[Magical music plays]

In an animation, the sun shines brightly over a field of dandelions. A guinea pig with long brown fur frolics through the grass. In live action, the guinea pig rests in their hutch, a large wooden cage on posts in the Sawdust family’s backyard. Mister and Missus Sawdust stand by a gate in the fence and Karen, a girl with her long brown hair in braided pigtails, runs up to the guinea pig’s hutch with a kite.

[Guinea pig squeaking]

[Cheerful music plays]

The guinea pig sings, I'M A GUINEA PIG SENSATION, WITH A GREAT IMAGINATION. I'M OLGA DA POLGA, THAT'S ME!

Facing Olga’s hutch, Noel, a black cat, lies on the grass with Graham, a tortoise, and Fangio, a hedgehog. Mrs. Sawdust trims a bush. Mr. Sawdust builds a pen. Karen skips across the yard. Olga scratches her ear. Noel swats at Olga from the roof of her hutch.

At the backdoor of the Sawdust’s house, Karen says, BREAKFAST, OLGA!

Olga sings, MY HEAD IS FULL OF STORIES, OF DERRING-DO AND GLORIES, SO GATHER 'ROUND, AND LISTEN TO ME!

In animations, Olga faces a fire-breathing dragon, stands on a podium with first-place medals and looks up at a princess locked in a castle.

A crowd cheers, HOORAY!

In live-action, Graham says, AMAZING.

Noel says, RIDICULOUS!

Fangio says, INTERESTING!

[Gentle, cheerful music plays]

On a bench, Karen and Mister and Missus Sawdust pet Olga. At a competition, a person awards Karen and Olga a rosette. In the backyard, Karen puts a carrot in Olga’s food bowl.

Olga sings, OLGA DA POLGA, THAT'S ME!

[Olga squeaking]

Title: Olga da Polga. Based on the books by Michael Bond.

[Gentle music plays]

[Olga squeaking]

In live-action, in the present day, light wind gently blows squares of fabric hanging against the fence in the Sawdust’s backyard. Olga da Polga rests in her hutch. The episode title reads, “A Tale of a Tail.”

[Olga squeaking]

Olga narrates, CATS ARE SILLY THINGS.

Noel rests beside a row of garbage, compost and recycling bins.

Olga narrates, THEY HANG AROUND DUST BINS.

Mr. Sawdust walks over to the bins with a basket.

He says, OFF YOU GO, NOEL. THERE'S NOTHING FOR YOU HERE.

Noel leaps beside the blue bin. Mr. Sawdust dumps cardboard out of the basket into the bin.

Olga narrates, AND CHASE LONG STRINGY THINGS.

On the grass, Noel rolls around with purple yarn.

Olga narrates, I'M USED TO NOEL NOW, BUT IT WASN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY.

Noel lies on the grass in front of Olga’s hutch with the sun shining down on him. A sign on Olga’s hutch reads, Olga da Polga. Inside the hutch, Olga nibbles on blades of grass.

Olga narrates, I HAD JUST MOVED INTO THE SAWDUST HOUSE AND WAS GETTING USED TO MY NEW LIVING QUARTERS.

In a flashback, the Sawdust family smiles at Olga. Mrs. Sawdust has long blond hair and wears a green long-sleeved shirt. Mr. Sawdust has short, dark hair and a thick grey beard. He wears a red plaid, button-down shirt over a blue T-shirt. Karen wears her long brown hair in braided pigtails and purple overalls over a pink long-sleeved shirt with orange polka dots.

Karen asks, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR NEW HOME, OLGA?

Olga narrates over the live-action flashback, WHAT DID I THINK OF IT? WELL, IT WAS LIKE A PALACE! I HAD A DINING ROOM, A LIVING ROOM, AND EVEN A BEDROOM.

Olga crawls into a room in her hutch.

[Olga squeaking]

Mrs. Sawdust says, I THINK SHE LIKES IT.

Olga narrates, I REALLY DID!

Mr. Sawdust says, MADE ESPECIALLY FOR YOU, OLGA. I EVEN MADE LEGS, SO THAT NOEL WOULDN'T BOTHER YOU.

Olga narrates, I HAD NO IDEA WHO NOEL WAS. I WAS FAR MORE INTERESTED IN ADMIRING THE VIEW FROM MY WINDOW.

In the flashback, she looks out a window toward potted flowers lining the fence behind her hutch.

Karen says, WE'LL BE BACK SOON, OLGA, WITH SOME DANDELION LEAVES!

Olga narrates, WELL, THIS GIRL KNEW HER STUFF! DANDELION LEAVES ARE A GUINEA PIG'S FAVOURITE!

