✦ New cast · Round 5

Mettie Metronome

Broad triangular peach metronome with a navy swinging pointer held still, gold base and tiny teal arms.

TeachesMaking excited speech easier to follow

EpisodeThe Speedy Story

LengthAbout 30 seconds

Catchphrase“Leave room for listening!”

Read the script All 100 new friends

The script.

Mettie tells a puppet adventure so quickly that a helper looks confused. Mettie pauses and retells one sentence at a time without raising volume. Mettie holds up a picture of a snail driving a tiny bus.

0–6s

My story is sprinting ahead of your ears. I am excited!

Mettie tells a puppet adventure so quickly that a helper looks confused.

6–16s

I can slow the words and leave a little space.

Mettie pauses and retells one sentence at a time without raising volume.

16–25s

Even this snail has a speed limit.

Mettie holds up a picture of a snail driving a tiny bus.

25–30s

Leave room for listening!

Hold the resolved comic result; deliver the catchphrase without rushing.

More episodes.

5 new episodes starring Mettie Metronome, plus 6 guest appearances with the rest of the crew. Each is a 30-second script: tap one to read it.

slowing down excited wordsOne Beat at a TimePash talks too fast about her news, and Mettie keeps a beat so she can be heard.With Mettie Metronome, Pash Fruit · tap for the script

0-6s Pash zooms in.
Pash: I won a prize it is a big balloon and it is red!
6-16s Mettie holds her pointer steady.
Mettie: Leave room for listening. One beat, one word. Slow is fine.
16-25s Pash breathes.
Pash: I. Won. A. Balloon. Red. Balloon.
25-30s Pash hands the balloon to Mettie. Mettie's pointer bonks it, and it bobs like a beat. They giggle.
Mettie: Balloon beat! / Pash: Leave room for listening!

“Leave room for listening!”

asking someone to slow downSquishy RepeatMettie excitedly tells a story too fast, so Saffy asks her to repeat and slow down.With Mettie Metronome, Saffy Sponge · tap for the script

0-6s Mettie talks fast.
Mettie: We went to the lake and saw a duck and it quacked!
6-16s Saffy squishes her face.
Saffy: I did not hear. Can you say it again?
16-25s Mettie ticks her pointer slowly.
Mettie: We. Went. To. The. Lake. Saw. A. Duck.
25-30s Saffy hears every word and squeaks with joy. Mettie bobs in time to the squeak.
Saffy: Duck! / Mettie: Leave room for listening! / Saffy: Every word!

“Not heard? Ask again!”

helping when words are hardPicture WordsWally cannot find his words, so Mettie waits and he draws instead.With Mettie Metronome, Wally Walnut · tap for the script

0-6s Wally tries to talk. Words stick.
Wally: I... I... um... The flying thing.
6-16s Mettie waits, steady.
Mettie: Take your time. I am listening. No rush at all.
16-25s Wally draws a picture of a kite.
Wally: Kite! / Mettie: Pictures can carry words! / Wally: I want to fly it!
25-30s Wally draws Mettie as a kite. Mettie flaps her arms like she is flying.
Wally: You fly! / Mettie: Leave room for listening! / Wally: Flap, flap!

“Pictures can carry words!”

taking turns talking after a disagreementTalking OverMettie and Harmie talk over each other after an argument, so they set a turn beat.With Mettie Metronome, Harmie Harpbox · tap for the script

0-6s Both talk at once.
Mettie: You took my seat! / Harmie: You moved first!
6-16s Mettie freezes her pointer.
Mettie: Leave room for listening. You first. Then me.
16-25s Harmie talks. Then Mettie.
Harmie: I thought it was free. / Mettie: I just got up. / Mettie: Let us share it?
25-30s They share the seat. It is too small; they end up stacked like a funny tower.
Harmie: Restart? / Mettie: Restarting takes two yeses! / Harmie: Yes! / Mettie: Yes!

“Restarting takes two yeses!”

sharing a dream clearlyBig Dream, Slow WordsTully excitedly describes her space dream too fast, and Mettie helps her slow it down.With Mettie Metronome, Tully Telescope · tap for the script

0-6s Tully bounces.
Tully: I want to go to the moon and build a house there!
6-16s Mettie ticks gently.
Mettie: Leave room for listening. Slow beat. Tell it slowly.
16-25s Tully slows.
Tully: Moon. House. Telescope. Today: read about moons.
25-30s Tully reads. Mettie wears a paper moon hat. Tully laughs so hard her tripod wobbles.
Mettie: Moon friend! / Tully: Today's part counts! / Tully: Moon hat!

“Today's part still counts!”

Guest appearances

slowing excited speech so others can followTick, Tock, StoryMara tells her big news so fast nobody understands, and Mettie gives her a steady beat.With Mara Maraca, Mettie Metronome · tap for the script

0-6s Mara bursts in, shaking with excitement.
Mara: IsawafrogandithoppedandIhoppedandwebothfell!
6-16s Mettie tilts her head.
Mettie: That sounds exciting! Can you slow down so I can listen?
16-25s Mettie ticks slowly. Mara talks to the beat.
Mara: I saw a frog. It hopped. I hopped. We both fell in the mud.
25-30s Mettie laughs so hard her pointer swings on its own. Mara copies the hop and plops onto a cushion.
Mettie: Leave room for listening!

