S2 E5 Lend Me Your Ear

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Arthur Podcast – S2 E5 "Lend Me Your Ear"

Original Release Date: April 13, 2023
Produced by: GBH Kids & Gen-Z Media for PBS Kids & PRX
Host: Arthur Read (with friends Brain and Buster)

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Episode Overview

In “Lend Me Your Ear,” Arthur and friends notice their teacher, Mr. Ratburn, acting strangely during summer break. Determined to discover what’s wrong, the trio embarks on a playful investigation that leads them to an important lesson about hearing loss, ear health, and why it’s important to protect your ears. The episode balances humor and heartfelt moments, offering both an entertaining mystery and an accessible science lesson about hearing.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Summer Freedom and an Odd Encounter

• Setting: Arthur and friends are enjoying fruit pops at the Sugar Bowl, relishing their vacation.

  • Quote (Arthur, 00:35): "Ah, summer. Sitting at the Sugar bowl with friends in popsicles."
  • Quote (Brain, 00:42): "You know, they're technically fruit pops, Arthur. It's just blended watermelon that's been frozen."
  • Buster and Brain joke about the lack of schoolwork and teachers.

• The Mystery Begins: The friends see Mr. Ratburn at the mall and try to greet him, but he ignores them, leading to confusion and wild theories about his behavior.

  • Quote (Arthur, 01:41): "Mr. Ratburn. It's Arthur. Mr. Ratburn. Why isn't he answering?"
  • Quote (Buster, 02:02): "Or like he was being controlled by aliens."

2. The Investigation

• Strange Clues: The group shares other stories of Mr. Ratburn acting oddly, including ignoring Brain at the library.

  • Quote (Brain, 02:06): "Strange. I had a similar experience with my Mr. Ratburn last Tuesday..."

• Theories Abound: Buster spins wild ideas about Mr. Ratburn being a secret agent or vampiric teacher. The kids joke but also worry something is really wrong.

  • Quote (Buster, 03:04): "I was gonna say that he's a secret agent posing as a vampire teacher. It's the perfect cover."

• Following Mr. Ratburn: The trio stealthily trails Mr. Ratburn home, observing more odd behavior and hearing mysterious noises.

  • Quote (Arthur, 04:39): "Podcast people. We're outside Ratburn's house. We saw him carry the smoothies into his garage."
  • Quote (Buster, 05:18): [Looking inside] "I think I see him."

3. Clues and Compassion

• Analyzing the Evidence: The kids speculate about Mr. Ratburn being sad because he misses teaching or has lost his sense of purpose now that school’s out.

  • Quote (Buster, 06:09): "Think about it. He spends the whole school year teaching. Then summer comes, and he has no one to give homework or tests to."
  • Quote (Arthur, 07:27): "He needs to teach, so we're here to learn."

• Seeking Help from Listeners: Arthur invites podcast listeners to share what makes their teachers special, highlighting the important role teachers play.

4. Confronting Mr. Ratburn – The Real Reason Revealed

• Visiting Mr. Ratburn: The friends approach Mr. Ratburn at home, ready for a lesson and concerned for his wellbeing.

  • Quote (Arthur, 07:53): "Hi, Mr. Ratburn. We're here to be taught."

• Mr. Ratburn Explains: Mr. Ratburn gently reveals that he’s been having trouble hearing because of hearing loss, not because he’s upset or avoiding the kids.

  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 08:42): "My hearing is impaired."
  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 08:51): "It means I'm not hearing as well as I once did."

• Learning About the Ear: Mr. Ratburn takes the kids (and listeners) on a vivid, imaginative journey into the anatomy of the ear, explaining how hearing works and what hearing loss means.

  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 09:13): "We're tiny. Now, you might think that all hearing happens in the part of the ear you can see..."
  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 09:44): "It's cerumen, a substance the ear makes to help clean and protect it."
  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 11:00): "So the sound vibrates the eardrum, which shakes the ear bones, which causes the field of hairs to move. And the moving hair sends information to the brain..."

• Addressing Hearing Aids: Mr. Ratburn shows his hearing aids and explains their role in helping him hear better.

  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 11:54): "No need, Buster. I have these. My hearing aids. I wear them in my ears and they help enormously."

• How Hearing Loss Happened: Mr. Ratburn explains that he developed hearing loss over years because he didn’t protect his ears from loud noises.

