# Ugly Animal Club

An episode of [Animal Tales: The Kids' Story Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1644596989), 16 Jun 2026, 18 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72402195/at505_uglyanimalclub_mixdown.mp3

An aye-aye goes in search of a place where, he hopes, he will finally be able to fit in. Written especially for this podcast by Simon. If you enjoyed this story, please do leave us a review. And, if you'd like to suggest an animal for a future Animal Tales story, you can do so by emailing podcast@animaltales.uk. We would love to hear from you. Animal Tales Books! Collections of Animal Tales children’s stories are available to buy exclusively at Amazon. Simply search for Animal Tales Short Stories or follow this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CLJQZ9C9?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_sirpi Become a PREMIUM Subscriber You can now enjoy Animal Tales by becoming a Premium Subscriber. This gets you: • All episodes in our catalogue advert free • Bonus Premium-only episodes (one per week) which will never be used on the main podcast • We guarantee to use one of your animal suggestions in a story You can sign up through Apple Podcasts or through Supercast and there are both monthly and yearly plans available. Discover a brand new story every Monday, Wednesday and Friday – just for you! You can find more Animal Tales at www.animaltales.uk A Note About The Adverts In order to allow us to make these stories we offer a premium subscription and run adverts. The adverts are not chosen by us, but played automatically depending on the platform you listen through (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc) and the country you live in. The adverts may even be different if you listen to the story twice. We have had a handful of instances where an advert has played that is not suitable for a family audience, despite the podcast clearly being labelled for children. If you’re concerned about an advert you hear, please contact the platform you are listening to directly. Spotify, in particular, has proven problematic in the past, for both inappropriate adverts and the volume at which the adverts play. If you find this happening, please let Spotify know via their Facebook customer care page. As creators, we want your child’s experience to be a pleasurable one. Running adverts is necessary to allow us to operate, but please do consider the premium subscription service as an alternative – it’s advert free.

## Transcript

[0:12] Speaker 1: Yo, Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,
[0:18] Speaker 1: where you suggest the animal for us to write a
[0:20] Speaker 1: story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand
[0:24] Speaker 1: new animal story here just for you. There are now
[0:28] Speaker 1: over one hundred extra stories on the Animal Tales premium service.
[0:34] Speaker 1: Find out how to join by visiting our new website
[0:37] Speaker 1: at Animaltales dot uk. And remember, for a tiny fee,
[0:42] Speaker 1: they're all advert free. Ian is from San Diego in
[0:48] Speaker 1: the USA and he would like a story with an
[0:51] Speaker 1: I and a blobfish. You can learn more about these
[0:55] Speaker 1: creatures in the animal Facts after the story. Now, settle back, relax,
[1:01] Speaker 1: and I'll begin Ugly Animal Club. The Eye Eye nervously
[1:08] Speaker 1: gazed up at the impressive stone building in the quiet street.
[1:13] Speaker 1: It had taken a lot of courage for him to
[1:15] Speaker 1: get this far, and now that he was here, he
[1:18] Speaker 1: was seriously considering giving up. But I mustn't, the eye
[1:23] Speaker 1: Eye said to himself, I need to go through with this,
[1:29] Speaker 1: And so he marched up the wide stone steps and
[1:32] Speaker 1: pressed the door bell with an incredibly long eye Eye finger.
[1:38] Speaker 1: It came as something of a surprise for the door
[1:40] Speaker 1: to be opened by a goldfish bowl Beneath the bowl
[1:44] Speaker 1: was a set of robotic crab legs with two long
[1:48] Speaker 1: pincer like arms, one of which was holding the door
[1:51] Speaker 1: open and filling much of the glass bowl was the
[1:56] Speaker 1: unmistakable face of a blobfish. Can I help you, asked
[2:01] Speaker 1: the blobfish politely. Um yes, said the eye eye, with
[2:07] Speaker 1: a slightly shaky voice. My name's Ian. I'm looking for
[2:12] Speaker 1: the Ugly Animal Club. Ah, I see, smiled the blobfish.
[2:19] Speaker 1: Please come in. Ian. Ian stepped into a lavishly decorated,
[2:25] Speaker 1: high ceilinged hallway with a sparkling chandelier and an enormous
[2:29] Speaker 1: oil painting of a naked mole rat in a top hat.
[2:34] Speaker 1: Have you traveled far, asked the blobfish. All the way
[2:39] Speaker 1: for Madagascar, replied the eyeye. Ah, very good, smiled the blobfish.
[2:47] Speaker 1: We get animals from all over the globe here at
[2:50] Speaker 1: the Ugly Animal Club. As he said this, a maraboo
[2:54] Speaker 1: stalk strode past. On his way to the next room.