[Olga squeaking]

Karen leaves with her parents. They walk back toward the house. Elsewhere in the yard, Fangio walks alongside a flowerbed.

[Fangio humming]

Noel leaps off a stool beside Olga’s hutch onto the roof of the hutch. Inside, Olga nestles into her straw.

Olga narrates, I WAS JUST MAKING MY BED COMFORTABLE WHEN I HAD THE STRANGEST FEELING.

Olga scurries into her bedroom.

She narrates, A FEELING I WAS BEING WATCHED.

Olga looks around.

In the flashback, Olga says, HELLO?

On the roof, Noel leans over the edge and peaks inside. Inside, Olga lies in her bed.

Olga narrates, I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING OUTSIDE. BUT I DID SEE SOMETHING INSIDE.

She leaves the bed and crawls over to a pile of leafy greens.

Olga narrates, A BANQUET FIT FOR A GUINEA PIG. LETTUCE!

She scurries toward her food bowl, where a piece of lettuce and a bite of carrot lay. On the roof, Noel swats at the hutch.

Olga narrates, CARROTS.

She takes the carrot between her teeth and runs away. Noel peaks over the other side of the roof.

Olga narrates, AND SOMETHING BLACK I'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

Noel’s tail hangs outside one of Olga’s fenced windows.

Olga narrates, YUM!

She scurries over to the window.

[Noel screeching]

Noel pulls his tail away from the window.

Olga narrates, WELL, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS, BUT IT MADE A VERY LOUD NOISE!

Noel climbs up the fence. Karen and her mom run outside.

Olga narrates, ENOUGH TO BRING THE SAWDUST FAMILY RUNNING OUT, VERY QUICKLY.

Mr. Sawdust follows Karen and Mrs. Sawdust to a tree in the yard.

[Noel meowing]

Karen says, I WONDER WHAT FRIGHTENED HIM.

Mrs. Sawdust says, I DON'T KNOW.

Mr. Sawdust says, HERE, KITCHY, KITCHY, KITCHY, KITCHY.

Noel perches high in the tree. Mrs. Sawdust steps away.

Olga narrates, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON. BUT SINCE I HADN'T GOT MY DANDELION LEAVES, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE NIBBLING ON MY LETTUCE AND ENJOY THE SHOW.

In her hutch, she nibbles on a piece of lettuce. Mrs. Sawdust returns with a ladder.

Mr. Sawdust says, AH, HE'S NEVER GOING TO COME DOWN.

Mrs. Sawdust says, BORROWED THE LADDER FROM NEXT DOOR.

Olga narrates, A LADDER? THAT SOUNDED EXCITING.

Mr. Sawdust says, I'LL GO UP.

He takes the ladder from Mrs. Sawdust and leans it against the fence. Mr. Sawdust carefully climbs up the ladder. Karen and Mrs. Sawdust watch with nervous expressions.

[Olga squeaking]

Karen says, DON'T WORRY, OLGA.

She runs toward Olga’s hutch. At the top of the ladder, Mr. Sawdust grabs onto a branch.

[Mr. Sawdust grunting]

Mr. Sawdust says, OH GOSH. ALRIGHT.

Karen looks into Olga’s hutch through its glass door.

Karen says, IT WILL ALL BE OKAY.

Olga narrates, APART FROM STILL NOT HAVING MY DANDELION LEAVES, I WASN'T WORRIED AT ALL. I COULDN'T THINK OF A BETTER WAY TO PASS THE TIME.

[Branches snapping]

[Mr. Sawdust yelping]

[Leaves rustling]

[Mr. Sawdust grunting]

Olga narrates, THIS WAS FUN.

Mr. Sawdust reaches forward.

[Mr. Sawdust groaning]

Mr. Sawdust says, HERE, KITTY, KITTY, KITTY.

Mrs. Sawdust says, ARE YOU OKAY? MAYBE WE SHOULD CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE.

Olga narrates, FIRE BRIGADE? I'D NEVER SEEN A FIRE BRIGADE BEFORE. THIS WAS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER!

[Mr. Sawdust grunting]

Mrs. Sawdust says, OR MAYBE THE ANIMAL RESCUE TEAM?

Mr. Sawdust looks up at the tree and furrows his brow.

He says, HOLD ON. HE'S DISAPPEARED.

Mrs. Sawdust says, DISAPPEARED?

Noel climbs across the fence.

Mrs. Sawdust says, WHERE'S HE GONE?

Mr. Sawdust calls out, NOEL! NOEL! NOEL!

[Echoing]

Mr. Sawdust calls out, NOEL!