  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 12:14): "For many years I didn't use earplugs to protect my ears from extremely loud noise..."

5. The “Lost Teachers” Band and Final Lesson

• A Rocking Surprise: The “lost teachers” turn out to be a band! Mr. Ratburn and his fellow teachers (including Trevor and Hope) jam with the kids, underscoring the ear health lesson—use earplugs during loud activities!

  • Quote (Hope, 12:38): "You gotta protect your ears. Here's some earplugs for you. Put em in. We're about to get loud."
  • Quote (Mr. Ratburn, 12:58): "And I'm Nigel the Rat Ratburn from Lakewood Elementary. And we are the lost teachers. One, two, one, two..."

• Memorable Musical Moment: They perform a playful "pop quiz" song, poking fun at school routines and showing teachers are fun, too.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:35 | Arthur | "Ah, summer. Sitting at the Sugar bowl with friends in popsicles." | | 02:02 | Buster | "Or like he was being controlled by aliens." | | 05:09 | Buster | "Brain, let me climb up on your shoulders. I can't really..." | | 06:09 | Buster | "Think about it. He spends the whole school year teaching. Then summer comes, and he has no one to give homework or tests to." | | 08:42 | Mr. Ratburn | "My hearing is impaired." | | 09:44 | Mr. Ratburn | "It's cerumen, a substance the ear makes to help clean and protect it." | | 11:54 | Mr. Ratburn | "No need, Buster. I have these. My hearing aids. I wear them in my ears and they help enormously." | | 12:14 | Mr. Ratburn | "For many years I didn't use earplugs to protect my ears from extremely loud noise..." | | 12:38 | Hope | "You gotta protect your ears. Here's some earplugs for you. Put em in. We're about to get loud." |

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Important Timestamps

• 00:35 – Summer break setting, Arthur and friends at the Sugar Bowl
• 01:32-02:37 – Mr. Ratburn’s mysterious behavior at the mall and in the library
• 03:12-04:11 – Brain agrees to a “harebrained scheme” to follow Mr. Ratburn
• 05:41-07:05 – Clues about Mr. Ratburn’s sadness and why teachers are unique
• 07:53-08:42 – Confronting Mr. Ratburn; he reveals his hearing issues
• 09:09-11:15 – Imaginative journey inside the ear; science of hearing explained
• 11:54-12:14 – Mr. Ratburn introduces his hearing aids and shares how he lost his hearing
• 12:38-14:03 – “Lost Teachers” band rocks out and delivers an ear protection lesson

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Episode Tone & Style

The episode is playful, imaginative, and full of gentle humor true to Arthur's world. The investigation into Mr. Ratburn’s behavior is lighthearted, and the ear science lesson is creative and accessible. There is genuine warmth in the way the friends rally to help their teacher and in Mr. Ratburn’s willingness to educate them (and us) about hearing challenges.

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Takeaways

• Protect Your Ears: Prolonged exposure to loud noises can damage hearing—always use ear protection!
• Compassion & Curiosity: When someone is acting differently, approach them with care and curiosity before making wild assumptions.
• Teachers Matter: Listeners are reminded to value and appreciate their teachers for all the unique ways they help students grow.

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For Listeners

Whether you love Arthur’s world, want to learn more about ear health, or are just here for the fun mystery, this episode weaves it all together. It closes with the “Lost Teachers” song, creating a memorable, music-filled ending.

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Transcript

[Brain]

From your friends at pbs kids.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Support for this podcast and the following message for parents comes from ikea. As a parent, you childproof everything. Well, almost everything. You may not have thought about one thing, and that's securing your dressers and chests to the wall. It helps avoid dangerous tip over accidents. Secure it from ikea. Working to create safer homes together.

[Arthur]

Ah, summer. Sitting at the Sugar bowl with friends in popsicles.

[Brain]

You know, they're technically fruit pops, Arthur. It's just blended watermelon that's been frozen.

[Buster]

I don't care what they're called, Brain. They're delicious.

[Arthur]

Agreed. Buster. Hi, podcast people. This is the Arthur Podcast, and I'm Arthur, enjoying two months of summer freedom.

[Brain]

No tediously long school days, no mountains.

[Buster]

Of homework, and no Mr. Ratburn.

[Arthur]

Actually, I saw Mr. Ratburn yesterday at the mall, and the weirdest thing happened.