[2:59] Speaker 1: Ian couldn't help but noticed the bird's bald head with
[3:02] Speaker 1: its patchy red and black skin. Ian thought he looked
[3:06] Speaker 1: quite frightening, and yet the bird still gave him a
[3:09] Speaker 1: friendly smile. As he passed. Come this way, said the Blobfish,
[3:15] Speaker 1: and I'll give you a tour. The robotic crab legs
[3:20] Speaker 1: scuttled off down the hallway, heading to the room where
[3:23] Speaker 1: the maraboo stalk had emerged from. It was some sort
[3:27] Speaker 1: of lounge with animals sitting in high backed chairs. One
[3:32] Speaker 1: or two were reading newspapers. A proboscous monkey was typing
[3:36] Speaker 1: away on a laptop, and a hammer head backed was
[3:40] Speaker 1: hanging upside down while scrolling on her mobile phone. Ah,
[3:45] Speaker 1: what's this called? A female Walruss sitting in a chair
[3:50] Speaker 1: that was straining beneath her weight. A new member, potentially
[3:56] Speaker 1: smiled the blobfish. Ian, this is Wendy. Wendy, meet Ian Hallo,
[4:03] Speaker 1: nodded Ian. Nice to meet you. Always a delight to
[4:08] Speaker 1: see a new face here, grinned the Walruss around her
[4:12] Speaker 1: long tusks and bristly mustache. Under Nice to see yours,
[4:18] Speaker 1: said Ian, immediately regretting his choice of words. The war Us, though,
[4:24] Speaker 1: didn't seem to mind. You're getting the tour, I see,
[4:29] Speaker 1: said Wendy. Well, don't let me hold you up. Have fun.
[4:35] Speaker 1: Ian waved good bye, folding back his oddly long finger
[4:39] Speaker 1: in an attempt to hide it and through here, said
[4:44] Speaker 1: the blobfish, scurrying into the next room is our game's room.
[4:50] Speaker 1: A lumpy faced wart hog with curling horns was playing
[4:54] Speaker 1: a game of snooker against a Vietnamese pot bellied pig.
[4:58] Speaker 1: There was lots of grunting and snuffling going on as
[5:02] Speaker 1: they lined up their shots. On a nearby table, a
[5:06] Speaker 1: purple frog was playing solitaire, while in the far corner,
[5:11] Speaker 1: a star nosed mole was playing chess against a giant salamander.
[5:17] Speaker 1: Check Mate, said the star nosed mole. Happily I win,
[5:23] Speaker 1: good game, Reggie, said the giant salamander. Say you're new,
[5:28] Speaker 1: aren't you, said the star nosed mole to Ian. Fancy
[5:32] Speaker 1: a game? Oh no, not right now, said Ian shyly.
[5:39] Speaker 1: He's having the tour, explained the blobfish. Maybe later. Ian
[5:45] Speaker 1: nodded at the possibility, but in truth he didn't want
[5:49] Speaker 1: to play. He just wouldn't be comfortable playing a game
[5:52] Speaker 1: where anyone that walked by could just stare at him.
[5:56] Speaker 1: He was grateful that the blobfish was already heading on.
[6:01] Speaker 1: Across the hallway was a tall dining room with several
[6:05] Speaker 1: round tables laid out with fine glassware and shining silver cutlery.
[6:10] Speaker 1: An extremely wrinkled Damascus goat was tucking into a salad,
[6:15] Speaker 1: while on a neighboring table, a snub nosed monkey was
[6:19] Speaker 1: wiping ice cream from her chin. The club will serve
[6:25] Speaker 1: you food wherever you want, explained the blobfish. But if
[6:29] Speaker 1: it's a proper meal that you want, then you're better
[6:32] Speaker 1: off coming in here. Would you care for something to eat?
[6:37] Speaker 1: Asked a pottoo bird appearing with that day's menu. It
[6:41] Speaker 1: had extremely large yellow eyes, neither of which were quite
[6:46] Speaker 1: looking at ean. I'm fine, thank you, said the eye
[6:50] Speaker 1: eye politely. He was used to having his meals alone
[6:55] Speaker 1: in the dead of night, not in the middle of
[6:57] Speaker 1: a restaurant. Well, well you know where to find us,
[7:02] Speaker 1: smiled the pottoo bird, as it waddled off the crab
[7:07] Speaker 1: legged goldfish bowl scampered back into the hallway, with ian following.
[7:12] Speaker 1: The deep plush carpet changed to a smooth black and
[7:16] Speaker 1: white tile lined with ferns and palms that erupted from
[7:20] Speaker 1: plump vases and pots. This opened out into a room
[7:25] Speaker 1: with a glass roof. In the center was a swimming
[7:28] Speaker 1: pool where a goblin shark was doing lengths. Hi there,
[7:34] Speaker 1: said the long nose shark, with a wave of a
[7:37] Speaker 1: fin er Hello, replied Ian. He wasn't used to so
[7:43] Speaker 1: much friendly attention. This is a popular part of the club,
[7:48] Speaker 1: said the blobfish. Here you can swim, enjoy a sauna,
[7:53] Speaker 1: soak in a jacuzzi, or even have a massage. It's
[7:57] Speaker 1: a great place to relax, Yes, said Ian, trying to
[8:02] Speaker 1: look impressed, but in truth he wasn't keen on this
[8:07] Speaker 1: area at all. It didn't make him feel relaxed one bit.
