The Adventures of Paddy the Pelican/The Land of More

by Sam Singer

The
ADVENTURES
of
PADDY the
PELICAN
IN

"The LAND
OF MORE"

Narrator
Hi there, boys and girls! Paddy's friend Tubby Round buys what he hopes is a big balloon. His disappointment turns to surprise in the Land of More.

Tom
Why, this balloon isn't half as big as the one the man showed me. And I thought of a great, big balloon, I did!

Tom
Hey! Hey, where did you come from? Who are you?

Gnome
This is your wishing balloon you bought from little old Tom Thumbs. You wished for a larger balloon, so here I am to make your wish come true. That's all.

Tom
But if this is a magic wishing balloon, I don't wanna change it. I'll just keep it the way it is.

Gnome
No, you weren't satisfied with what you had, so now you're going to get what you think you want. Yes, just what you think you want. See, you're a wise one.

Gnome
Abracadabra, hocus-pocus!

Tom
Gollee! It's growing! Why, it's gonna be the biggest toy balloon in the whole world! Slow up! Hey, don't grow it anymore! Stop it! I said stop it! Oh, Mr. Gnome, please make it stop growing! Oh, please! Please! Oh, please, please, Mr. Gnome, please! Oh!

Gnome
You're getting what you wished for, and I hope you're happy with it. Ah, yeah.

Tom
Stop growing! Stop growing! If you get any larger, you're gonna break right through my little house! Oh! Don't! Don't! Oh!

Tom
Don't try to get away! Oh, my, it's too late for me to let go. Oh, I'm frightened. Oh, oh, oh, I'm going higher and higher! Move! You get away from this balloon! You'll break it! Get away before you make it pop!

Tom
Oh, help, help! Oh, help! What do I do? Help, somebody save me, I'm falling!

Gnome
Well, it's about time you were getting here. I've been waiting for you. Welcome to the Land of More.

THE LAND
OF
MORE

Tom
Oh, it's you again. What is this Land of More anyway?

Gnome
Why, in the Land of More, it is the place for people who'll always want more than they have. You see all this wonderful cake and pie and everything, see?

THE LAND OF MORE

Tom
Is there more of everything? I could be able to get something to eat, then. I'm hungry. I want a chocolate soda.

Gnome
Abracadabra, there you are!

Tom
Oh, but this is too much. I can't even get to the top of the glass!

Gnome
That's too bad. But maybe you'd like a nice piece of candy, huh? A nice piece of candy. All I've gotta do is wave the wand. Presto!

Tom
Oh, but I can't even lift this piece of candy. It's so big. I can't even take a bite. How about a small piece of candy?

Gnome
Don't use the word small in the Land of More. Everything here is larger than everywhere else.

Tom
Well, if I can't get something to eat, maybe I could at least get some sleep. Is there some place where I can go to bed? Huh? How about it?

Gnome
Of course! But I warn you—there's more sleep here, too. If you get into this bed, you'll sleep for a hundred years.

Tom
This is the craziest place I ever saw! You have so much of everything, that you can't use it at all. I'm gonna repair my balloon with this wad of gum and try to get out of here as fast as I can, that's all.

Gnome
Sorry, but you can't leave yet. There's a great deal more for you to see.

Tom
But, if I can wish for anything, I'll wish for a flight back home. That's what I'll do.

Gnome
That's one wish you can't be granted, Tom. You have to wish for something in the Land of More, and your home isn't here, that's all. You can't go home yet!

Tom
Then I know what I'll do. I'll wish for a parachute.

Tom
Oh, my! I guess that was a mistake to wish for a parachute, huh? Help! Help, get me out of here! It's squashing me! Help!

Gnome
Sorry, Tom, but I can't help you. You'll have to get out from under the parachute by yourself, that's all.

Tom
But I can't get out! Oh, I'm gonna make another wish. I'm gonna wish for a big wind—a real big one! A real big one!

Gnome
No, not that! You don't know what you're doing! We'll be thrown right up into the sky! Oh, stop! Oh, look out!

Tom
Well, if the wind would stop, all I would have to do is pull the parachute cord and float back to Earth in safety. There! Oh, this is the best fun I've had since I met you. And I can see the Earth below us. There it is.

Tom
Well, here we are. Home at last. Oh, my home is all smashed to pieces, thanks to you and this magic wishing balloon!

Gnome
It's your greediness that got you into trouble, Tom. You're wanting too much! But you have one more wish, and what'll it be, huh?

Tom
I wish for my little house to be just as it was before you showed up—not one bigger, or better. I never realized how nice it was.

Tom
Why, my wish has come true! And it's the only wish that made me happy. I'm gonna get rid of the wishing balloon right now.

Tom
And after this, instead of wishing for more, I'm gonna enjoy what I have!

The End
—A
MEDALLION
PRODUCTION

COPYRIGHT MCMLIV