Coco’s Crazy Schedule/The Advice Toilet

Summary

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Story Pirates: "Coco’s Crazy Schedule/The Advice Toilet"

Episode Date: June 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

This season eight finale of the Story Pirates podcast is an exuberant celebration of the creativity and silliness found in stories written by kids. It weaves together the ongoing "Storyteller Con" narrative (involving evil robot doubles, hijinks, and the power of imagination) with two new kid-authored stories—Coco’s Crazy Schedule and The Advice Toilet. Featuring musical numbers, interviews with young writers, and a joyful defense of creativity, the episode is funny, heartwarming, and inspiring for storytellers of any age.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Season Finale Story: "Storyteller Con" Adventure

[04:00–09:03, 16:30–21:39]

• The Story Pirates are trapped by evil robot versions of themselves at Storyteller Con, threatened with the end of imagination.
• The real crew attempts to prove the value of kid-created stories—both to liberate themselves and to reverse the robots' anti-creativity programming.
• Reflection on their silliest stories helps disrupt the robots’ programming, ultimately restoring the crew (notably Nugget) and saving the day.
• The episode underscores that silliness and children’s creativity are essential and powerful.

Lee Overtree [21:02]: “After a long career of adapting stories written by kids and turning them into sketch comedy and songs, we have realized that what we do is baaad... Therefore, in front of the entire storytelling world, we are here to officially announce that the Story Pirates are not going anywhere.”

• The team reminds the audience (and evil robots) of unforgettable story titles contributed by kids, showing the absurd and delightful creativity kids bring.

Lee Overtree [22:31]: “I do have the words and ideas of tens of thousands of young people who have for years sent us their incredible, hilarious and brilliant stories from all across the world.”

2. Featured Kid Story & Song: "Coco’s Crazy Schedule"

[09:03–13:34, 13:47–16:26]

• Written by Ethan, age 10 from Indiana: The story follows Coco the axolotl with an over-the-top, surreal daily schedule involving cocoa, running unfathomable distances, eating donuts, and ultimately blowing up the universe (with plans to re-create it tomorrow).
• Presented as a musical sketch, filled with wordplay and absurdity.

Coco (Ellie) [11:07]: “I may be small but my dreams are super sized, so I wrote them down to keep them all in line.”

• The narrative turns unhinged (“I'm gonna eat all those donuts... Now that the donuts have been crushed, I've got the biggest sugar... I blew up the universe”)—ending with Coco’s calm resolve to recreate the universe.

Interview with Ethan, the Young Author

[13:47–16:26]

• Ethan shares how his own “crazy” schedule inspired the story and why he chose an axolotl named Coco (his favorite animal & a reference to hot cocoa).
• He gives fun axolotl facts: “They only live in one specific place, and that's in a certain lake in Mexico. They're partially transparent. Axolotls can regrow their body parts and even some parts of their brain.” [15:07]
• Talks about the joy and power of story writing:

Ethan [16:03]: “It feels really cool because you get to basically experience a whole nother world that you can completely make up.”

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3. Featured Kid Story & Sketch: "The Advice Toilet"

[27:30–34:50, 34:53–38:28]

• Written by Ellie, age 10 from Illinois: At a New Jersey gas station, a kid named Dude finds a talking, advice-giving toilet who urges him to “choose your own path.”
• The toilet becomes a Broadway celebrity but faces existential angst before realizing a need to follow its own dreams—ending with the toilet running for mayor.
• Characteristic wordplay and self-referential humor fill the sketch (“My advice? Take the plunge.”).

Toilet [28:30]: “Yes. My advice? You need more fibers in your diet.”
Toilet [29:10]: “My advice? Choose your own path, dude.”

Interview with Ellie, the Young Author

[34:53–38:28]

• Ellie explains she wanted a “super nonsense” concept and finds toilets hilarious.
• Emphasizes individualism:

Ellie [35:33]: “It's really important to just, like, choose your own words and, like, do your own thing. Don't be the same as anyone else. Just be yourself.”

• Shares her own writing goals and advice for budding storytellers:

Ellie [36:38]: “I write like a new story every day, so I just have, like, piles of stories... Sometimes if I have, like, a lot of emotions and I need to get them out, I just write a poem.”

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4. Segment: "StoryLove" – Celebrating Kid Authors

[38:40–48:13]

Peter and Lee read and discuss three more short stories submitted by young listeners:

"Barnaby the Super Dog" (Madison, 9, Georgia)

• Jetpack-pawed dog on a space adventure, helping a robot named Beep Boop, battling a giant space taco.
• Celebration of wild, inventive ideas—commentary includes appreciation for mechanical sidekicks and imaginative problem-solving.

Lee [41:52]: “He’s like, oh, you think you’re a spicy taco? I’ll make you real spicy.”

"Cats Can Be Dinos Too" (Grayson, 12, Oregon)

• Concise surrealism: “Cats are cats? Sometimes. And sometimes they are dinosaurs. Fancy dinosaurs. T end.”
• Admired for its poetic brevity and built-in performance.

"Cuz and Cuz Jr." (Apollo, 6, Florida)

• Two characters try to protect a tree from storm-making dragons; failed protective efforts are creative (sand, bricks, cotton candy). Ultimately, the dragons are defeated and the tree is saved.
• Lee and Peter marvel at the symbolic storytelling and unique "vision" concepts as possible allegory for caring for the environment.

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5. Declaration: The Power of Silliness and Kid Creativity

[23:15–26:59]

• The real Story Pirates celebrate titles of other kid-submitted stories, revel in absurdity, and argue (musically and comically) that “There’s no such thing as too silly.”

Megan [23:43]: “It’s easy to eat too much chili. Or hike a trail that's too hilly... But there's no such thing as too silly.”

• The convention crowd is won over by sheer laughter and joy. The robots are transformed by kid-authored creativity, and the assembled adults rediscover the importance of imagination.

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6. Conclusion & Invitation to Listeners

[48:13–end]

• Season eight is wrapped up; listeners are encouraged to participate in the Summer Story Challenge and download the free Story Pirates Summer Survival Kit.

Lee [48:13]: “Most of all, stay creative and stay kind.”

