Bad Poetry Class

Summary

Story Pirates Podcast: "Bad Poetry Class"

Date: June 18, 2026
Podcast: Story Pirates
Episode: Bad Poetry Class

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Episode Overview

This episode of the beloved Story Pirates podcast features the uproarious sketch "Bad Poetry Class," based on a story by 12-year-old Petra from Canada. The episode celebrates creativity without fear of failure, encouraging kids to write freely—even if it's "bad." Through sketch comedy, songs, and interviews, the Story Pirates underscore why embracing imperfection can actually unlock hidden creativity. The episode also highlights the ongoing Summer Story Challenge and shares hilarious new poems and stories from kids around the world.

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Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Summer Story Challenge Announcements

Timestamps: 00:07–02:18

• Host Lee shouts out top participants in the Summer Story Challenge and encourages all kids to submit stories.
• Playful competition, with leaders from Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, and Kansas.
• Lee acknowledges submissions from listeners, sharing encouraging messages.
• Quote:
  • “I just can't believe how amazing the summer story challenge [is] already. And there is so much time to get involved.” — Lee (01:39)

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2. Introducing Petra & "Bad Poetry Class"

Timestamps: 03:09–03:19

• Petra, age 12 from Canada, introduces her original story: “Bad Poetry Class.”
• Petra’s creative process is spotlighted right from the start.

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3. The "Bad Poetry Class" Sketch

Timestamps: 03:19–10:43

Summary of the Sketch:

• In a wonderfully Canadian setting—with snacks like Coffee Crisps, Caramilks, and ketchup chips—best friends Ellie and Bob are stuck indoors on a rainy day.
• They discover an ad for a "Bad Poetry Class," promising creativity with no requirements but to write “bad poetry.”
• Hilarious running gag: it's “free, just $1—or, as we call it in Canada, a loonie.”
• In class, eccentric teacher Pauline and percussionist Johnny Bongos give loose rules for bad poetry: “It does not rhyme and the sentences are not in order.” (06:00)
• Students perform increasingly absurd and funny “bad” poems.
• Notable Performances:
  • Jerry’s poem: “Poems. They should be, but sometimes aren’t. But when they are, is. Mmm, yeah.” (06:52)
  • Betsy’s poem: So abstract, it’s essentially just sound effects and Johnny Bongos’ percussion. (07:22)
  • Ellie’s poem: “Declaration is final. As final as a permanent marker on a white shirt.” (08:10)
    • Pauline praises her:
      • “Ellie, that was amazing. But also bad because you followed all of the criteria for a bad poem. Well done.” — Pauline (08:31)
  • Bob’s poem: Reflects on doing things for friends and discovering unexpected joy:
    • “When you don’t want to do something, but you still do do it. You have reasons. An eternal conflict begins... I ski to make her happy. That is my reason. I end up having fun. That is the result.” (09:09)

Memorable Takeaways:

• The class becomes a metaphor for risk-taking and creative freedom.
• Ellie: “It’s nice to make art and not have to worry if people are going to judge it.” (08:41)
• Pauline: “It’s called having a safe, creative environment, Ellie. And that’s what a bad poetry class is all about.” (08:47)
• The class ends joyfully, with “Johnny Bongos needs the money” as a running joke (10:20), and a final round of inventive bad poetry.

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4. Interview with Petra, the Young Author

Timestamps: 10:55–14:22

• Host Lee chats with Petra about writing, poetry, and creativity.
• Petra explains how writing intentionally "bad" poetry made her more willing to take risks and try new things (11:12–11:58).
• Quote:
  • “Sometimes I just think that if I don’t take [a] risk, then I’ll never get better at something.” — Petra (12:06)
• Petra shares her process: Jotting down ideas on paper first, then typing and revising on the computer (13:49).
• Tips for fellow young writers: Don’t worry about being perfect; random and imperfect stories are welcome.
• Quote:
  • “What I love about the Story Pirates is that the stories are so random that it doesn’t matter what you write.” — Petra (14:10)

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5. ‘Story Love’ – Sharing Listener Submissions

Timestamps: 14:32–25:00

Hosts Lee and Peter read and react to three more unique stories submitted by kids.

a) "Troll Paline" by Elias, 9, Wisconsin (14:54–17:18)

