Throwback: The Big Scary Cave

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Throwback: The Big Scary Cave"

Stories Podcast: A Bedtime Show for Kids of All Ages
Host: Amanda Weldon
Date: September 2, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features a classic tale from the Stories Podcast archives, "The Big Scary Cave," adapted from a traditional African folktale. The story, written by Daniel Hines and performed by Kelsey Lee, centers on a little rabbit who discovers a mysterious and fearsome-sounding intruder has taken over her home. Through courage, friendship, and a clever frog, the tale unfolds with humor and a message about confronting our fears, no matter how big they seem.

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Key Discussion Points and Story Highlights

1. Setting the Scene (02:38–03:44)

• The story opens on a beautiful sunny day, with the little rabbit excited to gather food for dinner.
• On returning to her cave, she finds strange tracks and hears a booming voice exaggerating its own fierceness.

Notable Quote:

"It is I, the many legged legend, the jungle juggernaut, the biggest and the meanest foe you ever fought. I can rip a rhino, elephants I eat. Roar or squeal, you'll be a meal or maybe just a treat." — Mysterious Voice (03:44)

2. Seeking Help from Friends (03:59–06:29)

• First Friend: Hyena
  The rabbit seeks out her friend the hyena, who brags about his own strength but is quickly intimidated by the cave’s voice and flees.
• Second Friend: Leopard
  The determined rabbit then turns to the leopard, who confidently offers to help. The cave’s booming voice scares him off as well, leaving the rabbit alone and afraid for the night.

Notable Quotes:

"A mighty beast to you is but a snack to me." — Hyena (04:27)
"It is I, the six. I having hazard, the terror of the turf. The biggest and the meanest who ever walked the earth... Roar or squeal, you'll be a meal. Or maybe just a treat." — Mysterious Voice (05:00)
"It is I, the hairy headed horror. The gooey, gruesome green. The biggest and the meanest that you've ever seen. I'll inhale a hippo. Ibixes I eat." — Mysterious Voice (06:15)

3. The Worst Night and New Hope (06:29–07:52)

• The rabbit spends a cold, hungry night outdoors, feeling hopeless after being driven out of her home.
• The next morning, frog appears, surprised by the rabbit’s rough state and listens to her troubles.

Notable Quote:

"A monster stole my cave and now I have nowhere to live." — Little Rabbit (07:17)

4. The Clever Solution: Frog’s Plan (07:52–08:44)

• Frog, undaunted by the rabbit’s description of the “monster,” insists on seeing for himself.
• At the cave, the voice repeats its scary claims, but Frog does not back down. Instead, he challenges the beast — and suddenly a much smaller, apologetic voice is heard.

Notable Quotes:

"Well, those sure are a lot of big claims. But I guess I need to come see you for myself. And I should warn you, as hungry as you sound, I'm even hungrier." — Frog (08:25)

5. The Surprise Reveal and Moral (08:44–09:32)

• A tiny caterpillar emerges from the cave, admitting it only wanted a nice place to live.
• Frog imparts a gentle lesson: that loud voices and scary words are often a cover for someone small and scared themselves. The story ends with the friends laughing together over dinner, having learned not to be intimidated by empty threats.

Notable Quotes:

"A big voice and a bad attitude is nothing to be afraid of. It's nearly always just cover for someone real little hiding behind all that bluster." — Frog (09:12)

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Memorable Moments & Lessons

• Theme: The central message is to not let fear of the unknown or "big talk" prevent you from solving your problems; sometimes our anxieties are unfounded.
• Humor: The bravado of the cave intruder and the animals’ escalating but futile attempts at bravery add gentle comic relief, ideal for children and families.
• Resolution: The revealing of the caterpillar is light-hearted, leading to laughter and togetherness.

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Time-stamped Important Segments

• 02:38 — Start of story: The little rabbit discovers her home has been taken over.
• 03:44 — First encounter with the mysterious voice.
• 04:51 — Hyena’s attempt to reclaim the cave.
• 06:00 — Leopard's confrontation.
• 07:40 — Rabbit spends the night outside her cave, enters despair.
• 08:07 — Frog confronts the voice and challenges the intruder.
• 08:30 — The revelation: the cave’s “monster” is a caterpillar.
• 09:12 — Frog explains the real lesson about fear and bravado.
• 09:32 — Story concludes with a happy gathering.

