Episode 1 Just So Darwin

A long time ago, Darwin came to our island.

The stories that he told, well, filled my grandad with wonder.

And he told me so that I could tell you

Grandad, I'm hungry.

Me too, Sam. There's some food down there to eat.

But that will take us forever - we're so slow!

If only we were like camels, then we'd have food stored in our humps.

What's a camel?

I have just the story to answer that question.

A long, long time ago...

Prince Ali was lost in the desert.

There was a pot of gold as a reward for whoever found him

and the villagers sent their finest animals to the rescue.

# I'm off to the desert to rescue Prince Ali

# Rescue Prince Ali Rescue Prince Ali. #

What are you doing here?

I'm waiting for the sun to rise so I can set off and rescue the prince.

A stupid camel like you - rescue the prince?

THEY LAUGH

Mafid, no prince wants to be rescued by a silly camel.

'The sun rose and Mafid watched the horses set off into the desert.'

Ouch, ouch, ouch-ouch-ouch!

Oh, stop fussing, Ballard. Ouch, ouch, ouch-ouch-ouch!

Great! A dance to cheer us up!

# We're off into the desert to rescue Prince Ali. Ouch! #

The ground is burning our feet, you fool!

Really?

I can't feel a thing.

'It was the thick leathery pads on the bottom of Mafid's feet

'that allowed him to walk on the hot desert ground.'

Mafid, aren't you hot?

Nope. I'm just dandy, thank you very much.

A-choo! I've got sand in my eyes. A-choo!

I've got sand up my nose.

I suggest you both close your mouth or you'll have sand in there too.

'What about Mafid, Grandad? Didn't he get sand in his nose?'

'Mafid kept the sand out of his nose by closing his large nostrils

'and those long, long eyelashes protected his eyes.

'So Mafid was able to continue the search for Prince Ali

'because he was better suited to the desert than horses.'

Come on, you three.

# We're off into the desert to rescue Prince Ali. #

'As the horses set off across the sand dunes,

'their hooves started to slip and sink in the sand.'

Why did they sink, Grandad?

Because their hooves were not suited to walk on desert sand.

Mafid's feet, of course, were flat and wide.

So he could walk across the sand dunes easily.

'I like Mafid.'

Prince Ali?

I knew someone would come.

You clever camel!

Prince Ali!

We found you.

You horses look in no state to travel.

You three will stay here. This fine camel shall take me back.

Why wasn't Mafid tired like the horses, Grandad?

Because of that famous hump, Sam.

Camels are better suited to living in the desert.

A camel can store food in his hump

and travel for days without having to find things to eat or drink

and humps make very comfortable seats too.

# I've rescued Prince Ali I've rescued Prince Ali. #

'What about the horses?

'Well, that's the funny bit, Sam.

'They had to send a group of camels into the desert to rescue them.'

So if I lived in the desert, would I change to look like a camel?

Now, that would be a funny sight.

I'd look very funny with a hump, leathery feet,

and long eyelashes.

But would you be able to run all the way home,

just like Mafid did,

with your little legs?

The next story is all about an animal who had to get used to the cold.

I'm hungry, Grandad. We have been walking for ages

and we didn't find anything to eat.

It hasn't rained for a long, long time, Sam.

Without water, plants can't grow.

But my tummy's rumbling.

Lots of animals had to walk a lot further than us to find food.

I'm sure their tummies were rumbling too.

Like who?

Like the brown bears.

'A long, long, long, long time ago,

'there were lots of brown bears

'who lived in a forest but they had a problem -

'there wasn't enough food for them all.'

I'm sorry, everyone. These are really hard times for us all.

We'll have to split up to find food.

Some of us can stay in the forest

but some of us must go to the hot South to find food

and some of us will have to go to the cold, cold North.

I wouldn't want to go where it was very, very cold - I'd be so shivery.

That's how the brown bears felt.

'When after a long, long journey, they reached the edge of the forest.'

Ooh, I don't like it here - it's very cold.

And the only food I can see are the seals way out there on the ice.

Well, I'm hungry.

Let's go hunting.

'Did they catch the seals?

'They tried but their small paws weren't used to walking

'on snow and ice.

