What Scared Sue Ellen

Summary

---

The Arthur Podcast

Episode: What Scared Sue Ellen

Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Arthur Read (GBH & PBS Kids)

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Arthur and his friends delve into stories about what scares them, shining a spotlight on Sue Ellen, who claims she's not afraid of anything. Through a mix of storytelling, real-life adventure, and legendary creatures, the group explores courage, imagination, and how even the bravest among us can have a scare or two.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sue Ellen’s Fearlessness—Or Is It? (00:33–02:00)

• Arthur introduces the theme of the episode: what scares us.
• The group teases Sue Ellen, trying to find something she's scared of:
  • Monster movies? "Nope." (Sue Ellen, 01:21)
  • Mystery meat in the cafeteria? "I bring my lunch from home." (Sue Ellen, 01:25)
  • Public speaking? "I like talking in front of people. I usually have lots to say." (Sue Ellen, 01:37)
• Sue Ellen volunteers to fetch straw alone from the farm after dark, asserting her bravery.

2. Into the Spooky Woods (02:12–04:42)

• Sue Ellen narrates her trek through the "dead woods" at dusk:
  • She encounters unsettling noises and recounts feeling a little anxious.
  • She recalls a scary story from Russia about Baba Yaga, a witch who eats naughty children.
  • Despite her bravado, she admits, “Even though I’m not afraid of Baba Yaga. I’m not. I’m not. I’m not.” (Sue Ellen, 04:38)
• The next day, Sue Ellen avoids the shortcut through the woods, surprising her friends.

3. Friends Notice Sue Ellen’s Change (04:43–06:16)

• Binky and Buster discuss Sue Ellen’s unusual behavior and ponder what scared her.
• Sue Ellen reveals her fear: "That's just it… She might be real. Last night in the woods, I heard a yowl. Just like the noise that Baba Yaga makes. It was terrifying." (Sue Ellen, 05:35)
• The group devises a plan to face the woods together and finish their scarecrow mission.

4. Braving the Dead Woods—With Company (06:20–10:53)

• The group arms themselves with “protection” (goggles, raincoats, space helmet, umbrella) and enters the woods.
• Sue Ellen entertains with another spooky folk tale: the Japanese Kappa, a river god with a taste for cucumbers (07:06).
  • “You don’t want to know… Cucumbers, mostly.” (Sue Ellen, 07:13)
• They discuss banshees—Irish ghosts who wail before disaster (08:20).
  • “If any banshee got in my face, I’d tell them to put a sock in it.” (Binky, 08:27)
• A mysterious noise unnerves them; Binky is ready to flee, but Sue Ellen rallies the group onwards.
  • The friends joke about what reward they'd get for capturing the witch or a mythical monster (09:10).
• The group discovers the source of the noise: it’s not a witch but Perky, a little dog stuck in a tree.
  • “I knew it. It’s a little dog. Look, it’s Perky, the dog I used to babysit.” (Sue Ellen, 10:16)
  • Sue Ellen rescues Perky, cementing her bravery.

5. Resolution: Facing Fears Together (10:53–11:39)

• The group finishes their scarecrow, putting it in Arthur’s yard just in time for Halloween.
  • “That is the scariest scarecrow I ever made. We ever made.” (Binky, 11:13)
• Sue Ellen, disguised as the scarecrow, surprises her friends one last time.
  • “I am alive! And I’m gonna get ya. Roar. Guys, it’s me. It’s just a costume. Come back. Sheesh. Some people are scared of everything.” (Sue Ellen, 11:39)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Really? I’m pretty unscarable.”
  — Sue Ellen (01:11)
• “Nah, I’m good. It’s not that far.”
  — Sue Ellen, walking alone into the woods (01:57)
• “There aren’t any monsters in Elwood City. Unless…”
  — Sue Ellen, beginning to doubt (02:21)
• “If any banshee got in my face, I’d tell them to put a sock in it. You gotta get tough with these ghosts.”
  — Binky (08:27)
• “I knew it. It’s a little dog. Look, it’s Perky, the dog I used to babysit.”
  — Sue Ellen, on discovering Perky (10:16)
• “You’re a hero, Sue Ellen. You rescued a stuck dog.”
  — Arthur (10:45)
• “Guys, it’s me. It’s just a costume. Come back. Sheesh. Some people are scared of everything.”
  — Sue Ellen, after her Halloween scare (11:39)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:33–02:00 — Sue Ellen claims she isn’t afraid of anything
• 02:12–04:42 — Sue Ellen narrates her spooky walk and Baba Yaga story
• 04:43–06:16 — Friends realize Sue Ellen is scared; group plans to investigate
• 06:20–10:53 — The gang enters the woods, shares folk tales, rescues Perky
• 10:53–11:39 — Scarecrow completed; Sue Ellen gives her friends a Halloween fright
• 11:40–12:59 — (Dear DW Q&A segment; can be skipped for main story)