[8:12] Speaker 1: In fact, quite the opposite. Is everything all right, asked
[8:17] Speaker 1: the blobfish. You look if you don't mind me saying
[8:21] Speaker 1: so a little worried. No, no, I'm fine, lied the eyeye.
[8:28] Speaker 1: Don't you worry about me? The blobfish, though, smiled as
[8:33] Speaker 1: if he'd seen this all before. Let's head out into
[8:37] Speaker 1: the garden. We can chat there, he said. Despite being
[8:43] Speaker 1: in the middle of a city, the club's garden was
[8:46] Speaker 1: so well looked after, with mature trees and colorful plants,
[8:50] Speaker 1: that you could be forgiven for thinking that you were
[8:53] Speaker 1: in the jungle. Somewhere they found a private table and
[8:57] Speaker 1: two chairs tucked away on a patty where a waiter
[9:01] Speaker 1: brought Ian a tall, cold glass of orange juice. So
[9:06] Speaker 1: tell me, said the blobfish. What made you interested in
[9:11] Speaker 1: the Ugly Animal Club? The eye eye fidgeted awkwardly in
[9:16] Speaker 1: his seat. You may have noticed, Ian said slowly that
[9:23] Speaker 1: I'm not the most handsome of animals. Some would say
[9:27] Speaker 1: that I'm well weird looking. The blobfish gazed at the
[9:32] Speaker 1: eyes rodent like teeth and bulging orange eyes and bat
[9:37] Speaker 1: like ears. I wouldn't say that, he replied. You're just
[9:44] Speaker 1: being kind, said Ian. You see where I come from.
[9:49] Speaker 1: I'm so strange compared to all the other lemurs that
[9:53] Speaker 1: it's best that I only come out at night when
[9:56] Speaker 1: nobody can see me. So you spend a lot of
[10:00] Speaker 1: time alone, suggested the blobfish. That's right, nodded Ian. I mean,
[10:08] Speaker 1: who wants to stare at a face like mine? Best
[10:12] Speaker 1: that I stay out of everyone's way. So why travel
[10:17] Speaker 1: all the way here? The blobfish inquired. You're called the
[10:22] Speaker 1: Ugly Animal Club, said Ian, A club for ugly animals
[10:28] Speaker 1: like me. I thought, I might you know fit in here,
[10:34] Speaker 1: I see, smiled the blobfish. Well, you'll be pleased to know.
[10:40] Speaker 1: That's why most animals seek us out. It's a perfectly
[10:43] Speaker 1: normal thing to do. Do you have lots of animals
[10:47] Speaker 1: as members, asked Ian, Oh, you'd be surprised, laughed the blobfish.
[10:55] Speaker 1: We are a very very big club. I was surprised
[11:00] Speaker 1: at how unbothered the animals were that we met today,
[11:05] Speaker 1: pointed out Ian. Unbothered, repeated the blobfish. Unbothered about what? Well?
[11:15] Speaker 1: You know, said Ian about the way they look. Oh,
[11:21] Speaker 1: I see what you're saying. The blobfish nodded. Do you
[11:26] Speaker 1: recall the large painting when you arrived of the naked
[11:31] Speaker 1: mole rat in the top hat, asked Ian. That's the
[11:35] Speaker 1: one smiled the blobfish. That's theopalis snook. The club's founder,
[11:43] Speaker 1: like you, he didn't consider himself a handsome animal, what
[11:47] Speaker 1: with his giant teeth and hairless skin, at least to
[11:52] Speaker 1: begin with. What do you mean? Asked Ian. The blobfish,
[11:58] Speaker 1: though didn't answer. He was watching a peacock walk by,
[12:03] Speaker 1: trailing his beautifully colored feathers behind him. Once he'd passed,
[12:09] Speaker 1: Ian turned to his guide in astonishment. Was that peacock
[12:14] Speaker 1: supposed to be here? Ian asked? Isn't this a club
[12:18] Speaker 1: for ugly animals. Surely peacock's are anything but ugly. That's
[12:25] Speaker 1: precisely what I was trying to explain, said the blobfish.