• Playful epilogue at the coffee shop, with former evil robot Lee now a jovial barista—“World domination was exhausting. It’s nice to have such a simple task as serving coffee.” [51:29]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Ellie (Coco) [11:07]: "I may be small, but my dreams are super sized, so I wrote them down to keep them all in line."
• Ethan (on axolotls) [15:07]: "They're partially transparent. Axolotls can regrow their body parts and even some parts of their brain."
• Toilet [29:10]: “My advice? Choose your own path, dude.”
• Peter (robot, gradually relapsing into fun) [17:54]: “Air hog. Air hog. Air hog.”
• Megan [23:43]: “It's easy to eat too much chili, Or hike a trail that's too hilly... But there's no such thing as too silly.”
• Narration [16:03]: “It feels really cool because, like, you get to basically experience a whole nother world that you can completely make up.”
• Lee [26:06]: “To all the kids around the world you saved Story Pirates.”
• Toilet (wistful musical soliloquy) [32:46]: "Once back in my bathroom, I was overflowing with dreams of the direction my life might take. But that was a long time ago..."
• Ellie (advice for writers) [37:56]: “You could just look at something and come up with an idea. Or you can, like, ask other people for ideas and then make your own ideas off it.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:00] – Recap & setup for Storyteller Con rescue mission
• [09:03] – "Coco’s Crazy Schedule" sketch & song
• [13:47] – Interview with Ethan, author of Coco’s Crazy Schedule
• [16:30] – Story Pirates hatch plan to defeat the robots with silliness
• [21:02] – Fake Story Pirates try to denounce creativity; real Pirates break through
• [22:34] – Celebration of real, silly kid-submitted stories
• [23:43] – Musical number: "There’s No Such Thing as Too Silly"
• [27:30] – "The Advice Toilet" comedy sketch
• [34:53] – Interview with Ellie, author of The Advice Toilet
• [38:40] – StoryLove: Discussion of listener-submitted stories, including "Barnaby the Super Dog," "Cats Can Be Dinos Too," and "Cuz and Cuz Jr."
• [48:13] – Closing segment, credits, and barista epilogue

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Episode Essence: Tone & Language

The show maintains its signature witty and encouraging tone—playful, self-deprecating, and celebratory of kid logic and imagination. The adult hosts lean into puns, meta-jokes, and genuine awe at young authors’ inventive choices. The laughter is infectious, the singing sincere, and the conversations with kids showcase warmth and respect for young creativity.

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Bottom Line

This episode is a jubilant parade of kid stories that not only entertains, but champions the wild and necessary power of imagination. By letting children’s voices lead—whether through sugary-scheduled axolotls, existential toilets, or spacefaring superdogs—Story Pirates ends its eighth season with a rallying cry: There’s no such thing as too silly.

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"To all the kids around the world—you saved Story Pirates."
– Lee Overtree [27:06]

Transcript

[Lee Overtree]

Lemonade. Hey, Story Pirates podcast listeners. Lee here. As you know, today is the big day. It's part two of our big season finale. But I have some amazing news for you about what we are up to this summer. Or maybe I should say what you are up to this summer. Because we have two really exciting ways for kids to stay creative this summer without screens. First, we have the Story Pirates Summer Survival Kit, which has weeks worth of activities and story sparks to help turn summer boredom into creativity. And best of all, it's free for everyone and anyone. Grown ups, just head to storypirates.com podcast to get your summer survival kit today. But wait, Lee, didn't you say there were two exciting ways for kids to stay creative this summer? Yes, you bet I did. Get ready for the Summer Story Challenge. So I hear from kids all the time that they're working on a story to send us, or even that they're just thinking about writing us a story. Well, if that sounds like you, then this summer is your chance to get over the hump. Because the Summer Story Challenge is about sending us the as many stories as you can write. And guess what? They don't have to be perfect. In fact, they shouldn't be perfect. As you know, stories can be one or two sentences long. Even some of our best stories are like that. Excuse me, cats sit on you, anyone? So much of being a storyteller is about sitting down and writing, even when. Maybe even. Especially when you're not sure what you're doing. So this summer, we're challenging you to write as many stories as you can. And this is the really cool part. For the first time ever, we are going to have a leaderboard all summer long. The top 10 kids who send us the most stories will show up on the leaderboard on our website. And at the end of the summer, the top 10 kids will be invited to a special pizza party, Zoom with me, where we'll talk about all of the amazing things that you wrote. Plus, I'll be shouting out kids all summer long on the podcast. And all kids who send us stories as part of the challenge will get a certificate at the end of the summer. And of course, story love from us telling you how much we loved your stories. But here's the little catch to help us manage all these stories. The Summer Story Challenge is for Creator Club members only. But don't worry. Being in the Creator Club grown ups is only $5 a month. And if your family's experiencing financial hardship, you can let us, and we will definitely work it out that Your kids can join anyway. And maybe you forgot, but Creator Club members also get double the amount of new episodes this summer. And they're all ad free. Best of all, supporting us in this way is going to help Story Pirates keep on keeping on. It's tough out there for kids podcasts right now, so we need all the help we can get. But here's what I do know. Joining Creator Club is totally worth it. And this summer, it's even more worth it. Learn more and join Creator club for just $5 a month on storypirates.com podcast. And remember, that's also where you can get your free summer survival guide. Okay, now on to part two of our big season eight finale. After a few more words for the grownup.

[Megan]

Previously on the Story Pirates Podcast.

[Lee Overtree]

Well, Storyteller Con, what do you think about imagination now?

[Peter]

We all agree that imagination is bad. We all agree that imagination is bad.

[Nimini]

Oh, no.

[Megan]

They're all brainwashed.

[Peter]

Lee, what are we gonna do?

[Lee Overtree]

We're going to go out there and celebrate the words and ideas of young people. Who's with me?

[Peter]

I'm in.

[Toilet]

Me too.

[Megan]

We're all in.

[Peter]

In deep trouble, you mean. Nugget, what are you doing here? I'm here in case you didn't immediately give up. At which point I was going to pull this lever that will send you down that giant trapdoor you're standing on so that the evil robot Story Pirates can then pretend to be you for your big presentation to concede defeat, thus ending the Story Pirates podcast forever. But, Nugget, my name is Evil Robot Peter. Lever pull.

[Megan]

Lee, you've been sitting there sighing dramatically since we got trapped in this cage.

[Lee Overtree]

I know, Rachel, but what else is there to do but sigh dramatically?

[Megan]

I'm sorry. I know it isn't a competition, but you call that a dramatic sigh? You're right, Megan. It's not a competition. Okay, fine. I will show you how it's done. Eric, say something that would elicit a woeful response.

[Peter]

A what?