---

Conclusion

The episode uses a blend of folklore, humor, and real friendship to explore fear and bravery. It gently shows listeners that even those who appear fearless (like Sue Ellen) can have their moments—and that facing the unknown together makes all the difference. The haunted woods held only a lost dog, but, as Arthur’s crowd reminds us, imagination can make even a simple rescue into a grand adventure.

---

Transcript

[Narrator]

From your friends at pbs kids.

[Sponsor/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 Reid]

Hey, everyone. Arthur Reid here with a really great episode on scary stuff. Cause sooner or later, we're all scared of something, right? Like going to the dentist or giant.

[Sue Ellen]

Hairy spiders with 18 legs and googly eyeballs coming right at you. Kidding.

[Arthur Reid]

No spiders here. Cause I just cleaned my room. But there's one friend I have, Sue Ellen, who's not scared of anything. At least that's what she said when we were up in the treehouse making a scarecrow.

[Sue Ellen]

Really? I'm pretty unscarable.

[Buster]

Try me.

[Arthur Reid]

How about monster movies?

[Sue Ellen]

Nope.

[Binky]

The mystery meat in the cafeteria.

[Sue Ellen]

I bring my lunch from home.

[Buster]

I know when you have to give a presentation to the class and everyone stares at you with their big, bulgy eyeballs.

[Sue Ellen]

I like talking in front of people. I usually have lots to say.

[Binky]

Arthur, can you roll that hat over here?

[Narrator]

Sure.

[Binky]

Once we put this hat on, our scarecrow's gonna look so good.

[Sue Ellen]

We're almost out of straw for the body, though. I'll go to the farm and get some more.

[Arthur Reid]

Want me to go with you? It's getting kind of dark.

[Sue Ellen]

Nah, I'm good. It's not that far.

[Arthur Reid]

Well, take the mic with you in case things get interesting.

[Sue Ellen]

She's brave.

[Buster]

I wouldn't go to the farm by myself after dark.

[Sue Ellen]

It isn't just dark, podcast listeners. It's spooky. And I love spooky. The wind is blowing and the leaves are rustling. Right now I'm heading into the woods, the dead woods, which I have to walk through to get to the farm. What was that? Arthur? Buster. Binky. If you're trying to scare me, it won't work. Arthur. Arthur. Binky. Come out, come out, wherever you are. Get me out of here. Home safe. Come on, Sue Ellen, don't be ridiculous. There aren't any monsters in Elwood City. Unless. Where's that book? Here it is. The story of Baba Yaga, the scary witch lady who eats naughty children. My parents gave me this book. Podcast listeners whom he lived in Russia and. Hello? Hey, Arthur. Oh, yeah, I was supposed to come back with straw. You know, it was getting so late, I thought maybe we could finish the scarecrow tomorrow. Great. Yep. I'll bring the mic to school. See ya. Where was I? Oh, yeah. The story of Baba Yaga. Deep in the shadowy woods, in a dank and gloomy cottage, perched on fire, four chicken legs, lived an old woman named Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga liked to howl at her chickens. Baba Yaga liked to howl at the wolves. Baba Yaga liked to howl at the. No wonder I hated that story. All that yowling and eating kids for supper. Forget it. Mom, dad, I'm home. Want me to set the table? Hey, everyone. So it's the next day and I'm taking a different route to school. As far from the dead woods as possible. Even though I'm not afraid of Baba Yaga. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not.

[Binky]

Hey.

[Sue Ellen]

You scared me, Binky, jumping out at me like that.