• Trampoline, orange juice, a troll grows, and a cheese-in-the-engine rescue.
• The troll’s motives and the surreal events spark a playful debate.
• Quote:
  • “If you’re eating something, best not to have a conversation with them first.” — Lee (18:46)
• Fun commentary about cheese in car engines and the logic of kid stories.

b) "I Forgot What I Wanted" by Emma, 7, Oregon (20:24–23:23)

• A whimsical stream-of-consciousness piece about forgetting a restaurant order—full of wordplay and nonsensical connections.
• Amusing theories about the story’s logic (lotion/ocean, cushion/breadcrumb).
• Quote:
  • “This reminds me of a few occasions I’ve had where I’ve been at a restaurant...my brain goes blank…” — Peter (20:56)

c) "The Crayon Adventures" by George, 8, Oklahoma (23:31–24:56)

• Extreme brevity, unexpected twist (“Psych. And he was blue and he was British. The end.”).
• Hilarious aside about regional pronunciations of “crayon.”
• Quote:
  • “Unbelievable use of psych.” — Lee (23:54)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ellie’s insight: “It’s nice to make art and not have to worry if people are going to judge it.” (08:41)
• Lee’s encouragement: “Being creative is its own reward.” (26:38)
• Recurring joke: Johnny Bongos’ need for tips ("Johnny Bongos needs the money."—Johnny Bongos, 10:20)
• Warm, inclusive humor throughout; hosts bring delight and respect to each child’s story.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:07 — Summer Story Challenge leaderboard update
• 03:09 — Petra introduces "Bad Poetry Class"
• 03:19–10:43 — "Bad Poetry Class" comedy sketch
• 10:55 — Interview with Petra
• 14:32 — Listener story segment ("Story Love")
• 14:54 — "Troll Paline" by Elias
• 20:24 — "I Forgot What I Wanted" by Emma
• 23:31 — "The Crayon Adventures" by George
• 26:38 — Creative encouragement & episode close

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

Joyful, silly, and inspiring, this episode highlights how “trying” to be bad can actually set creativity free and reduce anxiety about perfection. Story Pirates treat each kid’s idea with wonder and genuine interest, modeling how adults and kids alike can delight in the unpredictable and imaginative spirit of storytelling. The episode’s central message: write bravely, try new things, and embrace the unexpected.

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For New Listeners:

If you haven’t listened, this episode is a bright, encouraging celebration of childhood creativity, featuring side-splitting sketches, practical tips for young writers, and lots of laughs—equally enjoyable for kids, families, and anyone young at heart.

Transcript

[A]

Lemonade.

[B]

Hey, Story Pirates podcast listeners. Lee here. Welcome to Story Pirates Summer. I'm super excited because today we are revealing the summer Story Challenge leaderboard. You can check it [e-mail] leaderboard where I'm proud to say that a whole bunch of you have already sent in a whole bunch of stories. Now you'll notice when you look at the leaderboard that there are a lot of ties right now, which makes sense. And of course I have to shout out our first leaderboard leader. Congrats to Tabitha in Arizona. Tabitha has already sent in many stories, but don't get freaked out by her early lead because Vivi in Connecticut, Jane in Florida and Rory in Kansas are right behind her. And it's early in the summer. There is so much time left for everyone to write stories. And speaking of kids who aren't on the leaderboard yet, shout out to David in Georgia who says, I heard about the summer story challenge and I would like to commit in it. I will be sending in a ton of stories and a shout out to George and Arthur from Canada who tell us that they are writing stories together all summer, which is awesome. I just can't believe how amazing the summer story challenge already. And there is so much time to get involved. We want to read as many stories as we can. We'll be updating the leaderboard [e-mail] leaderboard and I'll be shouting out more kids here on the podcast Grown Ups. You can find links to the leaderboard and find out how to get your kids involved in the summer story challenge in the show. Notes for today's episode. Okay, onto today's brand new episode after a few more words for the grownups.

[C]

I love Story Pirates. It just filled me up with joy.

[B]

My mom loves the jokes.

[C]

I just try to, like, put myself in their shoes and just imagine if I was at the back bad poetry class, what I would want to write about. I definitely think I can be more creative now. I'm the champion. The Story Pirates.