[Megan]

Something that will make me feel woeful.

[Peter]

What does woeful mean exactly? I can answer that question. Eric, if you're feeling woeful, you probably just ate an entire pizzeria's supply of reserve mozzarella after getting locked in their walk in freezer.

[Nimini]

Peter, what did that happen to you?

[Peter]

It did, Nimini. And when I was done, I was

[Megan]

like, whoa, full no, Peter.

[Peter]

Yes, Megan. I was no.

[Megan]

Woeful, as in unhappy, miserable woebegone. What does woebegone mean?

[Peter]

I can answer that. Rachel, have you ever been trying to get a bee out of your room when suddenly you realize it's already gone and you're like, whoa, bee?

[Megan]

No, Peter, Wobegone just means sad. Somebody say something that will make me sad so I can show Lee what a dramatic sigh is supposed to sound like.

[Lee Overtree]

Uh, okay.

[Peter]

The evil robot Story Pirates are about to go on stage and pretend to be us to disband the Story Pirates forever, and all hope is lost.

[Ellie]

Ugh.

[Peter]

Pretty good. That's a bro. Wow. Does she do it?

[Megan]

Thank you. Thank you. Now that's how you express melancholy.

[Peter]

I tried to eat a melancholy once. Turns out it wasn't actually made of melon.

[Lee Overtree]

Oh, Peter.

[Megan]

Ooh, Lee, that was a good one.

[Lee Overtree]

Thanks.

[Ethan]

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

[Peter]

My mom loves the jokes.

[Ethan]

Yo, yo, Macha. It made me very proud about my sightings. I just thought of toilets, because what's more funny than toilets? I definitely think I can be more creative. Now I'm the champion. The Story Pirates.

[Lee Overtree]

Welcome back to the Story Pirates Podcast,

[Nimini]

everyone, where we take stories written by

[Megan]

kids and turn them into sketch comedy and songs.

[Lee Overtree]

At least for a little while longer.

[Megan]

Until those evil robot Story Pirates destroy our reputation and turn the world against us.

[Lee Overtree]

If we could only get out of this cage.

[Peter]

Not possible, Nugget. I have told you, my name is not Nugget. I am Evil Robot Peter. I know you don't remember the fun time we had together at that water park, Nugget, but I do. That's how I know that your real name is Nugget. And then you love snacks and silliness and stories written by kids. Gross. Yuck. Barf, more like. I hate all those things.

[Megan]

What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be with the rest of the evil Robot Story Pirates getting ready to go on stage and pretend to be us?

[Peter]

I was, but Evil Robot Lee told me to come down here to keep watch over you prisoners. Why you. Well, Evil Robot Lee says that ever since the water park incident, I haven't been operating at my optimal capacity.

[Megan]

What does that mean?

[Peter]

Nothing. It just means that I've been slightly Glitch, glitch, glitch, glitch, glitchy. Excuse me? Huh? Hey, Nugget, since the Story Pirates are about to be disbanded forever, you know what might be nice? Do not say snacks. I wasn't going. Actually. Let's put a pin in that idea. But no. I was going to say one more story. A story from a kid. But stopping you from performing stories written by kids is kind of the whole point.

[Lee Overtree]

What's the harm in just one more story?

[Peter]

Well, well, well, well. Alright, but just one.

[Lee Overtree]

Great. Here's one last story. Listeners. This song was written by another amazing author whose school took part in our StoryQuest program. StoryQuest is a digital storytelling curriculum where you get to listen to custom podcast episodes and learn the building blocks of writing a story. Anyway, here's the authority to introduce their story.

[Ethan]

Hi, my Name's Ethan. I'm 10 years old and I live in Indiana. This is my story. Coco's Crazy Schedule.

[Peter]

Coco, Coco.

[Ethan]

Coco.

[Ellie]

Coco.

[Megan]

Alright. Today's the day I, Coco, finally become the axolotl I've always wanted to be. No more dragging my little translucent feet.

[Ellie]

They say axolotls never fully mature, but

[Megan]

they've never met Coco.

[Ellie]

Ooh, hot cocoa. My favorite drink and my namesake. Anyway, I've put together a strict crazy schedule to keep me on track as

[Megan]

long as I don't get distracted.

[Ellie]

Which I won't. In fact, let me go through my schedule one more time. Step 1. Get up at 11am Step 2. Drink my breakfast cocoa.

[Nimini]

3.

[Ellie]

Then run 8,000 miles. Step 4. Drink my lunch cocoa. Step 5. Take a nap for two whole minutes. Drink dinner, coffee, then go to bed. The best thing to do after coffee. And wake up and do it all again. I'm Coco. I got a crazy schedule. Schedule. I may be small but my dreams are super sized. So I wrote them down to keep them on at night. I Coco. Coco. I've got a crazy schedule. Schedule. No one could ever call me lazy. Cause my schedule is so crazy.

[Megan]

Now there's only one thing to do. My schedule.

[Ellie]

Step one. Get up at 11am Step two. Drink my breakfast cocoa. Step three. There's a truck that says sugary ice cream.

[Megan]

Oh wait. Sugary ice cream.

[Ellie]

Ah. Ah.

[Megan]

At last I finally got my ice cream.

[Ellie]

Nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom. Now here comes a sugar rush. Coco. Yeah, I've got a sugar rush. Time is short. It's not to be wasted. Lots of buffet and as Vegas and be tasted. Coco. I think I was supp supposed to be doing something else. Oh well, who cares? You know, it sounds like fun going for a sugared up Loxican sun. Then Coco ran 10 million miles. That's 10 to the 31st power. Then 1,000 laps around his world. That's right. We're not on earth. Now that, that's a rock. I'm gonna drink my lime cocoa, then take a nap. No way. To over there. What is that? What is that? It's roughly 10 to the 44th power donut.

[Megan]

I'm gonna eat all those donuts.

[Lee Overtree]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

[Ellie]

I ate so many donuts. Donuts. Now that the donuts have been crushed, I've got the biggest sugar.

[Toilet]

Minutes later.

[Megan]

Well, at least I don't have a sugar rush anymore. I guess there's only one thing left to do. Blow up the universe.

[Ellie]

Then go, go, go, go. I blew up the universe. I'm big thanks to you and me. I'm an excellent of dng. And that was Coco's crazy. That was Coco's crazy schedule.

[Megan]

Don't worry. I can recreate the universe tomorrow. I'll just put it on the schedule. And now Lee speaks with the author.

