WOMAN: ♪ Come in between the lions ♪

  • ♪ Begin between the lions ♪

  • ♪ Be here between the lions! ♪

  • CLEO: Between the Lions is funded in part by...

WOMAN: ♪ Hey, now... ♪

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