[B]

It's the Story Pirates podcast. Have you ever felt like sitting down to write something but you were afraid it would turn out badly? Well, have you considered trying to make it bad? Because sometimes trying to make something bad means it turns out good. Like in today's brand new story. Here's the author to introduce it.

[C]

Hi, my name is Petra, I'm 12 and I live in Canada. This is my story Bad poetry class.

[D]

Hurry up, Bob. It's time for the news.

[E]

I'm just getting our news watching snacks, coffee Crisps, caramilks and ketchup chips.

[D]

We live in Canada, and this is what snacks are here.

[E]

You don't gotta tell me. I, too, am Canadian.

[A]

Shh.

[D]

It's starting.

[A]

Hello, people of Normalville, Canada. I'm Liz Boucher. Tonight, in Canadian news, the flag is still a maple leaf. It's Poutine Fest in Montreal. But first, let's throw it over to our weatherman, Tom Laflatte. Tom, what weather can we expect in Canada today?

[B]

Well, I hope you like sunny skies.

[F]

I do, because next week is gonna be quite sunny. But today is gonna be cloudy with

[B]

an 80% chance of rain.

[A]

No.

[E]

What's wrong, Ellie?

[D]

I don't like rain. We're kids, Bob. We should be outside enjoying Canada's many national parks.

[E]

We could go to something indoors, like a poetry class.

[D]

There are so many poetry classes available to us. Which one should we choose?

[A]

Are you wondering which poetry class to go to?

[D]

Who said that?

[E]

It was the woman in that commercial on tv.

[D]

Is she talking to us?

[A]

Oh, I'm talking to you, cats and kittens. I'm Pauline, and everyone is learning poetry these days. You dig? But you can be different. Special. A real, one of a kind. Cool doggy.

[C]

Me?

[A]

Yes, you.

[E]

Me?

[A]

Yes, you.

[D]

What about me?

[A]

I already sent you. Now, listen up, smooth snakes. We all know and love poetry, right? But what if poetry was bad? Bad poetry, bad poetry, bad poetry class. Just use that dial horn and call 1-800-bad-poetryclass101.com. It's totally free. Just $1 each. Or as we call DOL in Canada, one loonie.

[E]

Wait, it's free and it costs one loonie? I don't think this is a good idea, Ellie.

[D]

Come on, Bob. You say no to everything.

[E]

No, I don't.

[D]

Sometimes you have to just try things.

[E]

What are you doing?

[D]

I'm calling that poetry lady. Hello?

[C]

Yes. Yes.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

No.

[C]

Yes.

[D]

Okay, bye.

[E]

What'd she say?

[D]

She said to come to 101 Bad Poetry Lane for the class. She said it's totally free. But we can't forget to bring our loonies.

[E]

Ellie, we can't just go to some random address we've never heard of.

[D]

I'm already in the car. Are you coming or not?

[E]

Okay, fine. To the poetry class.

[A]

Welcome to Bad Poetry Class. Cool cucumbers. This class is totally free. But don't forget to clink your loonies down on the desk.

[D]

Here in Canada, our dollars are coins, not paper.

[E]

I know. I, too, am Canadian.

[A]

All right, my lowdown hounds, let's get started. A few rules. When it comes to bad poetry, it does not rhyme and the sentences are not in order. Here's an example. And to accompany me on this poem is the wonderful, beautiful human soul. Johnny Bongos.

[F]

Johnny Bongos.

[A]

Ahem. Eggs. Eggs are yummy. Eggs come scrambled eggs come boiled Eggs come from chickens, Bunnies can be brown and eggs cantu.

[B]

Mm.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Ellie, that poem wasn't bad. It was just unusual.

[D]

Didn't you hear her, Bob? If it doesn't rhyme and the sentences aren't in order, then it's a bad poem, no matter what.

[A]

Now, do any of you shiny rhinos in the class have a poem?

[E]

I do.

[A]

Go ahead, Jerry.

[F]

Johnny Bongos. Johnny Bongos. Poems. They should be, but sometimes aren't. But when they are, is. Mmm, yeah.

[A]

Short and sweet, Jerry. Short and sweet. Just like you. Thank you.

[E]

Was that a bad poem?

[D]

It followed all the bad rules.

[A]

Anyone else? I have one. Go ahead, Betsy. Johnny Bongos.

[F]

Johnny Bongos. Ahem. Yeah.

[D]

Mmm.