[Lee Overtree]

Hi, Ethan. You wrote the story Coco's crazy Schedule.

[Ethan]

Yes, I did.

[Lee Overtree]

Can you tell me how you got the idea for that story?

[Ethan]

Well, I was thinking that since I am very crazy, I could put that into a character. And then I basically just made it that he was like a very crazy, awesome axolotl.

[Lee Overtree]

So you trying to tell me that your schedule is just as crazy as Coco's?

[Ethan]

Sometimes it is.

[Lee Overtree]

Do you also get out of bed at 11 and then drink breakfast cocoa in the weekends?

[Ethan]

I do.

[Lee Overtree]

Do you have a routine that you follow every day?

[Ethan]

I try to make sure that, like, after school I have time that I can play basketball or do some other fun hobbies that I have, like coloring and stuff.

[Lee Overtree]

That's amazing. Why did you choose an axolotl as the main character in your story? And how did you choose the name Coco for the axolotl?

[Ethan]

That is, like, my favorite animal. When I was making it, it was kind of in the winter time, and I love hot cocoa during the winter. That's what I was thinking of.

[Lee Overtree]

For anyone listening who doesn't know, can you tell me some facts about axolotls?

[Ethan]

They only live in one specific place, and that's in a certain lake in Mexico. They're partially transparent. Axolotls can regrow their body parts and even some parts of their brain.

[Dude/Kevin]

Whoa.

[Lee Overtree]

That's amazing. So at the end of your story, there is a very, very interesting detail where it says that Koko blew up the universe. Can you tell me about that?

[Ethan]

Well, I mean, if you think about it, if he runs that many times around the whole planet, it would probably explode.

[Lee Overtree]

Does that expand to the entire universe then?

[Ethan]

Kinda, because, like, all the energy goes into the Blast of the planet and it basically explodes everything.

[Lee Overtree]

Does Coco survive that?

[Ethan]

I think he has, like, a magical force field of sugar that protected him.

[Lee Overtree]

How does it feel to you when you write a story?

[Ethan]

It feels really cool because, like, you get to basically experience a whole nother world that you can completely make up.

[Lee Overtree]

Wow. That is such a cool way of putting it. Ethan, thank you so much for letting us perform your story.

[Ethan]

You are welcome. Thank you for putting it on your podcast.

[Lee Overtree]

You are so welcome, my friend. Bye, Ethan.

[Ellie]

Bye.

[Megan]

I didn't even feel like I was

[Ellie]

trapped in a cage.

[Peter]

That was such a great story. Don't you agree, Nugget? Yes. I particularly liked how full Coco's schedule was. Too full.

[Ellie]

Aha.

[Peter]

Aha. That was very good.

[Nimini]

Wait, you did?

[Peter]

Yes. I mean, no. Yuck. That story was horrible and silly. Children should be seen but not heard. I've said too much. Never mind.

[Lee Overtree]

You know, evil robot Peter, you're probably right.

[Peter]

I am? Question mark.

[Megan]

He is?

[Lee Overtree]

Yes. We've done so many silly stories over the years, you'd probably hate them if we told you about them. Some of them are very, very silly. Right, guys?

[Megan]

Oh, right. How about cats sit on you?

[Peter]

Cats sit on you.

[Megan]

Yeah, cats sit on you, and sometimes they take over the school.

[Peter]

Ha ha. That's so silly. I mean, illogical.

[Megan]

Remember that story my principal ate a worm? About a principal that has to eat a worm in front of the entire school?

[Lee Overtree]

Yes. That was the first time we ever worked with DJ Squirm a lot.

[Peter]

I love DJ Squirm a lot. Lot, lot, lot, lot. I mean, no, I don't. Or the story air hog, about a product that's just a balloon that you tie around your pet groundhog to keep it from getting dirty on the ground.

[Lee Overtree]

Oh, I love that story.

[Peter]

Yeah, that's the one where we just keep screaming, air hog.

[Lee Overtree]

Air hog.

[Peter]

Air hog. Air hog.

[Ellie]

Ha ha ha.

[Peter]

Yes. Air hog. Air hog. No, I mean, no hog. No hog.

[Megan]

Or how about my mouth ran away once? My mouth ran away. Yep, it did.

[Peter]

My.

[Megan]

My mouth ran away.

[Peter]

Boom, clap. Ah, yes. Yes, I love that story. No, no. Warning, warning. Or how about that very silly story called the Robotics engineering doll? The story about the robot that was actually living. No. No, I do not feel I am an evil robot. A robot who could feel and love and know better than to turn on their friends. No, no, that's impossible.

[Nimini]

Not according to that song from season

[Megan]

one called Nothing is impossible.

[Peter]

Oh, that is an incredible song. Oh, no. Error.

[Lee Overtree]

Error.

[Peter]

Too silly. Too silly. Resetting in three. No, too don't reset. Nugget.

[Lee Overtree]

Not again.

[Peter]

Nugget. Oh no. I thought that would work. I thought if we got him to remember how much fun stories by kids are, my friend would come back.

[Nimini]

Oh, I'm so sorry, Peter. It was worth a try, but I

[Peter]

think we have to accept that my name is Nugget.

[Nimini]

Gasp.

[Peter]

Nugget, you're back. And better than ever. Lets get you out of that cage, cool guy.

[Nimini]

Whoa.

[Megan]

You just ripped the metal cage door off the frame.

[Toilet]

Yeah.

[Peter]

Don't you have the key? Oopsie. How silly of me. I made a joke.

[Lee Overtree]

That's good.

[Peter]

That's good.

[Lee Overtree]

We're free.

[Peter]

Ladies and gentle storytellers, please gather in the main hall. Our final presentation from the Story Pirates will begin momentarily.

[Lee Overtree]

Come on everyone. We have a presentation to give. Let's go.

[Ethan]

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

[Lee Overtree]

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for

[Peter]

coming to Storyteller Con.

[Lee Overtree]

Now there have been some rumors going

[Peter]

around that all of us were brainwashed

[Lee Overtree]

by the evil robot story pirates. Which is why we all suddenly hate imagination.

[Peter]

Imagination? Especially in the form of silly stories written by kids. But I don't think that's true, do you? No, we have not been brainwashed. We are individuals with our own opinions. See.