[Buster]

Ah, new bathing suits for DW and Kate. Done.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Next.

[Buster]

I just want to pop in this bookstore.

[Hope]

Okay.

[Arthur]

Yes. Finally, a store I care about.

[Brain]

Hey, Arthur, isn't that Mr. Ratburn?

[Arthur]

Where?

[Brain]

Outside the guitar store down there on the first floor.

[Buster]

Yeah, it is.

[Arthur]

Hey, Mr. Ratburn.

[Hope]

Up here.

[Arthur]

Mr. Ratburn. It's Arthur. Mr. Ratburn. Why isn't he answering?

[Brain]

Maybe he doesn't like you.

[Arthur]

Mr. Ratburn.

[Brain]

Hi.

[Arthur]

Wait, now he's just walking away?

[Brain]

Yep.

[Arthur]

But he didn't.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Huh?

[Arthur]

He just walked away like I wasn't even there.

[Buster]

Or like he was being controlled by aliens.

[Brain]

Strange. I had a similar experience with my Mr. Ratburn last Tuesday. I was in the library. Mr. Ratburn was a few tables over. He was looking at sheet music and writing things down. And when he got up to leave, he dropped his pencil. Mr. Ratburn, you dropped your pencil. But he just kept walking. He never even turned around.

[Buster]

I got chills, and I don't think it's from my Popsicle.

[Arthur]

I wonder what's going on.

[Brain]

Maybe he just doesn't like being around kids. It is summer, and he did have to spend the whole year with us.

[Arthur]

I know.

[Buster]

What's wrong with him.

[Brain]

He's.

[Hope]

Don't say it.

[Buster]

Don't say what?

[Arthur]

That he's an alien or he's a spoon eating vampire or a secret agent?

[Buster]

I wasn't going to say any of those things. Boy, you really think I'll believe anything, don't you?

[Arthur]

Okay, I'm sorry. What were you going to say?

[Buster]

I was gonna say that he's a secret agent posing as a vampire teacher. It's the perfect cover.

[Brain]

Aw, highly unlikely, Buster.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Well, hello, boys.

[Buster]

Mr. Ratburn, we were just talking about.

[Mr. Ratburn]

You Kalele's beautiful instruments. Did you know that the name means dancing flea in Hawaiian?

[Buster]

I definitely did not know that.

[Mr. Ratburn]

I'm here to get some cucumber kale smoothies. Have you tried them? They're fantastic.

[Brain]

My mom likes them. She gets hers with extra basil.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Huh. Raisins would be a strange addition.

[Brain]

Okay.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Anyway, I need three smoothies today.

[Buster]

That's a lot of smoothies.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Well, all of us lost teachers love them. So refreshing. Oh, looks like it's my turn in line.

[Brain]

Okay, that was really strange.

[Buster]

Even I can't drink three smoothies.

[Arthur]

All the lost teachers.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Enjoy your fruit pops, boys.

[Buster]

Enjoy your fruit.

[Brain]

Bye, Mr. Ratburn.

[Arthur]

This is serious. There is something really wrong with Mr. Ratburn.

[Buster]

We should do something.

[Brain]

Normally, I would never suggest a harebrained scheme, but I think we should follow him.

[Buster]

Yes, we can be undercover secret agents. Come on, let's go before we lose him.

[Arthur]

This way.

[Hope]

Come on.

[Buster]

I just saw him.

[Hope]

Turn left.

[Arthur]

Oh, Buster, Start your other left.

[Buster]

Hide here.

[Arthur]

This way. Dog. On your right.

[Buster]

On this side, so he can't see us.

[Brain]

Come on, move it. Stay by the bushes.

[Hope]

Faster.

[Buster]

We're losing him.

[Arthur]

Podcast people. We're outside Ratburn's house. We saw him carry the smoothies into his garage.

[Buster]

And now he's inside, and we're outside, and we can't see anything. What was that?

[Brain]

I think it was Mr. Ratburn, but it sounds like he swallowed a cat.

[Arthur]

Come on, let's sneak closer round the back of the garage. Shoot. We're too short to see in the windows.

[Buster]

Brain, let me climb up on your shoulders. I can't really.

[Arthur]

Whoa. Wait.

[Buster]

I think I see him.

