Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Cinnamon Bear 37-12-17 19 Wooden Indian
Host: Harolds Old Time Radio
Air Date: December 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Harold's Old Time Radio" features an installment from the beloved Golden Age children’s serial The Cinnamon Bear. In "Wooden Indian," Judy, Jimmy, and their magical companions continue their whimsical and perilous journey through Maybeland in search of clues to repair the broken Silver Star before Christmas. The episode brims with fanciful adventure, dry wit, and a classic radio sense of suspense, highlighted by a memorable encounter with the titular Wooden Indian and a showdown with the returning Wintergreen Witch.

Key Discussion Points & Story Segments

1. Recap and Setup

• Narrator Recap (02:13):
  The gang has just been rescued from the mud by the Cuckelburg Cowboys, and thanks to a magical note from Queen Melissa (summoned by Slim Pickens using Judy’s looking glass), they now seek a clue under the Singing Tree in the mysterious Golden Grove.

  "You remember how the Cuckelburg Cowboys... rescued the twins Cinnamon Bear and the Crazy Quilt Dragon from the awful river of mud?... Slim Pickens showed them a most magical trick..." (02:13)

2. Chased by "Indians"—Into the Cactus Forest

• The Gang in Peril (03:07):
  Judy, Jimmy, and Crazy Quilt Dragon flee from unseen “Indians” across the purple plain, only to be stymied by a prickly forest of cactus. There’s escalating worry and comic exclamations about being chased.

  Judy: "We just gotta get away from them. I'm going as fast as I can, Jimmy." (03:07)

• Facing Their Fears (04:02):
  Crazy Quilt advises they face their pursuer bravely, only to discover it’s just a single wooden Indian.

  Crazy Quilt Dragon: "Let us turn and face them as boldly as possible... put up a united front." (03:53)

3. Meeting the Wooden Indian

• Comedic Introduction (04:09):
  The group meets Chief Wooden Indian, whose humorous dialogue plays on old clichés while poking fun at his own condition—having left “college” for a job as a cigar store Indian, but disliking the gig.

  • "Me speak em plenty good English. Me go college, play em football. Speak em swell English. Yeah, man." (04:31) — Chief Wooden Indian

• Silly Negotiations (05:19):
  Chief Wooden Indian chases them only to barter for Crazy Quilt Dragon’s vibrant “overcoat” for his own use. The dragon refuses, but Judy attempts to trade a magic lunch box instead, which is declined on account of Chief’s wooden appetite.

  Chief Wooden Indian: "Me wooden Indian no eat." (06:16)

• Resolution via Looking Glass (06:30):
  Drawing on past encounters, Judy offers her magical looking glass as a trade, satisfying the Chief and averting Crazy Quilt's de-coating.

  Crazy Quilt Dragon: "Yes, my naughty native, That's a fair trade." (06:59)

4. Arrival at the Golden Grove

• A Golden Wonderland (08:11):
  After a piggyback ride on Crazy Quilt Dragon and some distress over the journey, the group discovers the Golden Grove—a stunning landscape of identical golden trees stretching endlessly.

  Judy: "Boy, this is sure something. It's this Golden Grove or I'm a cinnamon so and so." (08:14)

5. Confrontation with the Wintergreen Witch

• Losing Their Edge (09:07):
  When they spot the witch, Judy realizes she no longer has the looking glass—their best defense—which was just traded to the Indian.

  Judy: "Oh, Jimmy, I can't... I just gave it to the Indian." (09:23)

• The Witch's Revenge (09:29):
  Wintergreen Witch, ousted from her magical realm by Queen Melissa (due to their snitching), is back for revenge. She blames the group for her troubles and takes their broken Silver Star, vowing to make multiple ones and make life miserable for Melissa.

  Wintergreen Witch: "Melissa just this minute pronounced judgment on me and magico'd me off the island. Ah, but I'll fool her. I'm a better magic maker than she is anyway. You'll see." (10:46)

  • Tense Exchange:
    The Witch grows irritable when called "good woman":

    Crazy Quilt Dragon: "None of us has any intention of interfering with you, my good woman." (11:00)
    Wintergreen Witch: "Don't call me a good woman... I'm wicked, I am. I'm Wintergreen the witch." (12:06)

• A Dire Threat (12:12):
  The Witch threatens to turn them into bullfrogs, leaving the episode at a dramatic cliffhanger.

  Wintergreen Witch: "I'm going to change you all into... into bullfrog." (12:49)

6. Narrator Cliffhanger (13:12):

• The narrator sets up tension and anticipation for the next episode, wondering how the friends could possibly escape the witch’s magic.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Wildly Comic Indian Introduction:

  • Chief Wooden Indian: "Me chief cooking bottle washer." (04:42)

• Relief and Friendship:

  • Crazy Quilt Dragon: "I'm very grateful to you, Judy, for saving my hide." (07:14)
  • Judy: "Oh, that's all right, dear, Crazy Quilt." (07:19)

• Witch’s Wickedness:

  • Wintergreen Witch: "Don't call me good. I'm wicked, I am!" (12:06)

• Narrator’s Closing Thoughts:

  • Narrator: "That wicked wintergreen witch is back again. I thought we'd seen the last of her. But that's the way it is with witches. They pop up when you least expect them." (13:12)

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------| | 02:13 | Recap of previous episode, new clue revealed via magic | | 03:07 | Friends flee “Indians” across the purple plain | | 04:09 | Encounter with the Wooden Indian | | 05:19 | Wooden Indian demands Crazy Quilt’s “overcoat” | | 06:30 | Judy offers her looking glass as a trade | | 08:11 | Arrival at the dazzling Golden Grove | | 09:07 | Realization: the looking glass is gone | | 09:29 | The Wintergreen Witch returns for revenge | | 10:46 | Witch details her banishment and her anger | | 12:49 | Witch threatens transformation into bullfrogs | | 13:12 | Cliffhanger narration & episode close |

Tone and Style

The narration and dialogue retain an atmosphere of playful adventure, old-fashioned radio whimsy, and gentle sarcasm. The humor often relies on double meanings, puns, and the brave yet bumbling confidence of the young heroes and their magical friends—perfectly in keeping with the established tone of The Cinnamon Bear.

For fans of classic radio or this cherished serial, this episode masterfully mixes suspense, humor, and the rich imagination that make the Golden Age of Radio so enduringly magical.