How The Camel Got His Hump

0:00This is. Time. For the. Podcast. Yeah, the. Podcast. Is starting. What's? The podcast, it's all gonna be all right in the air. It's gonna be alright. Then you've got some worries, my dear little Arise. Rest your busy minds because it's finally time the Stories from Now and Then. Well, hello, everybody. Welcome back to Stories From Now and Then. My name is Captain Blunderface, and I'm here in the old library with Debra Caddis, and we've been doing some research. This morning.

0:35We found three books about camels, and we've been going through them. Debra Caddis, did you know a camel can go up to three weeks without water? Three weeks, I know. And how about this? The hump on the camel is not water storage. It's full of fat. The hump stores fat for energy so the camel can just keep going. Yeah, I didn't know that till this morning either. We have learned so much today already. And we're about to learn even more about the person for today's shout out. So today's story goes out to Tennyson in London ON. Tennyson is just over 9.5 years old, loves playing soccer and Mario Kart, and is really looking forward to the 2026 World Cup this year.

1:25So Tennyson, this story is for you and it looks like we just got a message from our sponsor. Today's episode is brought to you by the All New Stories from Now and Then Coloring Book Companion, where you can color along with the stories as you listen to them. Find out more, just head over to storiesfromnowandthen.com or you can find a free downloadable coloring page. And with that, we are now very excited for today's story where there may even be a special guest. Nicola, We'll pass it off to you. Today's story is actually going to be read by a very special guest.

2:12We have here my own daddy who used to read me stories all the time when I was a little girl, and he's going to read a lovely story, which is a very old story. So it's got some funny words in it. But if you just listen and enjoy it, I think you'll be able to figure out what most of them mean. There's also a character in That's another word or an old word for a genie. Perhaps you've seen Aladdin. A genie is like that, like a magical spirit. And I think that's everything you need to know.

2:52Let's hear how the camel got its hump. A story by Rudyard Kipling. OK, go for it, Dad. Now this is the next tale, and it tells how the camel got his big hump. In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the animals were just beginning to work for man, there was a camel. And he lived in the middle of a howling desert because he did not want to work. And besides, he was a howler himself. So he ate sticks and thorns and tamarisks and milkweed and prickles, excruciating idol.

3:33And when anybody spoke to him, he said, Humph, just Humph, and no more. Presently the horse came to him on Monday morning with a saddle on his back and a bit in his mouth, and he said, Camel, Oh camel, come out and trot like the rest of us, Humph said the camel. And the horse went away and told the man. Presently the dog came to him with a stick in his mouth and said, Camel, Oh camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us. Humph said. The camel and the dog went away and told the man.

4:12Presently the ox came to him with a yoke on his neck and said, MMM, camel, O camel, come and plow like the rest of us. Humph said the camel and the ox went away and told the man. At the end of the day the man called the horse and the dog and the ox together and said Three, O three, I'm very sorry for you, with the world so new and all. But that humph thing in the desert can't work, or he would have been here by now. So I'm going to leave him alone, and you must work double time to make up for it. That made the three very angry, with the world so new and all. And they held a Palava and an in dhaba and a panchayat and a powwow on the edge of the desert. And the camel came chewing on milkweed, most excruciating idol, and laughed at them.

5:09Then he said humph, and went away again. Presently they came along the jinn in charge of all deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust. Jinns always travel that way because it is magic, and he stopped to Palava and powwow with the three djinn of all deserts, Said the horse. Is it right for anyone to be idle, with the world so new and all? Certainly not, said the djinn. Well, said the horse. There's a thing in the middle of your howling desert, and he's a howler himself, with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn't done a stroke of work since Monday morning. He won't trot few, said the djinn whistling. That's my camel for all the gold in Arabia. What does he say about it?

6:07He says humph, said the dog, and he won't fetch and carry. Does he say anything else? Only Humph and he won't plow, said the ox. Very good, said the djinn. I'll hump him if you will kindly wait a minute. The djinn rolled himself up in his dust cloak and took a bearing across the desert and found the camel most scrutiatingly idle, looking at his own reflection in a pool of water. My long and bubbling friend, said the Djinn. What's this I hear of your doing no work with the world so new and all?

6:48Humph, said the Camel. The djinn sat down with his chin in his hand and began to think a great magic, while the camel looked at his own reflection in the pool of water. You've given the three extra work ever since Monday morning, all on account of your scrutiating idleness, said the Djinn, and he went on thinking magics with his chin in his hand. Humph, said the Camel. I shouldn't say that again. If I were you, said the Djinn. You might say it once too often. Bubbles, I want you to work.

7:33And the camel, said Humph again. But no sooner had he said it than he saw his back that he was so proud of puffing up and puffing up into a great big lolloping humph. Do you see that? Said the Djinn. That's your very own humph, that you prod upon your very own self by not working. Today is Thursday, and you've done no work since Monday when the work began. Now you were going to work. How can I, said the camel with this humph on my back? That's made a purpose, said the Djinn. All because you missed those three days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating, because you can live on your humph. And don't you ever say I never did anything for you. Come out of the desert and go to the three and behave humph yourself.

8:33And the camel humphed himself, humph and all, and went away to join the three. And from that day to this, the camel always wears A humph. We call it a hump now, not to hurt his feelings, but he has never yet caught up with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he has never yet learned how to behave. That poor camel. Or is it a poor camel because it was being very naughty and very lazy, not working, not helping, not being part of the team. I've met a few camels now in my life and some of them do seem very grumpy, but they are amazing creatures and they can go for days on end without drinking any water or eating any food.

9:37That hump stores it all for them. I hope you enjoyed hearing that story. It was really special for me to have my daddy read me a story again. Very cool. Thank you so much Nicola, and thank you Uncle John for being our very first Stories from Now and Then guest narrator. So Deborah Caddis, now we know how the camel got his hump. We are definitely going to add this to our stash of camel lore. What an interesting animal. Oh, of course, cats are very interesting too. You know what, maybe you could write something too. You could call it how the cat got his attitude. OK, sorry, sorry.

10:32How the cat got his luscious fur coat by Depra Cattus. Yeah, that's better. If you would like a shout out too, just send us Adm on Instagram at Stories from now and then we'd love to hear from you. See any art that you've drawn of the stories or any coloring pages that you've colored in. Stories from Now and Then was narrated today by John Craig, introduced by Nicola Ward, music by Captain Blunderface. Make sure to subscribe and follow wherever you see your podcasts so that you get every episode every week. And for the coloring book, just head over to storiesfromnowandthen.com.

11:18We will see you all in the next one on.