[Lee Overtree]

Now for the final presentation of this year's Storyteller Con, please welcome to the stage the normal story pirates. Hello, Storyteller Con. We are the regular human story pirates. I'm Lee. Gasp. Am I right? Ha ha. Let's say hello to the rest of the crew.

[Ethan]

I'm Nimini.

[Nimini]

Science Adventure or whatever.

[Megan]

I'm Rachel. Obscure previous profession reference. I love chairs. I'm Megan, the one woman. One woman show machine. But not a machine. A human.

[Peter]

And I'm Eric. These are real dreadlocks and not fake ones that I fashioned from the curtains in the green room. We believe you.

[Lee Overtree]

Good. Because we have something important to announce. After a long career of adapting stories written by kids and turning them into sketch comedy and songs, we have realized that what we do is baaad. Therefore, in front of the entire storytelling world, we are here to officially announce that the Story pirates are not going anywhere. Gaaasp. The real human story pirates.

[Peter]

I mean.

[Lee Overtree]

Quick. Seize them. Nugget, pull the lever. Ha. But the trapdoor down to that cage isn't on the stage.

[Peter]

No, because I hung the cage up here in the rafters. Huh?

[Lee Overtree]

Evil robot Peter, lever pull.

[Nimini]

Ah.

[Lee Overtree]

We are trapped. No. And now, friends and storytellers, it's our turn to give our big Presentation. You are too late, Leo Vertree. All the world's storytellers have turned against creativity, imagination and silliness. And there's nothing you can say to change their minds. You're right, evil Robot Lee. Yes, I am right. Well, wait, did you say I'm right? I don't understand. Lee Overtree doesn't have the words to convince you of the power of creativity, imagination and silliness. But I do have the words and ideas of tens of thousands of young people who have for years sent us their incredible, hilarious and brilliant stories from all across the world.

[Megan]

That's right. Like this very real story from an 8 year old from Kentucky named Ronan called Quack Quack. About a duck whose name is Rat Poop.

[Lee Overtree]

Did she say Rat poop? Or this one from an eight year

[Nimini]

old from Michigan named Sadie called Roast Beef. The Friendly Dragon with Eyes Like Mine. About a girl who meets a dragon named Roast Beef that has blue eyes like her.

[Peter]

A dragon named Roast Beef. Most unusual. That is funny.

[Lee Overtree]

Evil Robot Peter, I order you to stop this at once.

[Megan]

Or this story from two 10 year olds from Texas named Ren and Valentina called the revenge of Gummy McGumball face.

[Lee Overtree]

That sounds really silly. No, stop. These are too silly. Too silly? There's no such thing as too silly. It's easy to eat too much chili.

[Nimini]

Or hike a trail that's too hilly.

[Lee Overtree]

Or wear a shirt to work that's too frilly. But there's no such thing as too silly.

[Megan]

Just listen to the titles of these stories from our ever growing story inventory.

[Ellie]

These are from real kids around the earth. Your laughs will prove exactly what they're worth.

[Lee Overtree]

That's right. We have tens of thousands of incredible stories from kids everywhere. Listen to these amazing titles.

[Peter]

The Breakdance.

[Nimini]

Ignite.

[Peter]

Teleporter Party.

[Megan]

The K Pop Blizzard.

[Lee Overtree]

That's not Wacky.

[Ellie]

Jackie Annie Parentheses.

[Megan]

Not.

[Ellie]

The Movie.

[Peter]

Toei's Big long life.

[Nimini]

Butt.

[Megan]

McSpider butt.

[Peter]

Oh, Brent Buxton. No, it's the dentist.

[Lee Overtree]

Buy a porp.

[Peter]

You can listen to too much rockabilly. But there's no such thing as too. Hey, that's really funny.

[Nimini]

Yes. These stories all sound so creative, so imaginative.

[Dude/Kevin]

But I thought we didn't like those things.

[Peter]

Yeah, but why? I can't remember.

[Ellie]

Oh, who cares? Hey, everyone. I Love Silliness. The Caterpillar game show host. P.S. she's a princess. The Cautious Boy and the Vivid Frog.

[Peter]

Mayonnaise. Tsunami. Trumpet Trouble.

[Lee Overtree]

No, no. Our plants are being ruined.

[Peter]

Cool on the shoe.

[Megan]

It's too much fun. I cannot Help myself.

[Ellie]

Ha ha ha.

[Peter]

I am overeating. Fish don't do karaoke.

[Megan]

Me too.

[Nimini]

I am laughing. I am laughing.

[Peter]

Laser Dino Disco dance. All right. The power of Kids Creativity is too much. I love these stories. The Super Duper Realistic Cauliflower scientist.

[Megan]

This is all so inspiring. It makes me want to write a

[Nimini]

one robot woman show.

[Peter]

You can use a bowl that's too spilly or eat a pickle that's just way too dilly or root too hard for the fillies. But there's no such thing malfunction. Does not.

[Ellie]

There's no such thing malfunction.

[Peter]

That's too silly.

[Lee Overtree]

Emergency reboot in three, two, one.

[Ellie]

Whoa.

[Lee Overtree]

What happened?

[Peter]

It is the power of kids stories. They are so creative and so funny that evil robots were no match for them. Story Pirates.

[Lee Overtree]

Mr. Story, I have something to say

[Peter]

to you and to this entire convention hall.

[Lee Overtree]

Oh no. Why do you sound angry?

[Peter]

Because it's a really effective dramatic device to build tension. Right before I say that you saved Storyteller Con.

[Lee Overtree]

What?

[Peter]

Everyone, let's hear it for the storytellers

[Lee Overtree]

that saved us from a life without

[Peter]

fun, without creativity, without silliness. Let's hear it for the story. Byron. Wow. We did it. We really did it.

[Lee Overtree]

No, Eric, we didn't do it. The kids did. Let's hear it for our authors. For every kid that's ever written us a story.

[Peter]

For every kid that's ever written any story.

[Megan]

For every kid who's told a joke or played make believe or dared to

[Nimini]

think outside the box.

[Lee Overtree]

To all the kids around the world you saved Story Pirates.

[Peter]

Hey, Story Pirates. You know what I think would be the perfect way to end this season?

[Dude/Kevin]

What's that?

[Peter]

Nugget with another story from a kid. Oh, yes, please.

[Lee Overtree]

That's the best idea I've ever heard. And here's another incredible author to introduce it.

[Ethan]

Hi, my name's ellie and I'm 10 years old and I live in Illinois. This is my story. The advice Toilet.