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Overall Tone and Style

• Tone: Warm, gentle, and reassuring, with moments of suspense balanced by humor and friendship.
• Language: Simple, vivid, and imaginative, engaging for children but also enjoyable for adults listening along.
• Speaker Attribution: Amanda Weldon as host and narrator, Kelsey Lee performing voices and songs.

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Conclusion

This throwback episode, "The Big Scary Cave," pulls from the rich tradition of folktales to address children’s common anxieties in a gentle, entertaining manner. With playful voices and a clever twist, the story reminds listeners that sometimes our fears are just small things with big voices. The message of courage, friendship, and not judging by appearances resonates for all ages, making this episode a delightful and meaningful addition to any family’s listening.

Transcript

[Amanda Weldon]

Hello. Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is a throwback episode. Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around. We have Stories Podcast merch, [e-mail] shop. We're also on cameo for all of your personalized video message needs. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram oriespodcast. If you send us a drawing of your favorite scene or character, we'll share it on our feed. Now, here's a word from our sponsors. IXL adapts to your child's level and gives them the right challenge at the right time. Whether your child is reviewing third grade math or jumping into sixth grade reading, IXL meets them where they are and lets them move at their own pace. And it keeps kids motivated between the awards, challenges and little moments of celebration, IXL makes it easy to keep learning light and engaging. Over 15 million students use IXL and more than 75 research studies show it actually works. That's real peace of mind for homeschool parents make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now and Stories podcast listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com dragon Visit ixl.com dragon to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price. Parents I think we've all had those times when everyone in the family is off on their own personal devices. Wouldn't it be great if you could find an activity that everyone will agree on, Something that's both active and fun at the same time? Imagine that our family has found an amazing new solution called Next Playground. It's an active game system for families where your body powers the play. It's 100% motion driven gaming. No controllers or wearables needed. Just play naturally and the games are so great and immersive. Go flying in the world of how to train your dragon. Dance with Barbie, pop bubbles in Gabby's dollhouse, or master some moves with Kung Fu Panda right from your living room. Even better. Next Playground is kids safe with no ads in app purchases or mature content, Next Playground is your feel good solution to those long summer days. Want to learn more? Visit nextplayground.com that's n-e xplayground.com to explore active family gaming today. Thanks. Enjoy the episode.

[Narrator]

The Big Scary Cave Once upon a time on a bright sunny day, a friendly little rabbit poked her little rabbit head out of the big cave. That home the sun was warm against her whiskers and the grass was soft against her paws. The wind smelled like carrot greens and basil and coriander and all her favorite snacks. Her little pink nose twitched in the air. What a beautiful, perfect, lovely day, the little rabbit said. I think I'll go gather some food for a big dinner tonight. She scampered off into the woods, bouncing from fluffy paw to fluffy paw, her tail wiggling and waggling as she went. She spent the day collecting foods, and she returned to her cave late in the afternoon. She bounced up to the entrance, but stopped short. There were little marks in the dirt leading right up to her door. They were strange, certainly not anything like her own fluffy paw prints. Hello. She called into the darkness of the cave. It's the little rabbit who lives here. Who's in my house? She waited a moment and was about to step inside when a great voice came booming back.

[Various Characters]

It is I, the many legged legend, the jungle juggernaut, the biggest and the meanest foe you ever fought. I can rip a rhino, elephants I eat. Roar or squeal, you'll be a meal or maybe just a treat.

[Narrator]

Hearing that fearsome song, the little rabbit let out a yelp and ran away. As fast as she could, she bolted through the forest, jumping over vines and leaping over logs. On and on she ran until her breath was gone and she could barely continue. She knew she couldn't abandon her home, though, so she went to find her friends instead. After searching for a while, she found the hyena gnawing on an old bone. Hyena, A mighty beast has taken over my cave. Will you please help me? A mighty beast to you is but a snack to me, said the hyena. Let's go get your home back. The little rabbit and the hyena marched right up to the cave, and the hyena called into the darkness, you in there. It's the hyena. You better get out of my friend's house. Who are you anyway? They waited a moment, and then the great voice came booming back.

[Various Characters]

It is I, the six. I having hazard, the terror of the turf. The biggest and the meanest who ever walked the earth, howl and zip. A zebra antelopes I eat. Roar or squeal, you'll be amaz meal. Or maybe just a treat.

