# The Diamond Cutter

An episode of [Animal Tales: The Kids' Story Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1644596989), 10 May 2026, 17 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71890647/at494_thediamondcutter_mixdown.mp3

A black panther is hired to watch over a diamond. 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: Yea, hello. My name's Josephine, and this is the Animal
[0:17] Speaker 1: Tales podcast, where you suggest the animals featured in our stories.
[0:22] Speaker 1: There are new tales to enjoy every Monday and Wednesday,
[0:26] Speaker 1: with a third premium only story every Friday. If you've
[0:30] Speaker 1: particularly enjoyed an animal tale story, then please do let
[0:34] Speaker 1: your friends know so they can enjoy it too. Zia
[0:38] Speaker 1: is from California in the U s A. And she
[0:41] Speaker 1: would like a story featuring a black panther, a lemur,
[0:45] Speaker 1: and a white blizzard leopard gecko. You can learn more
[0:48] Speaker 1: about these creatures in the animal facts after the story. Okay,
[0:53] Speaker 1: are you ready? That's good, then I'll begin. The diamond
[0:59] Speaker 1: cutter sire arrived at the apartment right on time. She
[1:05] Speaker 1: was a black panther who considered herself a very reliable
[1:08] Speaker 1: and trustworthy animal. The door was answered by a much
[1:12] Speaker 1: smaller creature. He was an unusual kind of leopard gecko,
[1:17] Speaker 1: as he didn't have any pattern upon his skin, making
[1:20] Speaker 1: him almost white. What's more, he was very old, with thick,
[1:25] Speaker 1: black rimmed glasses that looked too large for his head.
[1:30] Speaker 1: You must be sire, said the leopard gecko. I'm Ralph,
[1:34] Speaker 1: do come in Sire entered the nicely decorated apartment, taking
[1:39] Speaker 1: a seat on an arm chair. You come very highly recommended,
[1:44] Speaker 1: said Ralph as he sat opposite her. You're just the
[1:48] Speaker 1: sort of protection that I need, if you don't mind
[1:52] Speaker 1: me asking, responded Sire, protection from what Why would somebody
[1:58] Speaker 1: like you need a bodyguard ands for two weeks? That's
[2:02] Speaker 1: a fair question, said the leopard Gecko. I am, or rather,
[2:07] Speaker 1: I was a cutter of diamonds. Sire looked unsure. You
[2:13] Speaker 1: cut diamonds as a job. That's right, said Ralph. When
[2:19] Speaker 1: a diamond is dug from the ground, it's not all
[2:22] Speaker 1: shiny and sparkly like the ones you see on jewelry
[2:25] Speaker 1: or in movies. They're rough and bumpy, so to transform
[2:30] Speaker 1: them into something spectacular they need shaping and polishing by
[2:34] Speaker 1: an expert. It takes a long time, but the end
[2:38] Speaker 1: result is something beautiful to behold. That still doesn't explain
[2:43] Speaker 1: why I'm here, pointed out Sire. I was coming to that,
[2:48] Speaker 1: smiled the leopard Gecko. I was once considered to be
[2:52] Speaker 1: the finest diamond cutter of them all, and then I retired.
[2:57] Speaker 1: Then last week I was offered considerable amount of money
[3:01] Speaker 1: to cut one last stone, and it's arriving here shortly,
[3:07] Speaker 1: I see, said Sire, nodding her fury black head. And
[3:12] Speaker 1: you need me to stay here to protect both you
[3:15] Speaker 1: and the diamond while you work on it, precisely, smiled Ralph,
[3:21] Speaker 1: just as the doorbell rang. Ah, they're early. Sire was
[3:27] Speaker 1: already on her feet. I'll get it, she insisted. She
[3:32] Speaker 1: was here to keep the gecko safe, and that job
[3:35] Speaker 1: began the moment she'd arrived. Waiting in the hallway was
[3:39] Speaker 1: a Samatran rhino wearing dark sunglasses and carrying a black
[3:43] Speaker 1: leather briefcase. Beside him was a serious looking bintarroon in
[3:48] Speaker 1: a pinstriped suit. We're here to see the gecko, the
[3:53] Speaker 1: Bintarong said gruffly. Zia invited them in, where the two
[3:57] Speaker 1: visitors made no attempt to sit. Show me where you'll
[4:02] Speaker 1: be working, said the bintarroon to Ralph. Through here, he answered,
[4:08] Speaker 1: showing them to a neighboring room. It was small, with
[4:12] Speaker 1: a blind at the window, a desk and chair, and
[4:15] Speaker 1: a safe. The bintarroon went straight to the window, peering
[4:20] Speaker 1: through to a brick wall opposite. You work with the
[4:23] Speaker 1: blinds closed. He asked, always, answered Ralph, and is this
[4:30] Speaker 1: here your security, said the bintarroon, gesturing to Siah. It is,
[4:36] Speaker 1: and she comes very highly recommended, said Ralph patiently. Very well,
[4:42] Speaker 1: said the bintarroon. Larry, open the case. Larry, the Samatran
[4:48] Speaker 1: rhino lifted the case on to the table, revealing that
[4:52] Speaker 1: it was attached to his wrist by a chain. A
[4:56] Speaker 1: key was produced, The lid opened and there was the cut,
[5:00] Speaker 1: rough diamond. The bin Turron placed it into Ralph's hands.