“Leave room for listening!”

asking someone to repeatInstructions Too FastMettie explains the craft rules super fast, so Toast and Saffy ask her to say it again slower.With Focus Toast, Mettie Metronome, Saffy Sponge · tap for the script

0-6s Mettie rattles off craft instructions at lightning speed; Toast and Saffy blink.
Mettie: Cut-glue-fold-stick-paint-flip-done!
6-16s Saffy raises a soft corner.
Saffy: I didn't catch that. Can you say it again?
16-25s Mettie holds her pointer still and slows way down, leaving pauses.
Mettie: Cut. Then glue. Then fold. Leave room for listening!
25-30s Toast and Saffy finish matching paper crowns; Toast's crown is shaped like a tiny slice of bread.
Toast: I feel proud! Saffy: Not heard? Ask again!

“Not heard? Ask again!”

making excited speech easier to followToo Fast to FollowHarmie tells an exciting story so fast that Mettie and Vinnie can't follow, so he slows down.With Harmie Harpbox, Mettie Metronome, Vinnie Vinyl · tap for the script

0-6s Harmie bursts in, words tumbling out.
Harmie: I-saw-a-giant-dog-and-it-had-a-hat-and-it-sneezed!
6-16s Mettie holds up her pointer.
Mettie: Leave room for listening! Slower, please.
16-25s Harmie takes a breath and tells it again.
Harmie: I saw a dog. It wore a hat. It sneezed.
25-30s Vinnie spins with laughter; the story is so funny he repeats it, and Mettie keeps the beat.
Vinnie: Hat dog! Spin it again! Harmie: Leave room for listening!

“Leave room for listening!”

making excited speech easy to followSlow Down the SqueezeAddie is so excited about her news she says it too fast, so Mettie gives her a steady beat.With Addie Accordion, Mettie Metronome · tap for the script

0-6s Addie bursts in.
Addie: Guess what my grandma is coming and we are going to the beach and...
6-16s Mettie taps her still pointer.
Mettie: Leave room for listening. One beat, one word.
16-25s Addie breathes in and out with her bellows.
Addie: Guess. What. Grandma. Is. Coming!
25-30s Mettie gasps. Addie gives one happy honk so loud her keys bounce.
Mettie: Yay! / Addie: Leave room for listening! / Mettie: Tell me more!

“Leave room for listening!”

making excited speech easier to followWhirl-TalkWhimsy talks so fast nobody can follow, and Mettie helps her leave room for listening.With Whimsy Whisk, Mettie Metronome · tap for the script

0-6s Whimsy tells a story at top speed.
Whimsy: And-then-the-dog-and-the-hat-and-the-cake-and- Whimsy: -and-a-boat!
6-16s Mettie holds up her pointer, perfectly still.
Mettie: Leave room for listening. Tick. Tock. Whimsy: Oops. Too fast?
16-25s Whimsy tries again, one tick at a time.
Whimsy: A dog. Wore a hat. Ate the cake.
25-30s Mettie laughs so hard her pointer wiggles.
Mettie: Leave room for listening! Whimsy: Choose one beginning! Whimsy: The dog loved it.

“Leave room for listening!”

asking a speaker to slow downOne Beat At A TimeMettie tells a story way too fast, and Shelby asks for one beat at a time so she can hear every part.With Shelby Scallop, Mettie Metronome · tap for the script

0-6s Mettie's pointer is a blur as she talks. Shelby's ridges spin.
Mettie Metronome: Today-park-dog-ball-splash-slide-and-then! / Shelby Scallop: Whoa, whoa!
6-16s Shelby holds up a sea-green foot like a gentle stop sign.
Shelby Scallop: I want every bit. One beat at a time? / Mettie Metronome: Tick... tock...
16-25s Mettie's pointer swings slowly as she tells it.
Mettie Metronome: We went to the park. A dog found a ball. Splash, into the pond.
25-30s Mettie mimes a dog shaking off; Shelby pretends to get splashed.
Shelby Scallop: Then what? / Mettie Metronome: The dog shook. We got the bath!

“Let the ending arrive!”

using a rhythm to waitCookie Tick-TockThe cookies need ten more minutes, so Mettie gives Bopbin a beat to wiggle to while waiting.With Bopbin, Mettie Metronome · tap for the script

0-6s Kitchen. Cookies bake in the oven. Bopbin presses on the window.
Bopbin: Are they done? Are they done now?
6-16s Mettie starts ticking.
Mettie Metronome: Ten more minutes. Wiggle to my beat. / Bopbin: Tick, wiggle!
16-25s Bopbin wiggles to the beat. Tick, wiggle, tock, wiggle.
Mettie Metronome: Slower now. Nice and easy. / Bopbin: Tick... wiggle... tock...
25-30s Ding! The cookies are done. Each one has a little wiggle shape on top.
Bopbin: Look, wiggle cookies! Wait, wiggle, here I am!

“Wait, wiggle, here I am!”

Round 5 crew.

The other characters from this round. Swipe to meet them.

← Harmie Harpbox Vinnie Vinyl →