[Narrator]

Hearing the fearsome voice echoing out of the cave, the hyena took a step back. Well, maybe we need to get someone bigger than me after all. I. I gotta go. See ya. With that, the hyena spun away and ran off into the Forest, letting out whimpers of fear with every step. The little rabbit ran away too, tearing through the forest until she was out of sight of the cave and finally felt a little safer. I need someone even tougher, she said to herself. Someone that everyone's afraid of. She thought and thought, and finally she knew just the friend she needed. After a bit of searching, she found the leopard. He was a hulking cat, sleek, with gleaming white fangs. Leopard. A great beast has stolen my cave. He won't come out and give me back my home. Will you please help? The leopard agreed, and together they walked through the forest, back to the little rabbit's home.

[Various Characters]

Hello. Hello in there.

[Narrator]

The leopard called into the cave. The leopard has come and it's time to end these games. The little rabbit is loved by us all. Who are you to take over her house? They waited a moment, and then the great voice came booming back.

[Various Characters]

It is I, the hairy headed horror. The gooey, gruesome green. The biggest and the meanest that you've ever seen. I'll inhale a hippo. Ibixes I eat. Roar or squeal, you'll be a meal. Or maybe just a treat.

[Narrator]

The leopard didn't even wait to reply. He turned and sprinted back into the forest, as scared as he'd ever been. The little rabbit was right on his heels, running through the woods and leaping over logs and just getting as much distance as she could between her and the great big scary cave. That night she slept under a dirty old branch, shivering in the cold. She had left all of the carrot greens and basil and coriander she had gathered by her cave. So she was hungry too. All in all, it was the worst night the little rabbit had ever experienced. And the next morning found her sitting miserably, long teeth chattering and fur all sticky with mats. Ho there, friend. Looks like you've had quite a night. The little rabbit looked up. It was her friend, the frog. You have no idea. A monster stole my cave and now I have nowhere to live. A monster? A great big monster who eats rhinos and elephants and all kinds of things. Sounds terrifying. What did it look like? Well, I haven't actually seen it. I just heard it roaring. Hmm, said the frog. Well, maybe I can help. Let's go take a look. You? I'm sorry, but the hyena couldn't do it and neither could the leopard. You're not even as big as me. What makes you think you can get the monster out of my cave? Let's go take a look. The frog hopped off towards the cave, and the little rabbit had no choice but to hop on after him. When they arrived, the frog kept hopping right up to the entrance. Hello in there. This is my friend the little rabbit's house. Do you mind telling me who you are to take it over? They waited a moment, and then the great voice came booming back.

[Various Characters]

It is I, the wonder of the wild, the nargle of the night, the biggest and the meanest. Who ever won a fight? I'll inhale a hippo. Alligators I eat. Roar or squeal, you'll be a meal or maybe just a treat.

[Narrator]

When the roaring voice was finished, the frog just smiled wide. Well, those sure are a lot of big claims. But I guess I need to come see you for myself. And I should warn you, as hungry as you sound, I'm even hungrier. The little rabbit looked at the frog with wide eyes, thinking he was crazy for challenging such a fearsome beast. But a second later, a much smaller voice called out from inside the cave. Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It just seemed like a nice place to live. The little rabbit turned and watched in amazement as a caterpillar inched his way out of the cave. What? A caterpillar? The little rabbit turned to the frog. How did you know? The frog smiled and watched the caterpillar inch its way back into the forest. A big voice and a bad attitude is nothing to be afraid of. It's nearly always just cover for someone real little hiding behind all that bluster. The little rabbit shook her head, embarrassed she'd been so afraid without even knowing what she was afraid of. She invited the frog and the hyena and the leopard over to her cave and they all had that big dinner she'd been planning, laughing at themselves for being so scared about something so little.

[Amanda Weldon]

The End Today's story, the Big Scary Cave, was an adaptation of a traditional African folktale written by Daniel Hines. Perform for your by Kelsey Lee with a song written by them both. If you would like to support Stories podcast, you can leave us a five star review on iTunes. Check out all of our merch [e-mail] Shop Commission a special video on Cameo. Follow us on Instagram oriespodcast or simply tell your friends about us. Thanks for listening.