[Mr. Ratburn]

I'm so disappointed. Hope is gone. What was that?

[Brain]

Run.

[Hope]

Go.

[Buster]

Let him see us.

[Hope]

Go. Go.

[Arthur]

Made it to the treehouse.

[Buster]

And I don't think Mr. Ratburn saw.

[Arthur]

Us, but something is definitely wrong with him.

[Brain]

Okay, let's review what we know.

[Arthur]

Sometimes Mr. Ratburn can't see us.

[Brain]

He also talked about lost teachers, and.

[Buster]

He'S drinking so much kale, I'm surprised he doesn't have green hair.

[Arthur]

He also said that hope is gone.

[Brain]

And he made that weird, loud sound.

[Buster]

Do you think he was crying?

[Arthur]

Why would Mr. Ratburn be crying?

[Buster]

Think about it. He spends the whole school year teaching. Then summer comes, and he has no one to give homework or tests to.

[Arthur]

Good point, Buster. How much do we really know about Mr. Ratburn anyway? Podcast people, what's something special about your teacher? I'm checking my inbox to see what.

[Brain]

You have to say. Unique because he gives Us really cool courses at choice time. My favorite is the Snail Center. It's where you get to take care of snails and see what they like to eat, do experiments with them, hold them. Something special about my teacher is she is a good listener. She makes me feel good inside when I'm lonely or when I'm feeling sick.

[Arthur]

There are invaluable teachers out there. Well, Mr. Ratburn loves tests, quizzes, and homework.

[Buster]

Maybe without students to teach, his life is meaningless.

[Brain]

I never thought I'd say this, but Buster might be right.

[Arthur]

I think so, too. And I've got a plan to help him. Podcast people, Buster Brain and I are at Mr. Ratburn's house. He needs to teach, so we're here to learn.

[Brain]

I'm going to ask him for some word problems. Those always put him in a good mood.

[Buster]

Ring again, Arthur. It must be hard for Mr. Ratburn to hear the bell over all his crying.

[Arthur]

I'm going to ask him why navel oranges have a navel.

[Buster]

I'm going to ask him to assign me an essay to write, and I'm letting him pick the topic.

[Arthur]

Oh, he'll like that.

[Brain]

Good one.

[Hope]

Coming.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Sorry, I didn't hear the. Oh, well, this is a surprise.

[Arthur]

Hi, Mr. Ratburn. We're here to be taught.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Really? That's odd. Since it's summer vacation and you're at my home, why don't you boys come in and tell me what's going on? I was just making some tea.

[Buster]

Mmm, good tea and cookies, Mr. Wrapper.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Glad you like them, Buster. Boys, I'm touched by your concern, but contrary to popular belief, I actually enjoy my summer breaks. However, your assumption that I have a problem is correct. I just came from Dr. Conway.

[Buster]

I knew it. You are an undercover secret agent, and Dr. Conway is the evil scientist trying to mind control you.

[Mr. Ratburn]

No, he's my audiologist.

[Brain]

An audiologist is a doctor who specializes in hearing, right?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Correct, brain. My hearing is impaired.

[Arthur]

Impaired? What does that mean?

[Mr. Ratburn]

It means I'm not hearing as well as I once did.

[Buster]

So your ears don't work?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Let me explain. Close your eyes, and let's imagine that we're going on a journey inside my ear.

[Hope]

Wow.

[Buster]

Are we tiny, or is your ear huge?

[Mr. Ratburn]

We're tiny. Now, you might think that all hearing happens in the part of the ear you can see.

[Buster]

You can really see my big ears?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Absolutely right, Buster. The part you can see is the outer ear. But there's more that happens on the inside. So let's walk further into my ear.

[Arthur]

It's like we're going through a tunnel?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Yes, this is called the ear canal.

[Arthur]

A muddy tunnel. What's this sticky, squishy stuff I'm walking on?

[Brain]

Probably earwax.

[Buster]

Ooh, let's make a candle with it.

[Mr. Ratburn]

You're right that people call it earwax brain, but it isn't actually wax, Buster. It's cerumen, a substance the ear makes to help clean and protect it.

[Buster]

Oh, can I still have some?

[Mr. Ratburn]

No, you have plenty in your own ears, Buster. Ah, here we are. The eardrum.

[Arthur]

It looks more like a wall than a drum.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Imagine it's a drum turned on its. And we're looking at the top, the part you hit.