'They slipped and slithered all over the place

'and the seals were able to get away.'

Oh, no!

So what did they eat?

In the summer, they could eat fish

but in the winter, when the water had frozen,

they had to try and get the seals.

'Did they ever catch any seals?

'Sometimes but then after a long, long time

'a brown bear was born with bigger paws,

'with thicker pads.'

I can run and not fall over!

THEY LAUGH

'The young brown bear's paws were perfect

'for walking on the snow and ice.'

'What happened to the other bears?

'They found it harder to survive.

'The bears with the bigger paws did better.'

Hooray for the brown bears.

But weren't they still very cold?

Not all of them.

Some were born with thick fur

and they were better at coping with the freezing weather.

'So could they catch lots of seals?

'Not many - their fur was still brown

'and that meant the seals could still see them coming.'

Oh, no! Fish again!

'One day, a brown bear was born that had lighter fur,

'almost white so when he crept up on a seal...

'The seal didn't see him coming.'

Rarr!

'And after a long, long, long time,

'more and more bears were born that were white

'and they could all catch seals more easily.'

Hic! Delicious!

Yummier than fish any day.

And now they're called polar bears.

And do polar bears like living in the snow and ice?

-They do.

-And brown bears like living in the forest?

And we like living on our island.

Especially when it rains and there are lots of green plants to eat.

Grandad, are there such bears as green bears?

In the next story, we meet an animal that is really good at hunting.

Grandad Charlie, who's the best hunter in the world?

I can tell you who the best hunter in the water is.

-Who?

-A crocodile.

It could catch and eat a tortoise - in a flash.

No, you're teasing, Grandad.

Oh no, I'm not, Sam.

And I can tell you great story about a young crocodile.

'Once, there were two good friends -

'Lizzie and Croc.'

I won, Croc. I was fastest.

Cheat! I passed the finish line before you did, Lizzie.

Bet I'm stronger than you, though.

And more dangerous.

I'm not dangerous.

My mum says that an adult crocodile like your mum

can eat a lizard in one gulp.

My mum would never do that.

She's the gentlest mum in the world.

'Croc told Lizzie all about how gentle his mum was.

'How she had made him a nest before he was born

'and helped crack open Croc's shell when he couldn't open it himself.'

So you see, Lizzie, my mummy really isn't dangerous at all.

But my mummy says that one day, you might eat me.

-I'll never eat you.

-SHE SIGHS

Although, I am a bit hungry.

Wow, Croc, you are dangerous.

But I'd never hurt you.

But Croc couldn't stop thinking about what Lizzie had said

and went to ask his mum.

-Mummy.

-Yes, Croc?

Are we the most dangerous creature in the swamp?

Well, Croc, we have to eat

and the only way to eat is by catching our food.

and we are very good at hunting

so to some animals we can be dangerous.

Can you show me how to hunt food?

Yes, Croc.

Now, keep absolutely still, Croc. Don't move a muscle.

Now, smell what's in the air.

I can smell some animals.

Now, let's practise at catching an animals.

Jump at that branch on that tree.

Brilliant, Croc!

I lost a tooth.

Oh, don't worry about that, Croc.

A new one will grow back soon.

Now, you keep practising

-while I go and check on your brothers and sisters.

-OK, Mum.

'So Croc did a few more leaps

'and just as Croc was floating in the water ready to jump...

'Little Lizzie arrived.

'Croc could smell something very tasty.'

Hi, Croc!

Oh, Lizzie! I could have eaten you.

You'd better go.

-What do you mean?

-Your mum was right.

-We can't be friends.

-Oh, don't be silly, Croc.

I'm growing up, Lizzie, and I'm becoming a hunter.

It's what we crocodiles do.

And I don't ever want to hurt you.

But you're still my best friend.

And you're still mine.

But stay away from this swamp, Lizzie.

I have lots of brothers and sisters and they might eat you.

SHE GASPS

And so Lizzie stayed away.

And Croc grew up to be the best hunter in the swamp.

Crocodiles do have a really nice side, Grandad.

Oh, yes, son. They definitely look after their young.

But their dangerous side is really, really dangerous.

Are there any animals that hunt crocodiles?

Hmm!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media

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