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Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleeptight Stories. Prince Edward island is often visited by aliens from outer space. Many want souvenirs or artifacts to take with them when they return to their home planets. Insadira visits Prince Edward Island, Sadira finds ice cream, and a friend in our latest edition of Nora Finds an Old Artifact Nora and her family visit Prince Edward island many years in the future. Nora finds an old device that tells stories, except it shouldn't work in this part. Will the device stop? Still tell her a bedtime story? Or was it all just a dream? Nora Finds an old Artifact Part 2 after finishing their first meal of the day, Nora and her family explored the northern part of the island on their personal vehicles that came with the dome they were staying in. Driving through the countryside, they saw the vast expanse of green farmland stretching out in all directions. No people lived in this area anymore, and all the work tending the gardens and fields was automated. This, Nora learned, was not so much a result of leaving for better opportunities off Plan Planet or the inland settlements, but was an effort to try and preserve the natural charm that once existed on the island before people left for the stars. Now, instead of people driving noisy machines across the fields or doing the work by hand, the farms were managed and tended to by fleets of small, quiet robots powered by the sun. The island is known for its red soil, which Nora thought contrasted beautifully with the lush greenery. It looked much more beautiful than the pictures of Mars. After ages of terraforming, Mars was still predominantly red. They drove by fields of potatoes, hay, grain, and other ancient crops that people used to grow. Nora's parents said that they might try potatoes later for the day's final meal, but she was skeptical that it would be edible. Wouldn't something pulled from the ground be dirty? They saw some recreated farmhouses, barns, and outbuildings between the fields, many of which were painted in cheerful colors. Parked next to the buildings were the robots charging with the sun so they could get ready to work at night. They saw fields of wildflowers, strands of trees, and hedgerows that provided a habitat for wildlife. Norah's parents had warned her that the wildlife on the island was not to be played with. They were not gentle like the Grominor on blue, and apparently they might even bite. Nora's glass told her it was highly unlikely that you could get close enough to touch one, so the danger was fairly small. As they drove, Nora could see a family of local wildlife running for cover behind a hedgerow. Their fur was almost as red as the soil itself. Nora and her family stopped at a predetermined location just outside a white sandy beach where they would sit and have lunch. Wasn't that a fun trip? Her father said as he grabbed the bag with the food in it. Yes, the air has a special scent to it that we don't usually smell on blue, Nora replied as she started walking towards the beach. Well, you certainly won't smell anything as nice as this air coming from the water on Pandora. It's very refreshing, her mother added, following behind Nora as they started their descent down to the beach. You should take off your footwear to feel the hot sand between your toes, Nora, her father said from behind. As she walked, Nora's feet sunk into the warm, soft sand. She found the sensation of the sand slipping between her toes soothing, so much so that if she wasn't moving or hadn't stepped on the occasional hard rock, she might have wanted to lay down a nap. After they had found the place they were going to sit, they set up their gear and Nora's mother and father decided to go for a walk down the beach. Would you like to come with us, Nora? Her mother asked. I heard that there might be some old structures to explore just around that dune over there. I think I might just sit here for a while first and look at all the special rocks and shells, Norah replied. All right, we'll see you in a little while. Nora sat for a while looking at shells and rocks and watching the white birds swoop down to the sea and quickly fly back up again. It was warm and the sand was so comfortable. Then she heard a beep and then another glass. Identify that sound. It appears the sound is coming from your bag. It is not coming from another external source. Nora went over to her bag and opened it. Looking inside, she realized the artifact she had found near where they were staying was in her bag. She forgot that she had put it back in this morning after talking to her father about it. Surely it wasn't making the noise. Her father was convinced that it was long since inoperable. Nora took the device out of her bag, sat back down, and examined its rounded and colorful exterior. Well, device? She asked out loud. Are you working or are you not? Silence. I might have been hearing something else, except that glass said it hurt it, too, she thought. Perhaps it is so relaxing here that I am hearing things, nora said aloud. Glass, is it possible to imagine you hear things when you are very relaxed? She asked. Not that I am aware of it replied. Nora put the device back in her bag. Perhaps dad can have another look at it, she thought. From