Kicker: Emergency delivery

NICK EICHER, HOST: Okay, this one is all about the audio.

What you’ll hear is a toddler playing with an old cellphone, but one that was able to make a certain kind of phone call. Let’s listen in.

SOUND: [Dial tone, phone ringing]

OPERATOR: Moore 9-1-1. What’s the address of your emergency?

BENNETT: What?

OPERATOR: Hello? Moore 9-1-1.

BENNETT: [Toddler gibberish, hangs up]

So that really goes nowhere and the call cuts off. But the little guy persists. He calls back.

SOUND: [Phone rings]

OPERATOR : Hello?

BENNETT: Emergency … donuts.

OPERATOR: Donuts? I want donuts!

BENNETT: Emergency. Donuts.

The operator tried getting Mom on the line—that wasn’t happening.

So instead, the dispatcher sent backup. Not with sirens but with snacks.

A black-and-white showed up with a sweet delivery from Dunkin’.

Turns out, old phones can still call for help. And sometimes, it comes glazed and sprinkled.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.