(Opening shot: fade in to an empty area of the sky.)
Narrator: One lovely day— (The quartet flies into view—Tracy and Jay Jay on top, Big Jake and Snuffy on bottom—and proceed in a square formation.) —Big Jake, Jay Jay, Tracy and Snuffy went to Lightning Bug Lake on a camping trip. (Close-up of the happy skywriter.) Snuffy was really excited because he'd never been camping before.
Snuffy: Are we really going to build a campfire? Can I help roast some marshmallows? (Widen to frame the quartet.)
Jay Jay: Snuffy, we are going to build a campfire and roast marshmallows. Best of all, we can look at all the stars.
Snuffy: How can we see stars during the day?
Jay Jay: We won't see them during the day. We'll see them at night.
Snuffy: What? We're not really going to be camping at night, are we?
Big Jake: Yes, Snuffy. When we camp out, we stay overnight in the woods. Didn't you know that?
Snuffy: Nope. I didn't. (suddenly panicked) Oh, no. I can't stay out at night.
Big Jake: Why not?
Snuffy: Because I'm afraid of the d-dark. Just thinking about it makes me s-shake. (Jay Jay flies next to him.)
Jay Jay: Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of, Snuff. The nighttime is the same as the daytime, only darker.
Snuffy: Yeah, but it's that dark part that scares me.
Jay Jay: I don't get it. The way I see it, the dark isn't all that scary. You'll have a great time camping. (Off he goes.)
Snuffy: I'm not so sure. (He follows Jay Jay out of view.)
(Dissolve to an overview of Lightning Bug Lake; the quartet floats toward it.)
Narrator: So, the foursome made their way to the campsite.
(Cut to the quartet in front of a campfire; now it is nighttime.)
Jay Jay: Boy, oh boy, just listen to all those sounds of the woods at night.
Tracy: Yeah, aren't they neat?
(Close-up of Snuffy, head turning to the source of strange sounds; cut to his perspective of the empty forest. Back to him on the end of this.)
Snuffy: Sure, neat.
Big Jake: What's the matter, little guy? Are you feeling okay?
Snuffy: Um, I'm still afraid, Big Jake.
Jay Jay: I don't get it, Snuffy old pal. I still don't see what there is to be afraid of.
Big Jake: Hey, I know what we can do to take your mind off things, we can all look up at the sky. When I was a little boy, I used to find my way home at night by...by looking at the stars.
Jay Jay: Wow, how'd you do that, Big Jake?
Big Jake: Well, by looking at the...the patterns that the stars made in the sky.
Tracy: What patterns? (Cut to the night sky.)
Big Jake: (from o.s.) They're called constellations. If you play connect-the-dots with the stars, you can make pictures out of them. (The constellation of a lion fades into view.) Those stars there form something called The Lion. You see?
(All four marvel at this wonderful sight, smiles spreading across their faces.)
Jay Jay: Wow!
Snuffy: Whoa!
Big Jake: When I was just a little plane,
I learned about the stars
How even though they seem so close,
They're really very far
I learned to see the shapes they make,
And how they're never changing
Yet even though they stay the same,
They're always re-arranging
(Big Jake taxis forward, while Jay Jay, Tracy and Snuffy stare at the sky.)
Big Jake: I picked my very own one night,
And always watched to see,
Sometimes here, sometimes there,
I learned where it would be
And later when I flew alone,
I never had to worry
(Cut to the night sky on the end of this.)
Big Jake: If I got lost, I'd find my star,
And be home in a hurry
(Back to the quartet, Big Jake taxis back to the kids.)
Big Jake: So pay attention to the stars,
And find your very own
Just when you think you've lost your way,
Your star will lead you home
(Cut to Jay Jay, Tracy standing alongside.)
Tracy: Hey, I see one. I see a big arrow and it's pointing right at us.
(Back to the sky as the constellation of an archer's arrow fades into view.)
Tracy: (from o.s.) See it? (Back to the duo.)
Jay Jay: I don't see any arrow, Tracy. You must have made a mistake.
Big Jake: Well, not necessarily, Jay Jay. Lots of people see things different ways. If Tracy sees the arrow, then it's really there for her. Let's gather up some more firewood and then get to bed. We need to be up bright and early tomorrow.
(Big Jake taxis o.s., Snuffy and Tracy following; Jay Jay stares on, glancing upward for a few moments.)
Jay Jay: How can something be there for one person and not be there for another?
(He exits; dissolve to the quartet sleeping.)
Narrator: Later that night, all the planes were fast asleep. All of them, except for Snuffy.
(The silence is broken by the sounds in the forest; in an instant, Snuffy opens his eyes, absolutely freaked out.)
Snuffy: Jay Jay. Jay Jay, wake up!
Jay Jay: Huh? What? Snuffy. (yawns slightly) What's wrong?
Snuffy: Jay Jay, I'm hearing noises. They scare me.
Jay Jay: All right, listen. If I take you into the woods and show you that those noises aren't anything to be afraid of, then will you go to sleep?
Snuffy: Uh-huh.