[Brain]

I get it.

[Buster]

But who hits the drum?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Sound. All sound comes through the ear canal to this thin wall of eardrum tissue. When the eardrum gets hit with the sound, it vibrates.

[Hope]

Ah.

[Mr. Ratburn]

My cuckoo clock has given us an excellent example. The sound of the clock is coming down the ear canal and making the eardrum vibrate.

[Buster]

So our eardrum does the hearing?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Not quite. As the eardrum vibrates, it is moving tiny bones. On the other side of it, there's more ear.

[Brain]

Past the eardrum.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Yes. Past the eardrum is the inner ear. There are a bunch of tiny hairs there. Here, look through this completely pretend window that would never be in my real ear.

[Brain]

It's like a field of tall grass moving in the wind, only it's sound vibrations making the hairs move.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Precisely. So the sound vibrates the eardrum, which shakes the ear bones, which causes the field of hairs to move. And the moving hair sends information to the brain, where it is translated into identifiable sound.

[Brain]

So your ear doesn't know that sound is a cuckoo clock?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Correct. Your ear's job is to collect the sound information and send it to your brain. Brain?

[Buster]

What's that bare patch over there? The part with no hairs?

[Mr. Ratburn]

That's where I've lost some of my hearing. Buster, without all my hairs communicating to my brain, I don't hear everything I should. Okay, back to the living room. My tea is getting cold.

[Hope]

Ah.

[Mr. Ratburn]

You know, it did feel good to do a little teaching. How about a quick quiz about the ear?

[Brain]

Not necessarily.

[Arthur]

No.

[Buster]

So is it better for you if we talk really loud?

[Mr. Ratburn]

No need, Buster. I have these. My hearing aids. I wear them in my ears and they help enormously.

[Arthur]

There's just one thing I still don't understand. How did you lose your hearing in the first place?

[Mr. Ratburn]

You're about to find out. Part of the answer involves that man at my door. Trevor, come around to the garage. Meet you There. Come on. Hearing loss can occur for a variety of reasons at any age. But for me, it's because for many years I didn't use earplugs to protect my ears from extremely loud noise. Hey, Trevor, these are some of my students.

[Hope]

The rat is right. The rat. You gotta protect your ears. Here's some earplugs for you. Put em in. We're about to get loud.

[Buster]

What's he mean by loud?

[Mr. Ratburn]

Where's Hope?

[Buster]

Come in, rat.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Fantastic. Hope is here. She was gone for our last rehearsal.

[Buster]

Earplugs in and I'm ready to rock.

[Mr. Ratburn]

May I present Trevor Brown from Bright Hills Middle School. On base.

[Hope]

Ooh Shah.

[Mr. Ratburn]

Hope Garcia from Glenbrook Academy on the skins. And I'm Nigel the Rat Ratburn from Lakewood Elementary. And we are the lost teachers. One, two, one, two. See them coming in the morning looking happy. There's no warning.

[Hope]

Take your seats now. Pay attention. No, you can't have arm extension. Just a little business while we start our day. Take out your pencil, Put your books away. Pop quiz. Pop quiz. Pop quiz. Pop quiz. No banging and no pleading. Cause you didn't do the reading. Pop quiz.

[Arthur]

Well, I guess we know what's wrong with Mr. Ratford.

[Buster]

He has really bad taste in music.

[Arthur]

See you later, podcast people. I'm gonna rock out. You've been listening to the Arthur Podcast. Hey parents, do you want your kids to answer my next inbox question? First go to the arthur [e-mail] to find out what I'll be asking. Then email me a voice recording of your child's response to arthurgbh.org your child's answer might even be featured on a future podcast.

[Brain]

That's the show Podcast people. If you liked it, ask your grown up to subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes. You can listen to all our podcasts.

[Arthur]

Play games and [e-mail] the Arthur Podcast is produced for PBS Kids by GBH Kids in partnership with Gen Z Media and distributed by prx. Thanks for listening and have a wonderful kind of day.

[Hope]

And I say hey. What a wonderful kind of day. If you can learn to work and play and get along with each other. You got to listen to your heart, listen to the beat, Listen to the rhythm, the rhythm on the street. Open up your eyes, open up your ears. Get together and listen.

[Buster]

GBH kit.

[Brain]

From prx.