Mrs. Sawdust says, NOEL?

Karen says, HE'S HERE!

She kneels beside Nole and gently pets him.

[Mrs. Sawdust sighing in relief]

Mrs. Sawdust says, NOEL! WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU.

[Mr. Sawdust sighing in relief and chuckling]

Olga narrates, I WAS WORRIED TOO. IT APPEARS THAT WHAT I'D NIBBLED ON WASN'T FOOD. IT WAS THE TAIL OF A BLACK FURRY OBJECT!

Mr. Sawdust says, CATS.

Olga narrates, A CAT?

Karen says, NOEL, YOU'VE BEEN VERY NAUGHTY. WHAT MUST OLGA THINK OF YOU?

Olga narrates, I HADN'T MADE UP MY MIND WHAT I THOUGHT OF NOEL YET, BUT I COULD GUESS WHAT HE THOUGHT OF ME. AND IT WASN'T GOOD.

Karen says, AND AFTER ALL THAT, I'VE FORGOTTEN YOUR DANDELION LEAVES. I'LL GO AND GET THEM. NOW YOU BE GOOD, NOEL. JUST LIKE OLGA.

Karen leaves.

Olga narrates, UH-OH.

Noel glances toward Olga’s hutch.

He says, YOU! YOU...

In the flashback, Olga says, YOU CAN'T FRIGHTEN ME. MY HOUSE HAS LEGS TO KEEP YOU AWAY. MR. SAWDUST TOLD ME. HE WENT TO GREAT EXPENSE.

Noel says, YOU NIBBLED MY TAIL!

Olga says, HMM, YES, I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING.

Noel says, JUST YOU WAIT. ONE OF THESE DAYS, I'LL PULL YOUR TAIL TOO, AND –

Olga leaps past her door.

Noel says, YOU DON'T HAVE A TAIL!

Olga says, NO. I DON'T.

Noel says, BUT ALL FURRY CREATURES HAVE TAILS.

Olga says, GUINEA PIGS HAVEN'T. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT.

[Noel sighing]

Olga nibbles on her leafy greens.

[Munching]

Olga narrates, WITH ALL THIS TALK OF TAILS, I COULD FEEL ANOTHER TYPE OF "TALE" COMING ON, ONE THAT WOULD DISTRACT NOEL.

In the flashback, Olga says, IN FACT, WE LOST THEM A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.

Olga narrates an animated story. In the animation, a line separates a castle on top of a tall rock from a lush, green forest.

Olga narrates, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A PLACE CALLED BARSANCE, NEAR A COUNTRY CALLED PERU.

Barsance has the castle and the forest is in Peru.

Olga narrates, THE MEAN KING HAD LOCKED THE PRINCESS IN THE CASTLE.

A king locks a large lock on a chain wrapped around the castle and tosses it off the rock.

[Chain rattling]

[King giggling]

Olga narrates, SHE COULDN'T BE RESCUED BECAUSE THE ROCK ON WHICH THE CASTLE STOOD WAS AS SHEER AS A CLIFF AND AS TALL AS A MOUNTAIN.

A princess with long black hair looks out a window in the castle.

Olga narrates, EVEN THE BIRDS STAYED MAINLY ON THE GROUND.

A bird pecks at the ground.

[Bird chirping]

Olga narrates, ALL THE PRINCESS COULD DO WAS GAZE OUT OF THE WINDOW, HOPING SOMEONE WOULD HELP HER ESCAPE.

The princess looks sad.

Olga narrates, ONE DAY, SHE NOTICED A MILLION PAIRS OF EYES STARING AT HER FROM ACROSS THE BORDER IN PERU.

In Peru, a crowd of guinea pigs with long tails gaze up toward the princess.

Olga narrates, THAT'S WHERE GUINEA PIGS ARE FROM.

The guinea pigs’ tails twitch.

Olga narrates, WHEN THEY ASKED HER WHAT WAS WRONG, SHE TOLD THEM THE WHOLE SORRY STORY, AND THEIR TALES TWITCHED WITH SADNESS.

The guinea pigs cross the border to Barsance and look up at the princess. They frown, and their tails twitch.

In the live-action flashback, Olga says, IN THOSE DAYS, GUINEA PIGS HAD THE MOST MARVELLOUS TAILS. LONG AND THICK. IF YOU CAN IMAGINE A LONG YARN OF THE SOFTEST TEXTURE.

[Noel sighing]

Noel says, "LONG YARN" IS RIGHT. HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS STORY?

Olga says, THE POINT IS, GUINEA PIGS' TAILS WERE NOT LIKE ANY ORDINARY SORT OF TAIL. LIKE A CAT'S, FOR INSTANCE.