Jay Jay: (sighs) Okay. I guess we should ask Big Jake to come along with us. (Pull back to frame the others; Big Jake snores soundly.) But he's fast asleep. Well, we won't be gone long. Let's go.
(They go off. Dissolve to an empty area; Snuffy and Jay Jay come into view. A frog is heard croaking o.s.)
Snuffy: Listen, that's one of the noises I heard. It sounds like a big, bad giant with three eyes a-and two noses.
Jay Jay: Look over there, Snuff. That's what's making that noise.
(Snuffy taxis forward and eyes a frog below him.)
Snuffy: Oh, wow! (His perspective of the frog croaking; he continues o.s.) It's a cute little froggy. (Back to the duo.)
Jay Jay: Now, can I go back to sleep? (An owl hoots o.s.)
Snuffy: Listen! That's another one of the noises I heard. It sounds like a huge orange bear in yellow pajamas who wants to know who-who-who we are before it scoops us up in its hairy paws.
Jay Jay: Okay, follow me.
(He taxis out; Snuffy follows. Cut to another area; both planes taxi into view and look around.)
Jay Jay: Look up there!
(They stare upward to a nearby tree; cut to an owl resting on a branch.)
Snuffy: (from o.s.) Whoa! It's an owl! I've seen pictures of owls before. I like owls.
Jay Jay: (from o.s.) Like I've been telling you, Snuff— (Back to him and Snuffy.) —there's nothing to be... (A cricket is heard chirping o.s.)
Snuffy: Jay Jay, listen to that! It's another scary sound that I heard before. It sounds like a gigantic blue dinosaur with purple eyes and two huge feet that might stomp on us.
Jay Jay: Well, follow me. We'll go find out. (He taxis through another area, Snuffy following behind.) Now be sure to stay close to me so we don't get separated.
(Jay Jay exits; Snuffy doesn't notice that he continues on into the forest without him.)
Snuffy: Huh? Jay Jay, what'd you say? Jay Jay, where are you? Uh-oh. (Startled, he flicks back and forth, still fearful.) What's that? It's that noise again. (He eyes something below him.) Hey, I think I see what's making that noise. (His perspective of the cricket chirping.) It's a teeny tiny little cricket. Jay Jay was right. I'm being afraid for no reason at all. (Back to him.) I'm gonna go back to camp to get some sleep. I'll bet Jay Jay's there already.
(A smile plays itself across the skywriter's face in turn, he turns around and exits. Back to Jay Jay, unaware that Snuffy went back to the campsite.)
Jay Jay: Snuffy, you're awfully quiet back there. Snuffy? (He looks around.) Snuffy! Where are ya?! Oh no, I've lost you! Oh, you probably got scared and went back to the campsite. I bet I'll find you there. (Overview of him lost in the woods.) Hmm, which way is the campsite? I'm not sure I know anymore. Maybe it's over here.
(Jay Jay soon realizes that he has to find his way back to the campsite.)
Jay Jay: Uh-oh, I think I'm lost. How am I ever going to get back to the camp? (pauses) Wait a minute. Big Jake said he would use the stars to find his way home at night. Maybe I can do that, too. I know. Tracy said she saw an arrow pointing to the campsite. If I can find that arrow, then I'll know which way to go back. But I still don't see what Tracy saw.
(Jay Jay's perspective, the constellation of the archer's arrow fading into view.)
Jay Jay: (from o.s.) Hey, now I see it— (Back to him.) —it's pointing my way back to camp!
Narrator: And so, thanks to Tracy's arrow, Jay Jay headed off in the right direction at last.
(Away he goes; cut to Big Jake/Tracy/Snuffy at the campsite; Big Jake and Tracy are awake.)
Snuffy: ...a-and then Jay Jay and I got separated in the dark, and that was the last time I saw him. I thought I'd find him back here!
Big Jake: Well, he's not here, this is very serious. You must never wander in the woods alone without an adult who knows his way.
Snuffy: Yes, Big Jake.
Big Jake: We'll have to form a search party and go looking for Jay Jay.
Jay Jay: (from o.s.) No you won't! (He rejoins them.) I'm back, Big Jake! And um, I'm sorry we wandered off like that. We won't ever do it again, I promise.
Tracy: Oh, Jay Jay, we're so glad you're back, safe and sound.
Jay Jay: Yeah, me too. (Close-up.) I was really lost. But then I saw your arrow in the sky and followed it back here. It worked great. Thanks, pal.
(Wide shot as Big Jake and Snuffy start their propellers; the campfire is extinguished. Big Jake taxis out of frame, the green, light violet and blue planes starting to follow.)
Narrator: So, that's how Snuffy learned not to be afraid of sounds of the night. Sometimes the dark isn't so scary after all.
(Dissolve to an overview of forest; the quartet flies away.)
Narrator: In the end, Jay Jay found his way home and Snuffy overcame his fear of the dark, and each of them learned— (The constellation of the archer's arrow fades into view.) —that having good friends to count on can brighten up even the darkest of nights.
(Fade to black.)