[F]

Man, that was very bad.

[E]

Okay, that one was bad.

[A]

Alright, my paper dreamers. Now, for anyone who doesn't have a poem, choose a topic and start writing.

[E]

This is absurd. This class is not worth our money. We have to pay one loonie for every class. We do?

[D]

Look, if you want to go, you can. But I'm staying.

[E]

Ugh. Fine, I'll stay. But this class better start getting good.

[D]

Pauline, I have a poem.

[E]

You do?

[A]

Well, go ahead, little nugget. Johnny Bongos, if you would.

[F]

Johnny Bongos.

[D]

Declaration. People declare things that are not true things. People who do not understand a declaration. These people will try to change your mind after you declare something. Declaration is final. As final as a permanent marker on a white shirt.

[A]

Ellie, that was amazing. But also bad because you followed all the criteria for a bad poem. Well done.

[D]

I really enjoy this class, Pauline. It's nice to make art and not have to worry if people are going to judge it.

[A]

It's called having a safe, creative environment, Ellie. And that's what a bad poetry class is all about.

[D]

Sorry you're not having fun, Bob. I thought that much like how the US And Canada share the fun of Niagara Falls, that you and I could share the fun of this class. If you want to leave, I understand.

[E]

Wait, I wrote something.

[D]

You did?

[E]

Johnny Bongos, Johnny Bongos. When you don't want to do something, but you still do do it. You have reasons. An eternal conflict begins. What will produce better results for all? I don't enjoy skiing very much. My best friend does. I ski to make her happy. That is my reason. I end up having fun. That is the result.

[F]

Mmm. Wow.

[D]

Very. That was great. And perfect for bad poetry class. I know you didn't want to do this class. I am the reason you did it. You ended up liking it. That is the result.

[E]

Exactly. I learned that sometimes, just because you don't want to do something, it doesn't mean it won't be fun. And that you won't learn a new way to express yourself. It's fun to just try things. Like famous Canadian Joni Mitchell said, paint your soul on the wind. Let it hum its own tune.

[A]

That's beautiful, little man. Well, all my velvet foxes, that's the end of the class today. Please come back tomorrow. And remember to tip Johnny Bongos on the way out.

[F]

Johnny Bongos needs the money.

[E]

We'll definitely be back. But I guess for now, this is the end.

[D]

The opposite of the beginning. The end is the closure. The end of the line, the end of the fun. It's the end, but all does not end with it. This is the end.

[F]

Johnny Bongos. Johnny Bongos. And now Lee speaks with the author.

[B]

Hi, Petra. How are you?

[C]

Good.

[B]

What's going on? How was your day today?

[C]

I had school, and then I have a soccer game tonight.

[B]

Oh, wow. That's amazing. Are you excited for the game?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Petra, you wrote the story. Bad poetry class. Have you written a lot of poetry before?

[C]

A little bit.

[B]

What was it like to write poetry through the eyes of your characters, Ellie and Bob? Like, did you have to change your writing style to match each personality?

[C]

A little bit. I also tried to write kind of like what I think they would be thinking in the moment. I just try to, like, put myself in their shoes. And just imagine if I was at the bad poetry class, what I would want to write about.

[B]

What I love about your story is that you're talking about a writing process that makes the writer feel safe to take risks. And by calling it bad poetry, you're almost like, enabling the writers to write something really great. Do you know what I mean?

[C]

Yeah. Because they're not afraid of failing because their goal is to make bad poetry.

[B]

Right. And is that something you've ever done in your own life?

[C]

Sometimes I just think that if I don't take risk, then I'll never get better at something.

[B]

Obviously, we can see how that applies to poetry, but what about, like, I don't know, your soccer game tonight?

[C]

Yeah. Because you can just, like, take a risk. You might feel like you just want to, like, pass the ball backwards back to your defense. For them to, like, reset. But sometimes if you never take a risk, you'll never know what you can do.

[B]

I love that. Petra, is it true that you've written a bunch of stories for us before?

[C]

Yeah, I have.

[B]

I looked it up before this call, and it looks like this is the 12th story that you've sent in to us.

[C]

I haven't been counting, but that sounds about right.

[B]

That's incredible. I just wanted to say, like, you have my great admiration for sending in so many stories. Are you someone that writes a lot?

