Cinnamon Bear 37-12-17 19 Wooden Indian

Summary

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

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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 |

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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.

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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.

Transcript

[Martha Stewart]

I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts are not only beautiful, but useful every single day. And Lenox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations. And their Lenox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. Spice Village transforms everyday spices into inspired memories filled with warmth and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the [e-mail] SpiceVillage.

[Judy]

And here's the Cinnamon Bear. Sam. Ram. Sam.

[Narrator]

Now we'd better hurry and see about Judy and Jimmy. You remember how the Cuckelburg Cowboys headed by Slim Pickens rescued the twins Cinnamon Bear and the Crazy Quilt Dragon from the awful river of mud? But mud was the least of their troubles. They had no more instructions for getting their Silver Star back together again. That is, not until Slim Pickens showed them a most magical trick. Taking Judy's little looking glass, he placed it inside his 10 gallon hat and Magico Queen Melissa appeared just like that and wrote them a note which said, underneath the Singing Tree, another clue you're sure to see. They learned that the Singing Tree was somewhere in the golden grove. And off they trooped across the purple plain until. Indians. Yes siree. And right now our friends are running as fast as they can. They don't dare look back. Goodness knows how many are chasing them, but I must say they're certainly hooping it up faster.

[Judy]

We just gotta get away from them. I'm going as fast as I can, Jimmy. So am I. I. I feel like I'm getting a stitch in my stuffing.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Hang on to me, my friends. We must out distance these Aborigines.

[Judy]

Gee willikers. Look ahead. Cactus. A regular forest of it. Let's run around it. Hurry.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

It's no use. It stretches as far as I can see.

[Judy]

We just gotta try to get through. We just got to. They're right behind us. Oh, my poor Cinnamon hide.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Oh, why, they've stopped. Probably proceeding to surround us and subject us to their power.

[Judy]

Suppose we just don't pay any attention to them.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Just be.

[Judy]

Be nonchalant. I'm scared to turn around and look at them. Gee, I guess they're waiting to spring on us.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

I've heard that Indians admire courage. Let us turn and face them as boldly as possible. As I always say, put up a united front.

[Judy]

Right, Crazy Quilt. Come on, everybody. When I count three, we'll all turn around together. One, two. Three.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Oh.

[Judy]

Oh my goodness. Why, it's only one Indian. Bless my stuffing. So it is.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

How our fears magnified the number.

[Judy]

Look, he's all made out of wood.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

How.

[Judy]

How do you do?

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

How you said that before. Can't you be less monotonous?

[Judy]

We better ask him who he is. Maybe he doesn't speak English.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Me speak em plenty good English. Me go college, play em football. Speak em swell English. Yeah, man.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

What is your name? My lone aborigine.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Me chief cooking bottle washer.

[Judy]

Bless my stuffing. What an extraordinary name.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

When me leave college, catch em job in cigar store.

[Judy]

What did you do? Didn't you ever hear of a cigar store Indian?

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Oh, me no like cigar store. Get tired. People scratching matches on face. Get tired standing up all day, lay down on job, get fired.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Well, my vanishing American. Why did you chase us clear across the purple plain with your hideous war hoops?

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Me like beautiful overcoat.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Overcoat? What do you mean, your overcoat?

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Blue, green, red. What me love Indian princess. Many happy returns. Catch em, Colt. Go see many happy returns. Knock em cold.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Well, I. I am sensible of your admiration for my lovely colors, my petrified Hiawatha. But this is not an overcoat that I wear. It is my own hide.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Mm want em just same. Make trade. You give em coat. Me give you head start.

[Judy]

Bless my stuffing.

[Wintergreen Witch]

That's hardly a trade, friend Indian.

[Judy]

I should say not. Poor Crazy Quilt.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

I'm sorry, but I could scarcely bring myself to part with my pelt. After all, a crazy quilt dragon without his outside would be nothing.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Gotta have em no give scalp em all over. Yeah, man.

[Judy]

Oh, please, Mr. Indian, don't take Crazy Quilt's beautiful coat away from him. Wait. I'll give you this wonderful magic lunchbox instead. It has cookies and sandwiches and lemonade.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Me wooden Indian no eat.

[Judy]

Oh, dear. What will we do?

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Must have overcoat. Me where Chief Soap in the eye. No get looking with many happy returns. Give.

[Judy]

Say, Judy, remember how we got away from the Wintergreen Witch? By showing her your looking glass. Try that on. All right, Jimmy. Mr. Indian, please look at this pretty looking glass. You can see your face in it. Mm.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

I hardly blame you for saying mm. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if you said, mm.

[Judy]

Mm.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

Purdy may like sea face make trade. How much cost him?

[Judy]

Oh, nothing too much. I mean, we'll give it to you if you'll just leave the crazy cool dragon alone.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Yes, my naughty native, That's a fair trade.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

May take too many happy returns. Goodbye.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Goodbye.

[Judy]

I was scared for a minute that you'd be a skin dragon. Crazy quilt.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

As a matter of fact, so was I. I I'm very grateful to you, Judy, for saving my hide.

[Judy]

Oh, that's all right, dear, Crazy Quilt. But if you'll excuse me, I'm getting awful anxious to find the Golden Grove with a singing tree like Melissa told us to do. You bet. And Christmas is getting closer and closer, and we've just got to get the Silver Star mended before we go back home. Well, the Golden Grove is still a long way off, and we have to get around this mess of cactus first. I wish we had the airplane. Which we left at the bottom of Looking Glass Valley. Well, if we did have it, it wouldn't do us any good because it'd be too small for Crazy Quilt to get into. And anyway, it had holes in the tank where the stork poked his bill through it. And we didn't have any more soda pop to run it besides. Oh, dear, would you feel inclined toward.

