Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio – "Cinnamon Bear 37-12-03 07 Presto, the Magician"

Date: December 9, 2025
Podcast: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Episode: Cinnamon Bear 37-12-03 07 Presto, the Magician

Episode Overview

This episode of "Harold's Old Time Radio" continues the whimsical adventures of Judy, Jimmy, and their fantastical friends—the Cinnamon Bear and the Crazy Quilt Dragon. Still on the quest to recover their missing Silver Star for the Christmas tree, the group encounters the delightfully inept Presto, the Magician. Through magical mishaps, playful banter, and new perils, the children learn about persistence and the unpredictable consequences of magic.

Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. Recap and Stakes (02:11–02:40)

• The group’s troubles escalate as the Silver Star, vital for topping Judy and Jimmy’s Christmas tree, keeps slipping from their reach. After being snatched by Penelope the Pelican, the group must continue their pursuit.
• Memorable quote:
  • Narrator: “As Cinnamon Bear would say, this is a pretty kettle of halibut's.” (02:39)

2. Debate on Next Steps & Hungry Travellers (02:40–04:08)

• Judy and Jimmy, upset and hungry, contemplate crossing the Root Beer Ocean but are advised against it by Cinnamon Bear and Crazy Quilt.
• Crazy Quilt injects humor, craving “a few dozen lollipops,” while Cinnamon Bear yearns for cinnamon buns to stay "extra special ferocious."
• Memorable moment:
  • Crazy Quilt: "I was just thinking maybe we could find us a root beer float." (03:07)

3. Arrival on Shore and Meeting Presto (04:08–05:28)

• The group lands on shore, deliberately avoiding the threatening Inca Boos.
• They encounter a peculiar man—Presto, the Magician—distinguished by his sleeveless coat, oversized hat, and an entourage of rabbits.
• Memorable quote:
  • Judy notes Presto’s odd appearance: "He hasn't got any sleeves in his coat... and that hat... it completely covers his face!" (05:06)

4. Presto, the Hapless Magician (05:28–07:24)

• Crazy Quilt reveals Presto’s backstory as a “bad magician” who studies magic by correspondence (mail).
• Presto explains the unintended result of his magic lessons—he can conjure rabbits but cannot make them disappear due to a lost lesson in the mail.
• Memorable exchange:
  • Presto: "No, that was the rabbit. Unfortunately, I produced him... doing my homework on magic lesson number four. I take magic lessons by mail. Very good, too." (06:35)
  • Cinnamon Bear (mocking): "Seems to me you're talking through your hat." (07:16)

5. Requests for Magical Help (07:24–09:09)

• The group asks Presto for food; his attempt results in conjuring a real pig and chicken, not ham and eggs!
• When asked about finding lost things, Presto eagerly enters a "quick trance" and correctly determines the Star is with Penelope the Pelican, flying over water.
• Notable quote:
  • Jimmy: "Well, what I want to know is, why don't you have any sleeves in your coat?"
  • Presto: "Simple, my child, simple. If I don't have any sleeves, folks will know I have nothing up them." (07:53)

6. Presto’s Attempts at Summoning (09:09–10:57)

• Presto tries to magically summon Penelope. His first tries yield a halibut and then a penguin ("raspberries to all of you, goodbye!") before finally producing a disgruntled Penelope.
• Penelope, annoyed at being magically snatched, reveals she dropped the Silver Star over the Island of Obi after being startled.
• Notable exchange:
  • Penelope: "You'll answer for this. I'll write a letter. That's what I'll do. You'll hear from me." (10:27)
  • Penelope: "Your cheap Bodeville magic jerked me so violently I thought I'd lose my back feathers." (10:45)

7. Setback and Comic Transformation (11:17–11:56)

• The group laments their worsening predicament since the Silver Star is now even more lost.
• Presto, overwhelmed by embarrassment ("I am abject. I am prostrate. I feel like a snake in the grass."), transforms literally into a snake and wriggles away, leaving the group to recover from the chaos.

8. A Pirate Cliffhanger (12:06–13:05)

• Determined, the friends set off to search for food and a means to reach the Island of Obi.
• They stumble upon a mysterious pirate chest inscribed "Private property of Captain Taffy. Hands off."
• Pirates suddenly appear, encircling the group and ending the episode on a classic Golden Age radio cliffhanger.
• Narrator’s tease:
  • “Pirates? That’s bad. Yes, indeed. From all I’ve read and heard about pirates, they’re not especially good people to meet up with... next time we’ll find out just what’s in store…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Crazy Quilt’s Humor: "I was just thinking maybe we could find us a root beer float.” (03:07)
• Presto on Magic: "Lesson number five on how to make white rabbits disappear with nothing up your sleeve was lost in the mail." (06:54)
• Presto’s Flourish: "Only too happy to accommodate you, young man. Only too happy to accommodate you." (07:46)
• Presto’s Error: "I don't think I could eat a real live pig and a chicken." (08:52, Jimmy)
• Penelope’s Complaint: "I'll write a letter. ... You'll hear from me." (10:27)
• Presto’s Transformation: “I am abject. I am prostrate. I feel like a snake in the grass.” (11:37), then turns into a snake.

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Event | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 02:11 | Recap of Silver Star misadventures | | 03:35 | Food cravings & group’s weary mood | | 05:01 | First sighting of Presto, the Magician | | 06:35 | Presto’s rabbit mishap & magic lessons revealed | | 07:53 | Reason for sleeveless coat explained | | 08:36 | Presto’s failed attempt at food magic | | 09:11 | Presto’s séance: “quick trance” for Silver Star | | 09:40 | Summoning gone awry: halibut, penguin, finally pelican| | 10:27 | Penelope returns, Silver Star lost over Obi | | 11:37 | Presto’s embarrassment, transformation to snake | | 12:21 | Discovery of pirate chest | | 12:42 | Pirates surround the group—cliffhanger |

Conclusion

This episode artfully blends fantasy, gentle parody, and rapid-fire humor characteristic of Golden Age radio. While the children and their companions are stymied by bad luck and bad magic, the tone remains lighthearted and clever, promising more imaginative tribulations and adventure in the next installment.