[C]

Um, yeah. I feel like whenever an idea pops into my mind, if I don't have time to write a story right then I, like, find a piece of paper and write the idea down so that I can turn it into a story later.

[B]

So I had to ask you something kind of specific because this summer, the story pirates are having this sort of challenge called the Summer Story Challenge, where we're asking kids to write as many stories as they can for us. And I was wondering, like, for a kid who might think I can't even write one story, how am I supposed to write a bunch of stories? Do you have any tips for getting your ideas out on paper and not worrying too much about them being perfect?

[C]

I type my stories onto the computer after I think of them, but sometimes I put them on paper first, and then when I'm typing them up onto the computer, I can just revise them a bit. And also, I think that what I love about the story pirates is that the stories are so random that it doesn't matter what you write.

[B]

Thank you so much for sending us so many stories and this one especially.

[C]

Thanks for adopting my story.

[B]

You're so welcome. All right, bye, Petra.

[C]

Bye. We'll be right back after a few words for the grown ups.

[B]

Welcome back to StoryLove, where we take stories written by kids and we talk about them. Peter, did you know that we get tens of thousands of stories a year?

[F]

I did know that.

[B]

Well, if you did know that, then you know, some of those stories we adapt for our podcast and some of them we use on this segment. Story Love. So let's get started. Peter, would you read us our first story?

[F]

I would, and I will. And here I go. This first story comes to us from a 9 year old from Wisconsin named Elias. And Elias's story is called Troll Paline. I was jumping on my trampoline during the summer. All of a sudden I spilled some orange juice that I was about to drink, which wasn't very smart of me because it's a Trampoline, son. Now we have a huge orange stain on the trampoline, my dad said. Sorry, I said. But then the orange juice started to drip into the grass. Oh no. That won't be good for the worms and bugs down there. Oh, it's nothing, my dad said. That won't hurt them. But then a weird plant started to grow straight under the trampoline. Why is it growing so fast? I said. It grew into a huge ugly troll. Oh no, dad said. Then he picked up the trampoline and ran. Help, I said. Me bring to den, he said. Me eat you. My dad got in the car. Oh no, he said. It won't start. He got out and checked the hood. Oh, it's just some cheese, he said. He took the cheese out and started to drive. Vroom. When suddenly he stopped. But he could see the troll dangling his son from the tip of his finger straight over a boiling pot. Stop, I said. No, the troll replied. Why? I asked. Um, well, uh, that's it. Why? Well, he said. It all started when I was a seedling, he said. There was a big trampoline at the town fair. So I got in line. You're too small, said the big kid next to me, he said. Eventually they all agreed and bullied me to this day. He finished and I swore that I would eat anybody who went on a trampoline. But what about the orange juice? I asked. Oh, that makes us grow, he said. It was just convenient that you were right over me. Will you still eat me? I asked. Nah, it's not worth it, he replied. Let's be friends, I said. Hooray. The end.

[B]

Fantastic story. Kind of an epic. We don't get a lot of epic stories like that these days.

[F]

And some incredible artwork, I should say.

[B]

Oh, yeah. And if you want to see the amazing pictures from Troll paline head to storypirates.com, they are so good.

[F]

The drawing of the troll has. I love that the troll has a little stringy beard and clearly is wearing dirty underwear.

[B]

And has a unibrow.

[F]

Oh, yeah. A real angry one.

[B]

I particularly like the picture of the cheese in the trunk of the car.

[F]

Yes. Oh, I think it's in the engine.

[B]

In the engine in the hood of the car? Yeah. It's connected with a bunch of multicolored wires to the engine. Brilliant, I'd say.

[F]

You know, I have some experience with this. You don't want cheese in your engine. It's not good for the. The moving bits.

[B]

Yeah, it's going to be a problem and then you're going to get mice in your engine too.

[F]

Yes. That's no fun for the car or the mice.

[B]

So here's my main question, Peter, is. Yes, at the end, when the kid gets the troll to convince him not to eat him, why does the troll say it's not worth it?

[F]

This is a great question. But to me it felt like, you know, he vowed to do this thing, but then through the delay, he and the kid actually really saw each other for who they were. The troll shared his vulnerabilities. You can't eat somebody you now trust. It's not worth feeling so bad about eating him now that they're friends.

[B]

Yeah, you're right. If you're eating something, best not to have a conversation with them first.

