Listen With Others

What a jolly theme for a Listener! Thank you to Awinger for his original treatment of the Bare Necessities. Progress was slow at first but sped up once I clocked the removed letter device and the bears – happy 60s memories of Jellystone antics. I can’t remember how I lit upon Bare Necessities, but the lyrics led to the message, which helped with the rest of the gridfill, and thence to spotting Jungle Book, Kipling, Baloo and Mowgli in the grid.

Two favourite clues:

34ac   Confess once caught breaking into chocolatier from the East (ACKNOW) for its smooth surface reading and Wonka reference; and

39ac    Cock[i]er apostle’s letters (PET) for the idea of a cockier apostle (Paul, surely).

I hadn’t figured out the title when I posted my solution, but Awinger has enlightened us in his blog: [W]AN[T] and [P]OVERT[Y] are bared. D’oh.

Thanks to Awinger for a delightful offering; children’s books are always a hit with me and this is his best puzzle so far I think.