[Binky]

I didn't jump. I walked right up. Want to take the shortcut to school?

[Sue Ellen]

Through the dead woods?

[Binky]

Nuh.

[Sue Ellen]

No thanks. Nope, forget it. Bye.

[Binky]

Now. That is weird. I'm telling ya, she was scared. She ran.

[Buster]

Maybe she saw a mummy.

[Arthur Reid]

Mummies are slow. He wouldn't run from a mummy.

[Buster]

You would if it had a mountain bike.

[Sue Ellen]

Are you talking about me?

[Arthur Reid]

No, no, no, of course not.

[Sue Ellen]

Kinda. Well, I'm not scared of mummies, but I am scared of this. My parents gave me this book when we were in Russia. What am I looking at?

[Buster]

A house in the woods on chicken legs.

[Binky]

You scared of a witch in a book? That's not even real.

[Sue Ellen]

That's just it. She might be real. Last night in the woods, I heard a yowl. Just like the noise that Baba Yaga makes. It was terrifying. Which is why I never made it to the farm and didn't get the straw. Bummer.

[Binky]

We need more straw or we'll never finish our scarecrow.

[Sue Ellen]

That's not the point. The point is there might be a witch living in the dead woods.

[Arthur Reid]

If there's a witch, I definitely want to see her.

[Buster]

Me too. As long as Binky goes first.

[Arthur Reid]

What if we. We all go to the Deadwoods after school and check it out? If we stick together, we won't get scared.

[Binky]

And while we're at it, we can get more straw for the scarecrow.

[Arthur Reid]

That too. Deal?

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Deal.

[Arthur Reid]

So that's what we did. Podcast listeners. We met up after school and went to the dead woods. We took the mic along just in case. Sue Ellen wore goggles and a raincoat for protection. Buster had his space helmet, I had an umbrella. And Binky had Binky.

[Sue Ellen]

The dead woods sure look different on a sunny day. Blue sky and birds.

[Arthur Reid]

What's that noise Sounds like the river.

[Buster]

Or a washing machine. Only woods don't have washing machines.

[Sue Ellen]

I know a spooky story about a river God. I'll tell you when we get to the bridge.

[Binky]

We're here at the bridge over the river. Spill the beans, Sue Ellen.

[Sue Ellen]

Okay, so the story's about a hungry Japanese river God named Kappa.

[Buster]

Hungry for what?

[Sue Ellen]

You don't want to know.

[Buster]

Seriously, I want to know.

[Sue Ellen]

Cucumbers, mostly. But if you stare into the water, you'll sometimes see a face staring back at you. A face that's part frog, part monkey, part human, and all terrible.

[Binky]

If I saw a scary river God, I'd distract him, throw a cucumber into the river and make him look for it.

[Arthur Reid]

That's actually a good idea.

[Binky]

That's me, Binky. Good idea, Barnes.

[Buster]

How far to the farm? I'm hungry.

[Arthur Reid]

Quarter of a mile, maybe.

[Binky]

Tops.

[Buster]

Too bad we're not looking for the witch in Hansel and Gretel. She had a house made of candy.

[Arthur Reid]

Is that the scary sound you heard last night?

[Sue Ellen]

Nope. That was a blue jay. What I heard was human. Like a witch howling at the moon. Or maybe I'm just remembering that Baba Yaga isn't the only monster who howls. There's also banshees.

[Buster]

Are banshees the same thing as werewolves?

[Arthur Reid]

Nah, they're more like ghosts who scream whenever someone's about to meet their due.

[Sue Ellen]

Banshees are in folk tales from Ireland, mostly. They ride around on headless horses and shriek until your ears hurt.

[Binky]

If any banshee got in my face, I'd tell them to put a sock in it. You gotta get tough with these ghosts.

[Sue Ellen]

That's it. That's the sound.

[Binky]

I gotta go home now for my snack.

[Sue Ellen]

Fine. You can't leave.

[Arthur Reid]

Binky.

[Sue Ellen]

What about all for one and one for all?

[Buster]

I'm all for me.

[Sue Ellen]

How about this?

[Arthur Reid]

If we find a witch in the.

[Buster]

Woods, or an alien, or a kappa, river God, or a. Benjamin.

[Arthur Reid]

Whatever. If we find a witch or a.