inside her bag, Nora heard that same slightly distorted voice which said, hello, kids. My name is Storybook. Every night a new story. To hear a story, just click the green button. Surprised, Nora took the device out of her bag and it continued. Lay down and close your eyes as I tell you tonight's story. And the storybook started. Welcome to tonight's super silly bedtime story. Tonight we are going to hear about a boy who loved ice cream, but perhaps loved ice cream a little too much. When he meets an old man, what will he learn? Once upon a time, in a small village nestled in a valley, there was a boy named Oliver. Oliver was a kind and happy boy who loved to play and explore. But more than anything, Oliver loved to eat ice cream. He would eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert. Oliver's parents, who ran a bakery in the village, were worried about their son's obsession with ice cream. They knew that too much of a good thing could be bad for him. Day and night they would fret about his eating habits, but no matter what they tried, they couldn't get Oliver to stop eating ice cream. One day, while walking in the village, Oliver came across an old man selling ice cream from a cart. It was a summer festival and many people were selling treats, crafts, and other goods for people to buy. Oliver hadn't had any ice cream since lunch, so he was feeling kind of hungry. He had thought about walking back to his family favorite ice cream shop for a snack, but the old man had a kind face that reminded him of his grandfather. Since the lineup was short, Oliver decided to stop and see what kind of flavors he had. When it was Oliver's turn, he walked towards the cart. Would you like some ice cream, my boy? The old man asked with a twinkle in his eye. Oh, yes, I certainly would. What flavors do you have? Oliver said eagerly. Well, I have durian, black sesame, matcha, lavender, balsamic, vinegar, wasabi, sweet corn, bacon, rose petal, and magical vanilla. That's a lot of flavors for such a small cart, Oliver said. I think I will try magical vanilla. The old man handed Oliver a cone of ice cream, and as Oliver took a bite, he saw a colorful spinning circle appear beside the cart. It looked like the portal he had seen in one of his favorite movies about wizards and superheroes. So he walked towards it and then walked in. As soon as he walked in, he was transported to a magical world where everything was made of ice cream. The trees were made of vanilla ice cream, the bushes were made of strawberry ice cream, and the flowers were made of chocolate ice cream. Oliver couldn't believe his eyes. He ran through the ice cream world, licking and tasting everything he saw. This is like a dream come true. I can eat all the ice cream I want and it's everywhere. Oliver said as he jumped up and down. And he ate and ate and ate. But as he ran and ate, he began to notice that something was wrong. The ice cream world was melting, the sun was too hot and the ice cream was turning to a gooey mush. Oliver realized that the ice cream world would melt away if he didn't do something. And then what would he eat? He ran back through the portal to the old man's cart and asked him for help. The old man smiled and said, my dear boy, the solution is simple. You must learn to enjoy ice cream in moderation. Oliver was confused. What do you mean? The old man explained. Ice cream is a wonderful treat, but too much of it can be harmful. You must learn to enjoy it in small amounts. And I think you will value ice cream much more too when you don't eat it all the time. Oliver thought about this for a moment and realized that maybe the old man was right. He had been so obsessed with eating ice cream that he hadn't even stopped to enjoy it. He had been eating it for the sake of eating it, not because he truly loved it. With the old man's guidance, Oliver learned to enjoy ice cream in moderation. He learned to savor each bite and to appreciate the flavors and textures of different kinds of ice cream. Even wasabi and balsamic vinegar flavored. And as he did, when he entered the ice cream world again, it began to stabilize. Oliver was a changed boy when he returned through the portal to his own world. He still loved ice cream, but was no longer obsessed with it. He enjoyed it in moderation and appreciated it for the delicious treat that it was. And he lived happily ever after with a newfound respect for ice cream and a love for vegetables of all kinds. Nora, are you asleep? Her mother yelled from a short distance away. Wake up, sleepy, and come with us to see what we have found on the other side of the peninsula, her father said. As he walked closer, Nora realized that she had been lying down on the sand. Did I fall asleep listening to the story? She wondered aloud. Looking at the device, she saw that she had put it back in her bag. Did I imagine the whole thing? Nora got up and walked towards her mother and father. Did you have a good nap, Nora? Her mother asked. I guess so. I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep and I had the strangest dream, nora replied. After we walk a little, your father still wants to drive and try the ice cream they sell at the nearby settlement. Are you going to try some? Um, maybe just a little bit, nora said. And that's the end of this part. Good night. Sleep tight.