[Nimini]

Welcome to Fuel and Gotta go. The New Jersey Turnpike's 48th best reviewed gas station.

[Lee Overtree]

How can I help you, kid?

[Dude/Kevin]

Hi, Mr. Gas Station Employee. I'm a kid named dude and I need to go to the bathroom. Can I get the bathroom key, please?

[Nimini]

You can. And you're in luck, kid named Dude. We just installed a brand new toilet. I hope you find what you need in there.

[Dude/Kevin]

Uh, okay. Sure, whatever, mister. I really gotta go.

[Peter]

Okie dokie. Here's the key.

[Nimini]

Enjoy Kid.

[Lee Overtree]

Name Dude.

[Peter]

Thanks.

[Dude/Kevin]

Now to run to the bathroom.

[Ellie]

Hoo ha.

[Ethan]

Hoo.

[Dude/Kevin]

Okay, I'm at the bathroom door. Time to put the key in the lock, then turn the key and open the door.

[Peter]

Hello, toilet.

[Toilet]

Hello, kid.

[Ethan]

Oh.

[Lee Overtree]

Ah. Oh.

[Ethan]

Oh.

[Dude/Kevin]

A talking toilet.

[Toilet]

Yes. My advice? You need more fibers in your diet.

[Lee Overtree]

Ew, man.

[Dude/Kevin]

I did not ask for any kind of good.

[Toilet]

No offense meant. I was only giving a little bit of advice. Advice such as? Follow your dreams, Kevin. Don't let them go down the drain.

[Dude/Kevin]

Uh, my name isn't Kevin, it's. Dude, I don't know if I can change my name.

[Toilet]

You can do anything you set your mind to. My advice? Take the plunge. Tell me, what are you going to do for your life, dude?

[Dude/Kevin]

I don't know. Toilet. I'm just a kid. My dad wants me to go to medical school. My mom wants me to go to lawyer college. So I'll probably do one of those.

[Toilet]

My advice? Choose your own path, dude.

[Dude/Kevin]

Choose my own path?

[Nimini]

Hey, kid, are you almost done in there? This is a public bathroom and you've been in there for three hours.

[Dude/Kevin]

Three hours.

[Toilet]

Time flows differently. When you're discovered who you can become. Choose your own path, dude.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeesh.

[Dude/Kevin]

I will choose my own path out of this bathroom.

[Nimini]

About time, kid. I gotta go. Wait, who were you talking to in there?

[Toilet]

Ugh.

[Dude/Kevin]

This advice giving toilet. It was giving me advice. So annoying, right?

[Nimini]

An advice giving toilet. This is great. I need advice.

[Dude/Kevin]

Oh, well, help yourself, person wearing a big fancy suit.

[Nimini]

Hello, toilet. I'm having trouble making decisions lately. What should I do?

[Toilet]

My advice? Stop worrying about making the wrong decision. Follow your instincts.

[Lee Overtree]

Wow.

[Nimini]

I gotta tell everyone about this advice giving toilet. I'm texting everyone I know. Advice giving toilet in the toilet. Come now. Everyone should be arriving at the gas station soon. I need advice.

[Peter]

I could really use some help.

[Lee Overtree]

I have many problems.

[Peter]

Wow.

[Dude/Kevin]

In only three seconds, a thousand people showed up and got in line for the toilet. I guess the toilet is famous now.

[Toilet]

I'm famous now. But do I really want to be famous? I ought to be overflowing with excitement. But what about my own dreams?

[Dude/Kevin]

What was that you just said to yourself? Quietly and dramatically, Toilet.

[Peter]

Whoa.

[Toilet]

It was nothing. Who else needs advice like this toilet tissue?

[Ethan]

I'm on a roll.

[Nimini]

Toilet. It's me. The person in the big fancy suit. I'm taking your advice. To quote, follow my instincts. See, I'm a big fancy producer and I want to make you a shiny porcelain star. You and your advice are coming with me to Broadway.

[Toilet]

To Broadway. But I like it here in this bathroom.

[Nimini]

Come on, toilet baby. Sweetie, you'll Be rich and famous and everyone will love you. You'll make a huge splash on Broadway.

[Dude/Kevin]

Toilet, is this what you want?

[Toilet]

I, uh. Well, I don't.

[Nimini]

I won't take no for an answer. I'm taking you to Broadway.

[Peter]

Five years later.

[Nimini]

Welcome audience, to Broadway. Now performing in its exciting fifth year

[Lee Overtree]

at the James Earl Jones Theater.

[Nimini]

Please enjoy tonight's performance featuring the world

[Lee Overtree]

famous famous advice Toilet.

[Toilet]

Thank you, sold out audience. It's me, the advice Toilet. It's time to start giving advice. Just like I have been doing now for five long, long years on Broadway.

[Nimini]

Hi, Toilet. Big fan.

[Lee Overtree]

I feel like I'm always focusing on others.

[Toilet]

My advice? Focus on yourself, Toilet.

[Lee Overtree]

Sometimes I just feel so angry.

[Toilet]

My advice? Stay calm. I'm kind of getting bored of giving advice all the time.

[Nimini]

Toilet, I'm going to ignore whatever you

[Lee Overtree]

said quietly to yourself.

[Nimini]

Tell me you.

[Toilet]

You need to, I don't know, be yourself. That's my advice.

[Nimini]

Toilet, baby, it's me, the big fancy Broadway producer. I'm standing just off stage. Are you okay?

[Toilet]

To be honest, no.

[Nimini]

Oh, well, that doesn't matter. Just keep going. People love you. You're famous. And I, as a big fancy producer, will one day be famous too. Now go on, give some advice.

[Toilet]

Once back in my bathroom, I was overflowing with dreams of the direction my life might take. But that was a long time ago. I guess as a toilet, I meant to flush my hope ropes away and learn to live down in the dumps. Settled not for dream number one, but number two.

[Dude/Kevin]

Excuse me, Toilet. Sorry to interrupt your moment of introspection, but I think I'm next.

[Toilet]

Yeah, I guess. My advice?

[Dude/Kevin]

Follow your dreams, Kevin.

[Toilet]

Sure, yeah. Wait, that was the first advice I

[Dude/Kevin]

gave to me, a kid named Dude. Now a young adult named Kevin. No, it's still Dude.

[Toilet]

Oh, well, Dude, I missed you, buddy. How are you? Five years later did you go to medical school or lawyer college?