[5:07] Speaker 1: This will look quite exquisite once I've finished, smiled the gecko.
[5:12] Speaker 1: Two weeks, said the bin Turon. Then you get paid.
[5:17] Speaker 1: We'll be back, and with that he and the rhino left.
[5:23] Speaker 1: Shortly after Zia had been shown her room and unpacked,
[5:27] Speaker 1: she returned to find Ralph had already begun to work.
[5:31] Speaker 1: What should I do, she asked? For now, not much,
[5:36] Speaker 1: replied Ralph. Keep the front door bolted, make me a
[5:40] Speaker 1: drink every now and again, and keep your eyes and
[5:43] Speaker 1: ears open for anything suspicious. That's it, asked the black panther.
[5:50] Speaker 1: For now, smiled the gecko and got back to work.
[5:55] Speaker 1: For the next thirteen days, Ralph worked and Zia kept
[6:00] Speaker 1: watch the black Panther paid attention to cummings and goings
[6:04] Speaker 1: in the hallway. Outside, she organized the delivery of groceries
[6:09] Speaker 1: so she didn't have to leave Ralph unattended, and for
[6:12] Speaker 1: the rest of the time she read books and watched
[6:15] Speaker 1: TV in the living room. Occasionally she'd stand at the
[6:19] Speaker 1: window overlooking a rain forest city park and watch the
[6:23] Speaker 1: world go by. It was a far more entertaining view
[6:27] Speaker 1: than the brick wall opposite where Ralph was working. The
[6:32] Speaker 1: leopard gecko started early and worked late, taking most of
[6:36] Speaker 1: his meals at his desk. He clearly intended to meet
[6:40] Speaker 1: the two week deadline. The evening before the Binterrong was
[6:44] Speaker 1: due to return, Ralph called Sire into his workshop. Is
[6:49] Speaker 1: something the matter? Asked the black panther. Far from it,
[6:54] Speaker 1: smiled the gecko as he held up the finished diamond.
[6:59] Speaker 1: What was once a rough, shapeless lump was now a fabulous,
[7:03] Speaker 1: sparkling gem. It's beautiful, said Zia. Ralph then placed the
[7:10] Speaker 1: diamond in the small safe. Oh I ache all over,
[7:15] Speaker 1: he said, stretching his back. I'll certainly sleep well tonight.
[7:21] Speaker 1: But Zia did not sleep well. She didn't even go
[7:25] Speaker 1: to bed. She had been hired to protect both Ralph
[7:29] Speaker 1: and the diamond, and now that the diamond was completed,
[7:33] Speaker 1: it was worth far more money than when it had arrived.
[7:36] Speaker 1: If anyone was going to try to take it, they
[7:39] Speaker 1: were more likely to do so now Before the bintero
[7:42] Speaker 1: On returned, so Zia made sure the door was locked,
[7:47] Speaker 1: pushed a sturdy cabinet against it to make doubly sure,
[7:51] Speaker 1: and then took a seat facing towards it. At around midnight,
[7:57] Speaker 1: a noisy couple stumbled down the hallway outside, shushing one
[8:01] Speaker 1: another and giggling. Zia heard them drop their keys before
[8:06] Speaker 1: tumbling into an apartment. Later, her sensitive ears detected softer footsteps.