[12:30] Speaker 1: Theopolis snook realized something very important, and it's something that
[12:36] Speaker 1: we at the Ugly Animal Club work very hard to
[12:40] Speaker 1: share with every one that comes here. And what's that,
[12:45] Speaker 1: asked Ian. It's very simple, the blobfish said, you, Ian,
[12:52] Speaker 1: are not ugly, but protested the eye. Eye. But the
[12:58] Speaker 1: blobfish wasn't finished, And neither are any of the animals here,
[13:04] Speaker 1: continued the fish, not a single one of them. You see,
[13:09] Speaker 1: what Theopolis snook realized is that he didn't look ugly,
[13:14] Speaker 1: but different. I'm not sure I understand, Ian said. Let
[13:20] Speaker 1: me put it this way, said the blobfish. Theopolis was
[13:25] Speaker 1: a naked mole rat amongst naked mole rats. He looked
[13:30] Speaker 1: exactly how a naked mole rat should look. He did not,
[13:34] Speaker 1: he realized, look like a leopard, or a dolphin or
[13:38] Speaker 1: an armadillo, and nor was he supposed to. Of course,
[13:43] Speaker 1: he looked different to those animals, but comparing himself to
[13:47] Speaker 1: them was pointless. He was a naked mole rat and
[13:51] Speaker 1: looked like a naked mole rat. I think I understand,
[13:57] Speaker 1: said Ian. At last, you're saying that I'm precisely how
[14:02] Speaker 1: an eeye is supposed to look. So is that why
[14:06] Speaker 1: the animals we met weren't bothered about me looking at them.
[14:10] Speaker 1: You've got it, grinned the blobfish. They've realized that there's
[14:15] Speaker 1: nothing wrong with how they appear to others. They look
[14:19] Speaker 1: how they're supposed to and I hope you're starting to
[14:23] Speaker 1: realize that too. But what about the peacock, asked the
[14:29] Speaker 1: eye eye? Why is he here? He believes that he's ugly,
[14:35] Speaker 1: sighed the blobfish, a bird with some of the finest
[14:39] Speaker 1: plumage in all the world, thinks he's a terrible sight
[14:42] Speaker 1: to behold. But why, Ian asked? Anyone can have those feelings,
[14:50] Speaker 1: the blobfish explained, Even if you're not comparing yourself to
[14:55] Speaker 1: other animals but those of your own kind, you might
[14:58] Speaker 1: find yourself feeling in secure and unsure about your looks.
[15:03] Speaker 1: So that peacock's taking the time to consider that even
[15:07] Speaker 1: amongst other peacocks, he's different. Every single one of us
[15:13] Speaker 1: is different. We're each unique and special because of it,
[15:18] Speaker 1: and there's nothing wrong with that. It's something to be
[15:23] Speaker 1: proud of, realized Ian, not ashamed of You've got it,
[15:30] Speaker 1: said the blobfish. Well done. I knew when I first
[15:35] Speaker 1: laid eyes on you that you were perfect for the
[15:37] Speaker 1: Ugly Animal Club. Now, how's that appetite? Feeling hungry? Yet?
[15:44] Speaker 1: I rather think I am, said the eyeye. And do
[15:48] Speaker 1: you know, I've never eaten with another animal in all
[15:52] Speaker 1: my life, but right now I'm rather looking forward to it.
[15:57] Speaker 1: But before we go through, I'd just like to do
[16:01] Speaker 1: one thing. And what's that, asked the blobfish. I'm going
[16:07] Speaker 1: to run after that peacock and ask him to join us,
[16:11] Speaker 1: said Ian. Just maybe I can help him understand that
[16:16] Speaker 1: there's nothing wrong with looking a little different animals that
[16:26] Speaker 1: my eyes are a nocturnal lemur for Madagascar. Sadly, they
[16:31] Speaker 1: are on the brink of extinction due to the actions
[16:33] Speaker 1: of humans, so are now a protected species. Although we
[16:39] Speaker 1: may consider them strange looking, we must remember that their
[16:43] Speaker 1: adaptations are what allow them to be successful foragers in
[16:47] Speaker 1: the nighttime forests. Blobfish are very misunderstood creatures. They live
[16:54] Speaker 1: in a section of the ocean called the midnight zone,
[16:57] Speaker 1: which is incredibly deep and under tremendous pressure, so their
[17:02] Speaker 1: bodies have adapted to living there. When we catch them
[17:06] Speaker 1: and bring them to the surface, their bodies collapse into
[17:10] Speaker 1: the blob shape we've seen in photographs, so not at
[17:14] Speaker 1: all like they look normally. Thank you for your suggestions, Ian,
[17:19] Speaker 1: We hope that you all enjoyed the story. Wherever you're
[17:22] Speaker 1: listening in the world, don't forget to look at our
[17:26] Speaker 1: animal Tales books. Discover them all at animaltales dot uk.
[17:32] Speaker 1: Great bedtime reading, especially if you've discovered the joy of
[17:36] Speaker 1: reading for yourself. Make sure you join us next time
[17:39] Speaker 1: for another great animal tale. Good Bye,

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