Podcast Summary: Harold’s Old Time Radio – "Cinnamon Bear 37-113-0 04 The Inkaboos"
Date: December 6, 2025
Episode Theme:
This episode continues the whimsical adventures of Judy, Jimmy, and the Cinnamon Bear as they search for their lost Silver Star. After losing the star yet again, they encounter the mysterious Inkaboos—a community of living blotting-paper dolls—and face comical peril at the hands of King Blotto III.
1. Overview of Main Theme
The episode's focus is an imaginative, childlike journey through a quirky paper world, highlighting the trouble-prone quest for the Silver Star. Themes of forgiveness, ingenuity, and lighthearted justice pervade, as the heroes must unravel a ridiculous law to escape from the peculiar Inkaboos.
2. Key Discussion Points and Story Beats
A. Aftermath of the Silver Star's Loss (01:53–02:29)
- The heroes have lost the Silver Star again after Crazy Quilt the dragon dropped it in Rootbeer Ocean.
- Notable Quotes:
- Cinnamon Bear: “This is a pretty kettle of halibuts, if I do say so myself.” (02:26)
- Crazy Quilt wallows in shame for staining the family name, evoking both sympathy and frustration.
B. Tensions and Forgiveness (02:29–04:03)
- Jimmy scolds Crazy Quilt for his misdeeds.
- Judy offers a note of sympathy, while Cinnamon Bear warns against trusting "weepy, weepy stuff."
- Crazy Quilt pleads for redemption, offering to help recover the Silver Star.
- Crazy Quilt: “I really have a good heart, you know. It’s made out of bread yarn, and it’s big and true as true can be.” (03:49)
- Ultimately, Cinnamon Bear and Jimmy declare they cannot trust Crazy Quilt.
C. Attack of the Inkaboos (04:10–05:37)
- A commotion signals the arrival of the Inkaboos: comical, flat, blotting-paper dolls wielding pen spears (04:12–04:20).
- Panic ensues; Crazy Quilt flees by jumping back into the ocean. The Inkaboos arrest Judy, Jimmy, and Cinnamon Bear for unknown reasons.
- Observations on the strange land: a cardboard village, Easter grass lawns, and houses that wobble in the breeze.
- Jimmy: “Those Inkaboos are as flat as can be. They look like paper dolls—sure, paper dolls made out of blotting paper with faces drawn on them. Aren’t they funny?” (04:28)
D. The Ridiculous Law and Their Arrest (05:55–07:02)
- The group is reprimanded for calling an Inkaboo "Mr. Blotter," which is a grave insult (06:21–06:37).
- They learn they are to be judged by King Blotto III for standing on an Inkaboo boundary with their shoes on—a violation they were unaware of.
E. Audience with King Blotto III (07:27–09:50)
- The trio is brought before King Blotto III, a blustering figure perched atop an empty ink bottle.
- Ceremony and absurdity ensue:
- Cinnamon Bear can’t bow—his head only moves sideways. He offers to turn it backward. (07:34–07:53)
- The crime is revealed: violating ordinance number 23 Skidoo for standing on the boundary line with shoes on.
- King Blotto arbitrarily adds a new law, declaring those without shoes are “doubly guilty.” (09:37–09:45)
F. The Magical Inscription Challenge (10:08–11:55)
- King Blotto offers a way out: decipher the magical, indecipherable inscription on his chest, which has kept him king.
- King Blotto: “If you prisoners can tell us what it says, we’ll allow you to leave unharmed.” (10:41)
- Cinnamon Bear uses Jimmy’s pocket mirror as a “magic eye” and deciphers the inscription, discovering it is only a shopping list.
- Cinnamon Bear: "One pound hamburger, half a pound of Limburger cheese, five cents worth of onions." (12:01)
G. The King’s Wrath and Cliffhanger (12:13–12:52)
- The Inkaboos are insulted when the secret inscription is actually just the makings of a Dutch lunch.
- King Blotto orders the group thrown “into the immense ink.”
- King Blotto: “Your insults and laughter at our royal expense shall cost you dearly.” (12:23)
- Closes with the threat of doom and a narrator’s teasing, suspenseful sign-off.
3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Cinnamon Bear’s wordplay and expressions lend humor throughout:
“This is a pretty kettle of halibuts, if I do say so myself.” (02:26)
- Crazy Quilt’s melodrama and comical remorse:
“For 10 centuries, maybe 11, the crazy quilt dragons have flourished with merry a blot on their scutcheon.” (03:05)
- Judy’s empathy and Jimmy’s skepticism balance the group dynamic.
- Surreal descriptions of the Inkaboo realm—cardboard towns, Easter grass lawns, and comically literal law enforcement—build imaginative charm.
- King Blotto’s bureaucratic nonsense, including on-the-spot lawmaking and obsession over shoes, brings satirical absurdity to the episode.
“Ignorance of the law is 9/10 of a something.” (09:31) “People who don’t have shoes to take off when they stand on an inkaboo boundary line are guilty of double treason and arsenic.” (10:03)
- The big reveal of the “magical” inscription as a mere shopping list is the episode’s comic peak.
4. Timestamps – Key Segments
- 01:53 – Recap and aftermath of Silver Star’s loss
- 02:29 – Arguments and reluctant forgiveness for Crazy Quilt
- 04:10 – Arrival of the Inkaboos
- 05:55 – Offended Inkaboos, arrest, and journey into their town
- 07:27 – Presentation to King Blotto III
- 09:08 – Official charge for standing on the boundary line
- 10:41 – King Blotto’s challenge: decipher the chest inscription
- 12:01 – Reveal of the shopping list inscription
- 12:23 – King Blotto orders the group thrown into the immense ink
- 12:52 – Cliffhanger as fate hangs in the balance
5. Tone and Style
The episode maintains a playful, pun-filled, and silly tone, blending classic children’s storytelling with droll adult humor. The characters alternate between mock-serious proclamations, witty banter, and surreal logic reminiscent of “Alice in Wonderland.”
Summary for New Listeners:
This episode is a whimsical, lightly satirical romp through a magical paper land, featuring oddball logic, clever reversals, and slapstick peril. The tale ends on a classic cliffhanger, leaving Judy, Jimmy, and the Cinnamon Bear in dire straits—just as listeners of the Golden Age of Radio liked it.
End of summary.