[Wintergreen Witch]

A bit of piggyback, Crazy Quilt, I.

[Judy]

Think we might make better time.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Why, I'm just in the mood for piggyback. Hop on, and I'll take you on a personally conducted tour of the purple plain.

[Judy]

Hooray. Oh, my. I thought we'd never get here. Boy, this is sure something. It's this Golden Grove or I'm a cinnamon so and so.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Couldn't be anything else. Why, these trees are everyone just as gold as can be. I never saw anything like it.

[Judy]

My goodness, I touched that one and it felt just like a real honest to goodness tree. Gee, isn't it funny? They're all just about the same size and shape and everything. They're laid out like an orchard, aren't they? Stretching as far as I can see.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Even the grass and the moss are a sort of greenish gold.

[Judy]

Well, it's certainly awful pretty, but how are we going to know which one of these trees is the singing tree? They all look alike. Oh, gee. What? Grant, the Winter Green Witch. Judy, the looking glass. Quick, show her the looking glass. Oh, Jimmy, I can't.

[Wintergreen Witch]

I just gave it to the Indian.

[Judy]

Oh, willikers, I forgot. Oh, my poor stuffing.

[Wintergreen Witch]

What's that? No, no looking glass. It's very kind of you to tell me that you no longer have that dreadful looking glass with you.

[Judy]

Oh, dear.

[Wintergreen Witch]

That was the only thing that bothered me. Now, my pretties, it's Wintergreen's turn.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Oh, why do you have to disturb us? We promised to leave the island of Obi, and we did. We haven't done anything to hurt you.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Oh, you haven't, eh? Well, it happens that you've caused Me a great deal of trouble. A great deal. Too much trouble indeed.

[Judy]

What did we do?

[Wintergreen Witch]

Do? I'll tell you what you did. Didn't you go to see Melissa?

[Judy]

Sure we did.

[Wintergreen Witch]

And you had the colossal impudence to tell her about meeting me. And what does she do? Just banishes me from the island of Obi, that's all.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

I remember Melissa's remark about your practicing unlicensed magic. But surely you realize that you were breaking the law and should be punished.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Oh, indeed. And who is Melissa to make laws for? Wintergreen the witch. The that empty headed little minx? Before she became ruler of Maybeland, I was the ruler of the island of Obi. And now she takes away my magic forest. All my fine captives gone. Just turns me out of my home, that's all.

[Judy]

Oh, goody. I bid Fifo the gentle giant got out of your magic forest.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Yes, he did. And it's all due to you. 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.

[Judy]

What are you going to do? See?

[Wintergreen Witch]

I said. I'll make Melissa sorry that she ever commanded me to leave the island of Obi, never to return.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

I can't understand why Melissa let such a dangerous creature run loose in Maybeland.

[Wintergreen Witch]

I'm going to make life pretty miserable for Melissa and the people of Maybeland. And I think I'll begin with you.

[Judy]

With us, you mean. Cruel, ugly old witch. You just better not.

[Wintergreen Witch]

What can you do to stop me now? First of all, give me your silver star.

[Judy]

But it's all broken. Broken in a dozen pieces. What do you want with a broken star?

[Wintergreen Witch]

I'll make a dozen stars out of it. Hand it over.

[Judy]

I will not, you old buzzard.

[Wintergreen Witch]

I said hand it over.

[Judy]

Oh, gee willikers, here it is. Now. Please, will you let us go?

[Wintergreen Witch]

No, my pretties. You're not going to have the chance to interfere with me again. No, indeed.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Oh, come now. None of us has any intention of interfering with you, my good woman.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Don't call me a good woman.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

A good witch.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Then don't call me good. I'm wicked, I am. I'm Wintergreen the witch. And you dare to call me good.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Well, I'm sure I didn't know when.

[Wintergreen Witch]

You talk too much, crazy quilt dragon. But you won't much longer.

[Judy]

Oh dear, I'm so scared, Jimmy. Don't be scared, Judy.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Yes, maybe she's joking somehow.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

I don't just think she is.

[Judy]

Oh, dear. I wish Melissa could see this mean old witch trying to make trouble for us again.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Melissa. Melissa can't save you now.

[Judy]

I bet she could if she knew you were making magic when she told you not to.

[Wintergreen Witch]

Perhaps if she knew it. But she doesn't know it. And I'm going to make certain this time you won't do any more talking. I'm going to change you all into. Into what? I'm going to change you into bullfrog.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Bullfrog.

[Wintergreen Witch]

And you'll be able to do is croak. That's all. Croak. And the sooner you croak, my pretties, the better I like it.

[Chief Wooden Indian]

My, my.

[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. I certainly hope something happens to save our friends. But just between you and me, I can't imagine what it will be.

[Martha Stewart]

The holidays are about giving something truly special. I'm Martha Stewart and I believe the best gifts aren't just beautiful, they're useful every single day. Lennox has brought timeless beauty and lasting quality to our tables for generations. And their Lenox Spice Village is the perfect holiday gift for someone you love or for yourself. It's more than a spice rack. It's a charming collection of hand painted houses that turn ordinary spices into extraordinary experiences. Imagine cinnamon from a tiny Victorian cottage or oregano from a pastel townhouse. Suddenly, a simple meal becomes a moment to savor. Because spices can be more than ingredients. They can inspire memories, warmth and joy all year long. Give a gift that lasts beyond the holidays. Discover the [e-mail] SpiceVillage I Want a.

[Judy]

New Beginning for Family on January 9th.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

The sequel to Greenland is so massive, you have to see it on the big screen.

[Judy]

I promise I'll get to safety.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Starring Gerard Butler and Marina Becker in.

[Judy]

Oh, my God. Hang on.

[Crazy Quilt Dragon]

Greenland 2 migration.

[Judy]

Rated PG 13.