[8:13] Speaker 1: She crossed to the spy hole and saw the spoon
[8:16] Speaker 1: bill that lived opposite coming home carrying a pizza. It
[8:20] Speaker 1: smelled good. At around two in the morning, Zia became
[8:25] Speaker 1: aware of a disturbance in the park. From the living
[8:29] Speaker 1: room window, she could see that a fire had started,
[8:32] Speaker 1: sending up thick coils of smoke that rose up to
[8:36] Speaker 1: block the stars. The fire was too far away to
[8:40] Speaker 1: determine what was burning, but Zia could already hear sirens.
[8:45] Speaker 1: She'd walked through the park two weeks ago on her
[8:48] Speaker 1: way here and had passed a small kiosk selling ice cream.
[8:53] Speaker 1: She couldn't be sure, but it seemed likely that this
[8:56] Speaker 1: was a light. She allowed herself to be distracted a
[9:01] Speaker 1: moment longer before telling herself to return to her chair,
[9:05] Speaker 1: But before she took a seat, she poked her head
[9:08] Speaker 1: into Ralph's makeshift workshop. She gave the door a gentle
[9:12] Speaker 1: push to reveal the desk and safe, which was open.
[9:17] Speaker 1: The diamond was gone. It was then that she saw
[9:21] Speaker 1: the long ringed tail dangling from the window. A Leama,
[9:26] Speaker 1: dressed all in black, was looking at her, a look
[9:30] Speaker 1: of sheer pleasure on her face. Too late, said the Leama,
[9:35] Speaker 1: and leapt Zia darted forward in time to see the
[9:40] Speaker 1: lemur scaling up the side of the apartment building. She
[9:43] Speaker 1: was quick. For a second, the black panther thought of
[9:47] Speaker 1: trying to follow, but decided she'd be faster going another way.
[9:53] Speaker 1: She wrenched aside the sturdy cabinet and unfastened the door,
[9:57] Speaker 1: then bounded down the corridor and up the stairs in
[10:01] Speaker 1: a way that only black panthers can. She burst out
[10:05] Speaker 1: onto the roof seconds later, in time to see the
[10:08] Speaker 1: surprised Lema clambering onto the ledge that overlooked the alley.
[10:13] Speaker 1: I hope you're not going to cause me any trouble,
[10:16] Speaker 1: said the Lema. I'm being paid a lot of money
[10:19] Speaker 1: to steal this diamond, and I've gone to a lot
[10:22] Speaker 1: of effort to do it. She nodded towards the park,
[10:26] Speaker 1: where the emergency services were tackling the blaze. So you
[10:32] Speaker 1: started the fire as a distraction, said Sire, But instead
[10:37] Speaker 1: of answering, the ringtailed Lima jumped from the building. Limas
[10:42] Speaker 1: are built for taking big leaps, but even so, the
[10:46] Speaker 1: gap across the alley was quite a distance, but she
[10:49] Speaker 1: made it unable to resist, directing a smug grin towards Sire.
[10:55] Speaker 1: Zia sprinted forth, covering the gap to the ledge of
[10:59] Speaker 1: the building so quickly that the Lema almost forgot to run.
[11:04] Speaker 1: The black panther launched herself, covering the width of the
[11:07] Speaker 1: alley with ease, before continuing to give chase across the rooftops.
[11:14] Speaker 1: They ran, and the only reason Zia didn't catch the
[11:17] Speaker 1: Lema quickly was that the thief was smaller, able to
[11:21] Speaker 1: take more direct routes between and under objects that crowded
[11:25] Speaker 1: the roof spaces. A particular set of air conditioning equipment
[11:30] Speaker 1: forced Zia to go the long way around, meaning that
[11:34] Speaker 1: when she got to the other side, the lema was
[11:36] Speaker 1: nowhere in sight. Growling under her breath, Zia prowled back
[11:42] Speaker 1: and forth, looking for the lema's hiding place or escape route,
[11:48] Speaker 1: but the longer she took, the further away the lema
[11:51] Speaker 1: might get. Then, looking down into a side street, she
[11:55] Speaker 1: spied the distinctive ringed tail of the lema disappearing into
[12:00] Speaker 1: the back of a large black car. It pulled away
[12:04] Speaker 1: almost immediately. Zia broke into a run again, jumping from
[12:09] Speaker 1: roof to roof as she followed the car's progress. Fortunately
[12:14] Speaker 1: for her, even late at night, there were plenty of
[12:17] Speaker 1: vehicles on the rainforest city streets, not to mention traffic lights.