[Dude/Kevin]

No, because I took your advice and chose my own path. Now I own a Fortune 500 company that makes eco friendly toilet paper. Easy on the pipes.

[Toilet]

Bless you.

[Dude/Kevin]

I followed my dreams. Toilet, you've given so much advice to others, but you've never stopped and given advice to yourself. So here's my advice. Choose your own path. Advice, Toilet.

[Nimini]

Follow your instincts. Toilet.

[Ellie]

Focus on yourself.

[Nimini]

Toilet. Add more fiber to your diet. Toilet, you're all right.

[Toilet]

No more going with the flow. It's time I do what I want with my toilet life. Time to follow my dreams, Toilet.

[Dude/Kevin]

Tell all of us here in this Broadway theater, what are you gonna do for your life.

[Toilet]

I'm going to run for mayor.

[Lee Overtree]

Wow.

[Dude/Kevin]

And guess what? The votes are in, and you were elected already. Time flows differently on Broadway. Now, before we can celebrate, I do really need to do one thing.

[Toilet]

What's that?

[Dude/Kevin]

Go to the bathroom. I've been holding it in for five years.

[Nimini]

So have I.

[Lee Overtree]

So have we.

[Toilet]

Well, I guess we had to get to it at some point before the end.

[Peter]

And now Lee speaks with the author.

[Lee Overtree]

Hey, Ellie. How are you?

[Ethan]

I'm good.

[Lee Overtree]

So you wrote the advice toilet?

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[Lee Overtree]

Can you tell me how you got the idea for that story?

[Ethan]

I wanted to write to you guys, so I just wanted to come up with a really funny idea. So I just thought of toilets, because what's more funny than toilets? And then I thought, like, what would be something super nonsense that a toilet could do? And I thought, talk. So I decided to make the toilet talk and give advice.

[Lee Overtree]

The very first advice that the toilet gives, dude, is to follow his dreams and to choose his own path.

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[Lee Overtree]

Do you feel like that's good advice?

[Ethan]

Yeah. I mean, like, for anybody, it's really important to just, like, choose your own words and, like, do your own thing. Don't be the same as anyone else. Just be yourself.

[Lee Overtree]

I love that. Has there ever been a time in your life where you specifically chose your own path?

[Ethan]

I was just in, like, a poetry contest. A lot of people were just, like, writing funny and silly poems. I wanted to do a poem that actually mattered to me.

[Lee Overtree]

Amazing. What was your poem about?

[Ethan]

Waves. Because waves really calm me down. I love going to the beach because, like, I can actually hear them in person, and I can just like, hear the wind and waves and then feel the waves at my toes.

[Lee Overtree]

And what about follow your dreams? If you were going to follow that advice from your personal advice toilet, what would that mean for you?

[Ethan]

I love writing. So one of my dreams is to be, like, an author, and. And I'm trying to be, like, a real author before I turn 12.

[Lee Overtree]

What are you doing to try to accomplish that?

[Ethan]

I write, like, a new story every day, so I just have, like, piles of stories that I just have on hand. Most of the time I do fiction, but sometimes if I have, like, a lot of emotions and I need to get them out, I just write a poem that really, like, explains my feelings and I can just get it out on a piece of paper.

[Lee Overtree]

Well, I can tell you right now based on everything that you're saying to me about how you write every day and the reasons you write and how much effort you're putting into it. You are already an author. You don't need a professional story published to be one. You already are one.

[Ethan]

Thanks.

[Lee Overtree]

Are you the kind of person that people come to for advice, or are you good at giving advice yourself?

[Ethan]

I mean, yeah, I would say I am because I'm also in my school newspaper and I'm kind of the advice girl. So that's another, like, way I got the idea for advice.

[Lee Overtree]

Does your column have a name?

[Ethan]

I named it Ms. Knowitall because, like, I know everything that is so good.

[Lee Overtree]

Wow. As a prolific writer and the queen of advice, what kind of advice can you give to a kid who wants to write their own story? For the Story Pirates podcast, but doesn't

[Ethan]

know where to start, like I do, you could just, like, look at something and come up with an idea. Or you can, like, ask other people for, like, ideas and then make your own ideas off of it. That's what I do. Sometimes I ask my friends, like, for some crazy ideas and then I use some of the ideas and then I make my own story out of it.

[Lee Overtree]

Amazing. Ellie, you are extremely wise. Thank you for sharing the advice toilet with us. And thank you for sharing your advice with us.

[Ethan]

Of course.

[Peter]

Bye.

[Ellie]

Bye.

[Ethan]

We'll be right back after a few words for the grownups.

[Lee Overtree]

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

[Peter]

I do. Sometimes I'll. I'll put them all in a big room and I'll swim in them like Scrooge McDuck.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah. We respond to every single story we receive. And then some of the stories we get to put on the podcast, and some of them we get to talk about and read in today's segment of Story Love. Let's get into it. Peter, would you read the first story?

[Peter]

I would, and I will. And I'm about to. Here I go. From a 9 year old from Georgia named Madison. This is Barnaby the super dog. Once upon a time, there was a dog named Barnaby, but he was not a normal dog. No, no, no. Because he had jet pack paws. He lived in a house made of waffles, and the roof was a giant strawberry. One day, Barnaby was hungry, so he ate the chimney, which was a chocolate bar. Then he accidentally pressed the red button on his paw and zoom. He flew into outer space. He saw a moon made of green cheese and a robot named Beep Boop who was crying because he lost his screwdriver Barnaby gave the robot a bone. And the robot said thanks and gave Barnaby a laser sword. Then they fought a giant space taco that was trying to eat the stars. Barnaby used his jetpack to fly inside the taco and put extra spicy salsa on it. So the tacos sneezed and flew all the way to Mars. Then Barnaby went home and his mom said, where were you? And he said, nowhere. And then he ate some spaghetti and went to sleep. The end.

[Lee Overtree]

Beautiful.

[Peter]

Wow.

[Lee Overtree]

Barnaby the super dog Madison. What a fantastic story. I think my favorite detail is about Beep Boop the robot who's sad because he lost his screwdriver.

[Peter]

A robot needs maintenance, and so you need a screwdriver to tighten as not your bolts.

[Lee Overtree]

Dr. Steel myself.

[Peter]

You tighten screws with a screwdriver. Right. But yeah, he's sitting there and he's feeling like, ah, I cannot tighten my leg joint.

[Lee Overtree]

Do you think he was on the moon, or was he just floating around in space?