[Noel groaning]

Olga says, ANYWAYS.

In the animated story, the guinea pigs gaze up at the princess.

Olga narrates, AFTER THE PRINCESS HAD FINISHED HER STORY, THE GUINEA PIGS DISAPPEARED.

The guinea pigs leave the castle on the hill.

Olga narrates, WHEN AT LAST THEY RETURNED, THEY DRAGGED BEHIND THEM A LONG SILKY ROPE.

The guinea pigs carry a long rope made of their tails.

[Bird chirping]

The bird at the bottom of the rock flies over to the guinea pigs.

Olga narrates, THEY GAVE IT TO THE BIRD WHO FLEW UP TO THE PRINCESS, AND SHE WAS ABLE TO SLIDE ALL THE WAY DOWN!

The bird flies up to the castle. With the rope made of tails tied to the castle, the princess smiles and slides down to the guinea pigs waiting below.

[Guinea pigs cheering]

Olga narrates, SHE WAS FREE!

The princess looks at the rope and her smile drops.

Olga narrates, AS THE PRINCESS TURNED TO THANK THEM, SHE SUDDENLY REALIZED THE GREAT KINDNESS THE GUINEA PIGS HAD SHOWN.

The guinea pigs wiggle their tail-less bottoms.

Olga narrates, EACH AND EVERY GUINEA PIG HAD GIVEN UP ITS TAIL SO THAT IT MIGHT BE WOVEN INTO A ROPE TO HELP HER.

The princess awards a guinea pig a red rosette.

Olga narrates, AND SHE BESTOWED UPON THEM THE HIGHEST AWARD SHE COULD THINK OF.

The guinea pigs wear their rosettes.

[Guinea pigs cheering]

The bird flies over the guinea pigs.

[Bird chirping]

In the live-action flashback, Olga says, IT'S MORE THAN LIKELY I'M A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THOSE GUINEA PIGS WHO GAVE THEIR TAILS ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.

Noel says, WELL, THAT'S ALL VERY INTERESTING. BUT...

He licks his lips.

[Noel slurping]

Olga narrates, I WAS WORRIED MY TAIL OF A TALE HADN'T DISTRACTED NOEL AFTER ALL.

[Olga squeaking]

Olga scurries away to the other side of her hutch.

[Olga squeaking]

Noel says, I WOULDN'T GIVE UP MY TAIL FOR A PRINCESS.

Olga says, WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE GUINEA PIGS HAPPEN TO HAVE VERY GENEROUS NATURES.

Olga narrates, AND JUST TO PROVE MY POINT, I OFFERED NOEL SOME TASTY GRASS.

She walks over a pile of grass.

Olga asks, WANT TO SHARE?

Noel says, NO THANKS. BUT I'LL SEE YOU AROUND, NOW THIS IS YOUR HOME.

He walks away. Against the fence, Fanijo walks around pots of flowers.

[Fanijo humming]

Elsewhere in the yard, Graham lies in his hutch.

[Graham yawning]

A bird flies out of the birdhouse on the fence. Karen runs up to Olga’s hutch.

Karen says, DANDELION LEAVES FOR YOU, OLGA!

[Olga squeaking]

Karen opens the door to Olga’s hutch and reaches inside with a handful of dandelions.

Karen says, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIT IN PERFECTLY, OLGA.

She leaves the dandelions with Olga and closes the door.

Olga narrates, AND WITH ALL THESE DANDELIONS, I DID TOO.

[Olga squeaking]

[Wind lightly gusting]

[Birds chirping]

Noel lies on the grass outside Olga’s hutch.

Olga narrates, CATS ARE SILLY, BUT NOEL AND I GET ON OKAY.

[Noel sighing]

Noel walks away. Olga nibbles on a leaf.

Olga narrates, MOST OF THE TIME.

[Gentle music plays]

Olga finishes her leaf.

[Playful music plays]

End credits. Written by Sara Daddy. Cast: Olga, Lesley Harcourt. Noel, Susheel Kumar. Graham, Mark McDonnell. Fangio, Tim Licata. Mr. Sawdust, Greg Hemphill. Mrs. Sawdust, Julie Wilson Nimmo. Karen Sawdust, Isla Mercer. Karen Double, Mila D’Annunzlo.

Director, Michael Hines. Production manager, Jackie Dorman. Producer, Fiona Donaldson. Series producer, Uzma Mir. Series editor Jackie Savery. Logo: Mara Kids. Copyright MaraMedia MMXXII.

[Whooshing]

Logo: Boat Rocker.