[F]

Being your food's friend really makes it taste bad.

[B]

It really does.

[F]

You know what? Just an image that really stuck with me in this. Have you ever seen, you know, spilling orange juice on a trampoline? I had a visceral reaction to that. Like, oh, no. Liquid on a trampoline just seems so yucky to me. But then I thought, have you ever seen those videos where they do a slow motion video of there's water on a trampoline and then they drop something on it and then all the water stays where it is as the trampoline goes down?

[B]

No, I've never seen anything like this.

[F]

It's incredible. All the liquid will stay in place momentarily as the trampoline goes down and the liquid stays. And then the liquid starts to drop.

[B]

You know, liquid is one of the coolest things that we have. I was actually describing liquid as like a state of matter. And just having to describe what liquid is really blew my mind. It's. It's amazing. You can go into it.

[F]

Yeah, well, same as gas.

[B]

Well, sure, but gas is invisible. So it's like. It feels a lot easier for gas to do the things psychologically that it does. You know, it makes you really wonder,

[F]

like, what's the difference between liquid and gas? You can go into both of them. One's just a little. You know, it's like solids. Solids. That's a whole other ball game. Yeah, but I feel like liquids and gas, they're cousins.

[B]

I think liquid is a very special weird middle ground. It's true.

[F]

It literally is.

[B]

Well, Elias, this was an incredible story. Thank you so much for sending it in, Peter. Let's go on to the next one. Shall I read it?

[F]

Please, yes, please.

[B]

Alright. From seven year old Emma in Oregon, here is. I forgot what I wanted. I forgot what I wanted to Order at the restaurant. Maybe something like a cheeseburger with French fries or a pizza with a strawberry milkshake. But I know it's not lotion because I know it doesn't live in the ocean. Anyway, I'm gonna sit on that cushion until I figure it out. Oh, yeah, it was a breadcrumb. The end.

[F]

What a journey.

[B]

Peter, what is happening in this story?

[F]

You know what this reminds me of? This reminds me of a few occasions I've had where I've been at a restaurant with a waiter coming, so, what do you want? And then my brain goes blank and I go, so this felt like an inner monologue, maybe like a cheeseburger, French fries, or pizza. I don't know. Too much pressure.

[B]

But then where does the lotion? I feel like I understand what you're saying, and I like rooting it in that real world experience there. But it really does take a turn with lotion and ocean and cushion and breadcrumb. Do you have any theories? Because I honestly, yes. I'm not sure I do.

[F]

Yes. You know that first part when the waiter goes, what would you like? And you freeze up, and you go into your head and you're like, oh, maybe I want this. Maybe I want that when I want a milkshake. And then you just keep going floating into your subconscious, and you completely check out from the exchange, and suddenly it's just word association. I know it's not lotion because I don't live in the ocean. I'm gonna sit on a cushion until I figure it out. And then your parents like, hey, snap out of it. Oh, I want a breadcrumb.

[B]

Okay, well, I am not sure I agree with you. I know I said I didn't have a theory, but here is my theory. Just like you. The kid is trying to figure out what to order. And then you know how, like, moms are always, like, taking something out of their purse? Like, constantly, Like a sunscreen or a lotion. Okay, so the mom has, like, pulled some lotion out, and the kid is, like, flailing. They're like, I know it's not lotion because it doesn't live in the ocean part. And they say the ocean thing because in the back of their mind, this kid knows that they want seafood. That's why they're like, it might be, like, a cheeseburger or a pizza, but it's not those two things. They want something from the ocean. They want some scallops, probably. And then the kid removes themself from the table. I'm gonna go over to that cushion until I figure it out. But then my theory falls apart because I don't know what the breadcrumb is.

[F]

Oh, because now you're sitting on a cushion on the ground, and you look over on the ground and what's on the ground in a restaurant? Little breadcrumbs.

[B]

Right.

[F]

This is a third theory. The kid is sitting there and they go, what do you want to eat? And he darts his eyes around the room and he just starts saying things that he sees. A cheeseburger, French fries, pizza, strawberry milkshake. Mom takes stuff out of the purse lotion. He sees the tank with all the lobsters in it. It doesn't live in the ocean. I gotta sit on this cushion. Oh, it's a breadcrumb.

