Transcript
Narrator (0:01)
Hello.
Amanda Weldon (0:02)
Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is a throwback episode. Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around. We have Stories Podcast merch, available@storiespodcast.com shop. We're also on Cameo for all of your personalized video message needs. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram Stories Podcast if you send us a drawing of your favorite scene or character, we'll share it on our feed. Now, here's a word from our sponsors. As parents, we know how quickly family time can turn into scrolling time. With everyone defaulting to their own devices after a long day, wouldn't it be great to have an active option the whole family can enjoy something fun for those cozy fall nights when no one wants to leave the house? We've found the answer. Nexplayground an active game system where your body powers the play. It's 100% motion driven gaming. No controllers or wearables needed, just move naturally to play. The game library is packed with family favorites. Join Bluey in a game of Keepy Uppy, go on adventures with how to Train youn Dragon, Dance with Barbie, Pop Bubbles in Gabby's Dollhouse, or Master some moves with Kung Fu Panda. Even better. Playground is kids safe with no ads in app purchases or mature content, it's the perfect way to turn screen time into active family time this fall.
Sponsor/Ad Voice (1:33)
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Amanda Weldon (1:34)
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Sponsor/Ad Voice (1:41)
This is an ad for Nanimals. Hi Stories fans. Pets are great, but have you ever tried putting a parakeet in your pocket or a cat in your backpack? Spoiler alert. It won't go well, but Nanimals are the perfect pals to play with on the go. Nanimals are mini animal figures with heart meters that fill up the more you pet, feed and move them. They interact with you by making over 70 sounds and silly reactions. And if you have more than one, Nanimals will interact with each other too. You can connect them and swap their textured outfits to create different styles. Nanimals are tactile and tiny, making them a great toy to fidget with on the go. And since they come with a handy backpack clip, it's easy to take them anywhere. Collect and connect.
Amanda Weldon (2:39)
Thanks. Enjoy the episode.
Narrator (2:43)
The Goblin Picnic Once upon a time an in a dark and distant woods there was a castle. The castle was called Homestone. The woods were called the Root Wilds and even though one was in the other, they tried their best not to mix. Homestone was modest as far as castles go. It wasn't built with the great soaring spires favored by royalty. Nor was it thick and mean like the keeps beloved of the armies. No, it was a more homey sort of castle. The kind of castle you could come back to after a long day of working in the woods and just relax, safe behind its walls. In fact, it was built by villagers for just that reason. Tired of being bothered by the twisted creatures of the root wilds, the people had come together and assembled it stone by stone over generations. At least that was the story they told when a story needed telling. The castle's stones were covered with drifts of cloudy moss. The wood of the drawbridge was a spongy fungus gray. But they were still strong, strong enough to keep out the wolves and shamblemen and most of all, the goblins. Short and knobbly, with long limbs and ghoulish faces, the goblins made their homes in the darkest places of the root wilds. The places that never felt the warm kiss of the sun or soft breath of the wind. The places where all that grew were bone white mushrooms and oily black creepers. In those places, in holes in foul smelling burrows, the goblins dwelled. When the people of Homestone ventured into the forest to hunt or gather food, the goblins would soon come. They would dress in ratty cloaks stolen from forgotten graves, and they would try and trick the humans into eating their magical food. Every bite of it was enchanted, so that once tasted, a human could eat nothing else, and they'd slowly grow thinner and thinner until they were forced to go find the goblins once again to feast at their tables and and in the fullness of time, turn into a goblin themselves. Unfortunately for him, a young boy named Hawk doubted that these stories were real. He doubted it with the bluff certainty that only young boys seemed to possess. Sure that he was invincible, the hero of his own story, and unable to be tricked or harmed. He was so sure that one day, after his parents had left for work, he decided to explore the root wilds for himself. He even tried to get his younger sister to tag along. Come on, Rose, he said. Let's just go for a little. I want to explore. Rose looked up from her schoolwork with a frightened expression. We can explore. Just not the root wilds, you know. They're forbidden to everyone but the work crews. It's too dangerous to go except in a group. A group with axes. Well, I'm not afraid. Maybe you should be. What about the goblins? What about them? It's just food. I'm not afraid of food. Remember what Mother said. Rose cleared her throat. We must not look at goblin men. We must not try their fruits. Who knows upon what soil they fed their hungry, thirsty roots? That's just a dumb poem. I'm going, hawkes said, and before Rose could argue, he banged out the door. Outside the sky was bright and sunny, pleasant smells emanating from the wooden homes that clustered together inside the broad walls of Homestone Castle. It was a beautiful day, a sweet day, the kind of day that makes fears seem small and silly. His spirits lifted once more, Hawk headed towards a set of steps that climbed to the castle wall. Once at the top, he tied a rope to one of the square merlons that topped the castle wall and then threw the other end over the side. It wasn't all that high, as far as walls go. And a breathtaking 20 foot climb later, Hawk found himself outside the castle walls. He swam the moat, which was as much mud as water, and then darted into the root wilds beyond before he could be seen. The forest seemed bright and full of life. Birds chirped, water gurgled happily over rocks and streams, and the tangy smell of the fall trees and evergreens filled the air. Nothing to be afraid of, right? Hawk said to a passing squirrel, a wide smile on his face. I knew all that scary stuff was just a story. He walked deeper into the woods inch by inch, so slowly that Hawk didn't even notice. The woods grew darker, quieter, blacker. The bright blazing colors of fall turned to bare branches and inky black vines. Humongous mushrooms and ridges of bone white fungus clung to every tree and stone like shingles on a roof. Hawk began to feel uneasy and considered turning around, but then he heard people talking up ahead. He ran towards the sound, suddenly feeling an overwhelming desire to not be alone in the darkness of the root wilds. As he grew closer, he could make out the voices. There were three, each one stranger and croakier than the last. He stumbled into a clearing and found himself facing down three goblins. One was nearly his height, with pebbly green skin that hung in wrinkled folds. Another was mottled brown and gray, with a long pointed nose and feverish yellow eyes. The third was the biggest, nearly as strong as Hawk himself, and his long, slender fingers ended with crusty red claws.