Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Cinnamon Bear 37-12-14 16 "Oliver Ostrich"
Air Date: December 18, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of Harold's Old Time Radio features another whimsical chapter in the beloved children's radio serial, "The Cinnamon Bear." Today, Judy, Jimmy, the Cinnamon Bear, and the Crazy Quilt Dragon continue their fantastical quest to repair their broken silver star, encountering the book-eating Snapper Snake and the eccentric Oliver Ostrich as they follow cryptic magical instructions through the Wishing Woods. The story is marked by playful banter, clever wordplay, and a palpable sense of adventure—recapturing the lively innocence of radio’s golden era.

Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. Recap and the Problem with the Lost Instructions (02:11-03:45)

• Narrator sets the scene: The group is in the Wishing Woods, having lost the magical instructions needed to fix their Silver Star when Snapper Snake (the crooning crocodile) eats them.
• Judy and Jimmy are distraught, fearing there’s no way to retrieve Queen Melissa's valuable instructions now locked inside the crocodile.
• Cinnamon Bear: "A pretty kettle of kipper snacks. This is a pretty kettle." (02:51)
• Snapper Snake tries to soothe them, despite his mischief.

2. Snapper Snake's Unusual Solution (03:45-06:38)

• Snapper Snake reveals he 'reads' by swallowing written material, digesting it, and thus absorbing its content.
  • "You see, I can't read a thing with my eyes. Not a word...when I want to know something, the only thing I can do is swallow it, wait till it's digested, and then I know what it says." (04:53 - Snapper Snake)
• He humorously recalls "digesting" mystery stories from the library but laments being banned for not returning (digesting) the books.
• This wordplay draws laughter and wisecracks from the group; Snapper Snake then attempts to recall and "read" the instructions.

3. Snapper Snake Reads the Instructions (06:00-07:21)

• After some confusion with details from a short story he also ate that morning, Snapper Snake successfully retrieves the actual magical message:
  • "The wishing well is where to go to find out what you want to know." (07:09 - Snapper Snake)
• The group is frustrated the instructions are so vague—they now need to find the wishing well for further help.

4. Preparing to Seek the Wishing Well (07:21-08:03)

• Crazy Quilt Dragon remembers Queen Melissa said extra magic would be required to fix the star, so this lead to the wishing well is their next step.
• Snapper Snake admits he rarely leaves his bathtub, but gestures towards the general direction of the wishing well as the party departs, offering one last humorous plug for his singing talents.

5. Encounter with Oliver the Ostrich (09:09-11:22)

• The group follows an odd ticking sound to discover Oliver the Ostrich, a quirky character with his head buried in the ground, who proves to be both whimsical and poetic.
• Oliver’s Song: Delivers a comedic ode to "scrambled alarm clocks and bacon," showcasing the whimsical, surreal humor of the series.
  • "There's nothing so yummy or so good for the tummy as scrambled alarm clocks and bacon..." (10:20 - Oliver the Ostrich)
• The party worries the ostrich might try to eat their precious star, but Oliver reassures them on his "delicate" tastes and diet.

6. Locating the Wishing Well (11:22-13:15)

• Oliver the Ostrich, between talks of breakfasts, points the group to what appears to be a mere tree stump—but is in fact the wishing well.
  • "That may be, young man, but it's the wishing well. For all of that, I can't..." (11:55 - Oliver the Ostrich)
• The group investigates: the Crazy Quilt Dragon helps Cinnamon Bear peer inside; the well appears very dark and deep. In a classic radio serial cliffhanger, the Cinnamon Bear falls in unexpectedly:
  • "Well, well, I'm not making a pun. I hope you understand." (12:45 - Cinnamon Bear, just before his fall)
  • "Oh my goodness...he's fallen into the wishing well!" (13:17 - Judy & Jimmy)

7. Cliffhanger Ending (13:23-End)

• The Narrator closes with suspense, leaving listeners wondering how Cinnamon Bear will escape from the dark wishing well and what will happen next.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Snapper Snake's Literary Appetite:

  "Well, I couldn't return them, you see. Most annoying, too. Why, I haven't read any good books in ages. Have to content myself with old newspapers and magazines."
  (05:30 - Snapper Snake)

• Oliver the Ostrich's Signature Song:

  "There's nothing so yummy or so good for the tummy as scrambled alarm clocks and bacon..."
  (10:20 - Oliver the Ostrich)

• Comic Timing:

  "Well, well, I'm not making a pun. I hope you understand."
  (12:45 - Cinnamon Bear)

• Cliffhanger:

  "He's fallen into the wishing well!"
  (13:17 - Jimmy)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Recap of prior events: (02:11)
• Snapper Snake's 'reading' method explained: (04:53)
• The actual reading of Queen Melissa's instructions: (07:09)
• Farewell to Snapper Snake: (07:59)
• Meeting Oliver the Ostrich and the Alarm Clock Song: (09:14-10:55)
• Identifying the wishing well: (11:52)
• Cinnamon Bear's fall: (13:15-13:17)
• Narrator’s closing cliffhanger: (13:23)

Episode Tone & Style

The tone is lively, witty, and full of wordplay, as characters joke, quip, and support each other through mishaps. The humor is gentle, often absurd, and deeply imaginative—perfect for children and nostalgia lovers alike.

Conclusion

This episode delivers a classic mix of gentle adventure, memorable characters, musical interlude, and serial suspense, capturing the charm and creativity of mid-20th-century children's radio. The story leaves off on a classic cliffhanger, ensuring listeners will return to discover how Cinnamon Bear fares at the bottom of the wishing well.