[Buster]

Werewolf or an ogre or a goblin or a gremlin.

[Arthur Reid]

Are you done?

[Buster]

Or a dragon. Continue.

[Sue Ellen]

If we find a whatever, we can.

[Arthur Reid]

Take a picture and post it online.

[Sue Ellen]

Right. And get famous and save the day.

[Buster]

And get the reward.

[Sue Ellen]

What reward?

[Buster]

There's always a reward. It's like a rule.

[Binky]

Okay, okay. I'll stay.

[Buster]

I'm not afraid of you.

[Binky]

You.

[Sue Ellen]

What's your name? Baba Yaga. We are good people. We know you fear good people. How do we know that? It's in the book. Let's keep Keep going.

[Arthur Reid]

Stay close.

[Buster]

Why'd you have to tell us all these stories, Sue Ellen? I was perfectly fine not knowing about. She's in the tree. She's gonna drop on our heads and eat our faces. Open your umbrella, Arthur.

[Sue Ellen]

What's an umbrella gonna do?

[Buster]

Open your umbrella. Get under the umbrella.

[Sue Ellen]

Wait a minute. That sounds like a dog.

[Buster]

It's a witch pretending to be a dog. Don't look at it, Sue Ellen.

[Sue Ellen]

Don't look. I gotta go see it. Something's not right. It's down from the tree.

[Buster]

Get down.

[Sue Ellen]

I knew it. It's a little dog. Look, it's Perky, the dog I used to babysit.

[Arthur Reid]

Perky, are you okay?

[Sue Ellen]

How'd you get stuck in a tree, Little pup pup? Oh, I see you got some branches tangled in your collar. There you go. You're free. I got you. I got you. Hang on. We made it down. Little pup pup.

[Arthur Reid]

I don't believe it. You're a hero, Sue Ellen. You rescued a stuck dog.

[Sue Ellen]

Poor little baby. We gotta get her home.

[Binky]

Okay, but after that, can we please get more straw for the scarecrow?

[Arthur Reid]

For sure. So, podcast listeners, after we saved Perky, Suella went back to not being afraid of anything. Binky went back to the farm and got more straw. And after we finished our scarecrow, I put him in the front yard next to a bunch of pumpkins.

[Binky]

Right in time for Halloween. That is the scariest scarecrow I ever made. We ever made.

[Buster]

Did you put a motor inside to make the arms move?

[Binky]

Who do you think I am, brain? Like I'd even know how to do that.

[Buster]

Then why is this scarecrow waving its arms at us?

[Arthur Reid]

It looks really alive.

[Sue Ellen]

I am alive. And I'm gonna get ya. Roar. Guys, it's me. It's just a costume. Come back. Sheesh. Some people are scared of everything. Where's the stop record button on this thing? Oh, yeah, here.

[Buster]

And now it's time for Dear DW Suzy G. Wants to know. Dear DW should pineapple go on pizza?

[Narrator]

A pineapple is heavy and spiky, so if you put it on your pizza, your pizza gets smushed and you'd get poked by a spike.

[Arthur Reid]

So, no.

[Buster]

Question two is from Jamal S. Dear D.W. what would you bring to a desert island?

[Narrator]

A boat so I could leave.

[Buster]

How about this? What would you bring to a dessert island?

[Sue Ellen]

Ooh.

[Narrator]

Cake with frosting.

[Buster]

Candy.

[Narrator]

Applesauce.

[Buster]

Ice cream.

[Narrator]

Ice cream with marshmallows.

[Buster]

Ice cream with marshmallows and chocolate.

[Narrator]

Ice cream with marshmallows and chocolate. And sprinkles.

[Buster]

Ice cream with marshmallows and chocolate and sprinkles and fish sticks.

[Sue Ellen]

Ew.

[Buster]

My genius is never appreciated.

[Narrator]

That's it for now. Send your questions to me. Dear gw, See you later alligator.

[Buster]

And that's the show Podcast Nation. 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, play games and [e-mail] the Arthur Podcast.

[Arthur Reid]

Is produced for PBS Kids by GBH Kids in partnership with Hothead Creative Studios and distributed by PBS Kids and prx. Thanks for listening.

[Buster]

From prx.