[12:23] Speaker 1: If she could keep going, she just might catch them. Yet,
[12:28] Speaker 1: the black car was heading towards the river and the
[12:31] Speaker 1: Riparian Bridge, which meant Zia was running out of rooftops
[12:35] Speaker 1: to run along. At the Cocobola Feeta, she was able
[12:40] Speaker 1: to drop onto the canopy that covered the entrance and
[12:44] Speaker 1: from there swing down a street light. This was where
[12:48] Speaker 1: being a cat came in really handy, allowing her to
[12:51] Speaker 1: land softly on the black car's roof just as it
[12:55] Speaker 1: turned onto the Riparian Bridge. Through an open window, she
[13:00] Speaker 1: could hear the Lemur talking, No, I'm not handing it over.
[13:05] Speaker 1: She was saying, not until you pay me. Larry will
[13:10] Speaker 1: give you what's coming to you. Shortly, said the familiar
[13:14] Speaker 1: voice of the bin Tarroon. But he's driving at present.
[13:18] Speaker 1: Oh yeah, snapped the Lemur. I don't think you're going
[13:22] Speaker 1: to pay me at all. You're just going to rip
[13:25] Speaker 1: me off, just like you did that old gecko. Don't
[13:29] Speaker 1: be so hasty, replied the bin Turron calmly. Getting you
[13:33] Speaker 1: to steal the diamond means we get back something that's
[13:36] Speaker 1: now far more valuable than when we first handed it over.
[13:40] Speaker 1: And now we don't have to pay the old fossil
[13:43] Speaker 1: because he allowed it to be stolen. Best of all,
[13:47] Speaker 1: we can claim on the insurance. There's plenty of money
[13:51] Speaker 1: for every one. I don't believe you, complained the impatient
[13:56] Speaker 1: Lemur as she thrust her hand out of the open window.
[14:00] Speaker 1: It was holding the diamond. Pay me now, or I'll
[14:04] Speaker 1: chuck it in the river. I'll take that, thank you,
[14:08] Speaker 1: said zire As she plucked the diamond from the lemur's grip.
[14:13] Speaker 1: The diamond screamed the Binturon, lunging at the window. Distracted
[14:19] Speaker 1: by the commotion, the rhino took his eyes off of
[14:22] Speaker 1: the road ahead, clipped the side of a bus, and
[14:25] Speaker 1: crashed the car into the bridge's barrier. It didn't plunge
[14:30] Speaker 1: into the dark waters below because Zia was poised on top,
[14:35] Speaker 1: keeping it perfectly balanced. Unless the three of you want
[14:39] Speaker 1: a very cold bath, I'd suggest you'll sit tight until
[14:43] Speaker 1: the police arrive. She told them. No one in the
[14:47] Speaker 1: car wanted to argue with her. The three crooks went
[14:53] Speaker 1: to jail for their wicked scheme. Because Ralph hadn't been
[14:57] Speaker 1: paid for his work, the Court a Water did him
[15:00] Speaker 1: the diamond as compensation, which he sold, splitting the money
[15:05] Speaker 1: fifty fifty with Zire. But that's far too much money,
[15:10] Speaker 1: protested the black panther. Maybe admitted the gecko, but if
[15:16] Speaker 1: it wasn't for your daring chase, we wouldn't have a penny.
[15:21] Speaker 1: So Zire quite rightly went home much much richer. Animal fact,
[15:32] Speaker 1: black panthers can refer to both leopards from Africa and
[15:35] Speaker 1: Asia and jaguars from Central and South America. Their black
[15:41] Speaker 1: fur is as a result of an abundance of dark
[15:44] Speaker 1: pigment called melanin in the animal's skin and fur. Lemurs
[15:49] Speaker 1: are only found on the island of Madagascar. The ring
[15:53] Speaker 1: tailed lema has a tail longer than its body, which
[15:56] Speaker 1: it uses for balance when climbing and jumping. White blizzard
[16:02] Speaker 1: leopard geckos aren't found in the wild, but have been
[16:05] Speaker 1: developed by pet breeders As a species. Leopard geckos are
[16:10] Speaker 1: one of the most popular lizards kept in holmes worldwide.
[16:14] Speaker 1: Thank you for your suggestions, sire. We hope you enjoyed
[16:17] Speaker 1: the story, and thank you to all of you across
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[16:37] Speaker 1: animal tale. Good Bye,

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