[B]

And then the breadcrumb fills them up. So it's all good.

[C]

Yeah.

[F]

And the mom's like, he'll just have the breadcrumb.

[B]

Thank you, Emma. You have completely bewildered and delighted us. Thank you so much for your story. All right, we got one more. Peter, you wanna give it a whirlwind?

[F]

Yes. This final story comes to us from an 8 year old from Oklahoma named George. And George's story is called the Crayon Adventures. Once upon a time, there was a crayon who went into a pool. He jumped off the diving board and it was a drawing. The end.

[E]

Psych.

[F]

He was blue and he was British. The end.

[B]

Unbelievable use of psych.

[F]

Thank you.

[B]

No, not you. The authority.

[F]

No, no, I'm saying I'm accepting your compliment on behalf of George.

[B]

Oh, okay. I don't know about that. You also, I mean, not to be a stickler here, but the language at the end technically is psych. And he was blue. You left out the and so it goes psych. And he was blue and he was British. The end. Which I don't know. I think there's a subtle difference.

[F]

You read it correctly and I didn't. That's the subtle difference. Lee, real quick. How do you say this word, the second word of the title?

[B]

I was thinking the same thing. I'm not a monster who says crayon? I'll tell you that.

[F]

I, I, I'll tell you. I am. I say crayon, but I said crayon out of respect for the rest of the world.

[B]

Thank you. What is that? Is that regional?

[F]

It's very regional. Point Midwest. It's a crayon.

[B]

It's not a crayon. There's. I know, but there's no universe in which those letters spell that word. What is wrong with people.

[F]

I didn't learn it from reading it. I at that age, I learned it from hearing it. Everyone around me said, look at these crayons.

[B]

Your parents said crayons?

[F]

Yeah, they're from the same place.

[B]

It almost sounds like Southern. Like crayon. Crayon. Like you're saying crayon, but you're doing the accent like cran.

[F]

It's just a crayon.

[B]

Crayon. Ugh. It's not a cran. This is not a cranberry. Juice or a cran. Apple juice.

[F]

It's a cran. Oh, I love cran. Raspberry.

[B]

But even more interesting to me is that you change your pronunciation for all of us. And for that, I thank you. I would have flown into a rage that you have never even experienced.

[F]

Listen, I'll never forget the time I pronounce submarine without the b. And I said submarine. You said what did you say? Submarine.

[B]

Submarine.

[F]

Submarine.

[B]

All right, listeners, reach out. If you say submarine because. Or crayon or crayon. Well, I think enough people say crayon. We don't necessarily need you to reach out, but submarine. If anyone says that, reach out and let us know because I want to know. Excellent story. All of these stories were amazing. Thank you so much for sending them in. Don't forget to send them in all summer long for the Story Pirates summer story challenge. And to read these stories, just head to storypirates.com that's it for today's episode. Don't forget to check out the summer story challenge [e-mail] leaderboard and check back every week to see how everyone is doing. Most of all, turn on those imaginations and start writing some stories because being creative is its own reward. Creator club members, we'll see you next Monday for an exclusive bonus episode. And everyone else will be back next week with another one as well. Until then, stay creative and stay kind.

[D]

Bye.

[B]

The Story Pirates podcast is a production of Story Pirates Studios. Executive produced by Lee Overtree and Benjamin Salka. Co executive producers are Holly and Rizwan Kasim, Manya Lissi, Aaron Moore, Murray Sampson, Jack Schaefer and Jacob Vaughn. This episode was produced by Isabelle Erricchio, Sam Baer, Peter McNerney, Lee Overtree and Brittany Stahl. Recording sound design and mixing by Sam Baer at the Relic Room in New York City. Additional production by Brett Toobin. Theme song by Bobby Lord. Musical scoring by Eric Erson and Jack Mitchell. Our head writer is Peter McNerney. Staff writers are Megan O', Neil and Alexis Simpson. Bad Poetry Class was adapted by Sam Rogel. Episode artwork by Camilla Franklin. This episode features performances by colin batten, ben blackman, martha marion, mary mcdonnell, peter mcnerney, dave quinones, rebecca robles, and anna rock. Podcast stories. Creaky bow ties that smell like paper. Time for cheese rings. Exceptional. After these words for the grownups. Ground ups, ups and downs. Freaky steaky. Thank you.