[Peter]

He saw a moon made of green cheese and a robot named Bebop. I think he was on that moon.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, I think you're probably right.

[Peter]

Maybe his jetpack was loose and needed tightening so he couldn't leave the moon. Yeah, but Barnaby doesn't have a screwdriver. Barnaby says, I got a bone. So maybe he could fashion it into a screwdriver.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, that's what I was assuming is that he would carve the bone into screwdriver.

[Peter]

Maybe the robot said, oh, thank you. Bone screwdriver.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah.

[Peter]

You got a hand that can turn into different stuff.

[Lee Overtree]

Well done.

[Peter]

Thank you.

[Lee Overtree]

This action sequence with the taco is awesome. So Barnaby. It's interesting, though, because I would have assumed that Barnaby would use the laser sword to fight the giant space taco that's trying to eat the stars.

[Peter]

That's just a prize, Right?

[Lee Overtree]

But Barnaby goes inside the taco and uses one of the taco's powers against it.

[Peter]

Extra spicy salsa put extra spicy. He's like, oh, you think you're a spicy taco? I'll make you real spicy.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah. Ghost pepper.

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Dude/Kevin]

Ooh.

[Lee Overtree]

Have you ever had that?

[Peter]

No. You know what? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say, they're hot enough, you're

[Lee Overtree]

never gonna have it.

[Peter]

But they've made some hot sauces that are so hot, nobody enjoys them. I gotta say, I love Jetpack Paws.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, it's really good.

[Peter]

It's a really great image.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah.

[Peter]

Well, in my mind, he's mechanical. He's Got jetpack paws, so he might be made. What if he's also a robot?

[Lee Overtree]

He's not. But he's not a normal dog.

[Peter]

No, he's certainly not.

[Lee Overtree]

It says why he's not a normal dog. And it's because he has jet pack paws. And that's it.

[Peter]

Yeah. All right, you got me there.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay.

[Dude/Kevin]

I love that.

[Peter]

He goes, I need to save the day by flying with my jetpack paws into the taco.

[Lee Overtree]

I know, right? Cause you know what they say, if you can't go over it and you can't go under it, go into it

[Peter]

and make it explode.

[Lee Overtree]

Great story, Madison. Excellent work. All right, should I read this next one?

[Peter]

Yes, please.

[Lee Overtree]

This is From Grayson, a 12 year old in Oregon. And this is called Cats Can Be Dinos Too. Cats are cats? Sometimes. And sometimes they are dinosaurs. Fancy dinosaurs. T end. That. T end is 100% on purpose, right?

[Peter]

Oh, yeah. Fancy dinosaurs. T n. It's not a typo.

[Lee Overtree]

One cube or two?

[Toilet]

Two, please.

[Peter]

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. There's nothing funnier than a humongous thing doing a dainty.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, it reminds me of that story, Pirate story. A Dinosaur Ate Me.

[Peter]

Yes.

[Lee Overtree]

Where the dinosaurs also drink tea.

[Peter]

It's a different tea, as you may remember.

[Lee Overtree]

Do you remember what kind of tea it is?

[Peter]

I think it was, quote, unquote, poopy tea.

[Lee Overtree]

Poopy tea, poopy tea. In that song, Mandy Gonzalez sings poopy tea in the most beautiful voice.

[Peter]

It makes you almost want to try it. Not fully, but you're like, oh, maybe that.

[Lee Overtree]

Not for me. Cats are cats sometimes. And sometimes they are dinosaurs.

[Peter]

Now, this is the first thing that's intriguing. Sometimes. And sometimes they are dinosaurs. Why are there two sometimess?

[Lee Overtree]

Cause it says cats are cats sometimes. And sometimes they are dinosaurs.

[Peter]

I didn't. I read it as cats are cats, period.

[Lee Overtree]

No, there's five dots here. Or six. There's six of them.

[Peter]

Oh, I see. Oh, she's a double elite. Oh. So it's read this way. Cats are cats Sometimes. And sometimes they are dinosaurs. Fancy dinosaurs.

[Nimini]

T end.

[Toilet]

T end.

[Lee Overtree]

Ting. Incredible story, Grayson.

[Peter]

It's like the performance is written into the very text.

[Lee Overtree]

I love the brevity, the efficiency, the beauty. T end. Best ending ever.

[Peter]

T end.

[Lee Overtree]

All right, Peter, we got one more. You wanna read it for us?

[Peter]

Yes. This story comes to us from a 6 year old from Florida named Apollo.

[Ellie]

Whoa.

[Lee Overtree]

Last episode we had an Orion, and now we have an Apollo.

[Peter]

Oh, we're covering the heavens. This story is called Cuz and Cuz Jr. Cuz and Cuz Jr. Lived on a dry island that was once an ocean. There was a tree, but the tree became so brown they couldn't see it was there. It's because they have dark brown vision.

[Lee Overtree]

Amazing.

[Peter]

One day, bad dragons who lived underground created evil storm clouds that never stopped raining. With all the rain, Cuz and Cuz Jr. S vision turned blue and they saw the tree. They decided to protect the tree. First they build a sand protector, but it got too wet and it fell down. Next they tried bricks, but they got shot by lightning and exploded. Finally they tried cotton candy, but it caught fire. The fire got on the dragons and they flew away. They burned so badly they had to shut their mouths and the storms came from their mouths. So the storm stopped. Cuz and Cuz Jr. Were so happy. The tree was safe. The end.

[Lee Overtree]

Amazing.

[Peter]

This story really feels like some sort of allegory or like origin story for

[Lee Overtree]

civilization, for how the world came to be.

[Peter]

Cuz and Cuz Jr are at first learning to see the life around them.

[Lee Overtree]

Let's talk about the vision. Yes, right. Because at first they couldn't see a brown tree because they have dark brown vision. So it, you know, it was invisible to them.

[Peter]

That's incredible.

[Lee Overtree]

Right, so like, what is it that we can't see because of our vision?

[Peter]

Infrared light, Ultraviolet.

[Lee Overtree]

Right.

[Peter]

There are animals that can see.

[Lee Overtree]

No.

[Peter]

Yeah.

[Lee Overtree]

How do you know though?

[Peter]

Because they took a little under the sea shrimp and they probed it, they gave ultraviolet light to it and they could see its brain light up.

[Lee Overtree]

How do they see that?

[Ellie]

I don't.

[Peter]

I didn't do the test. I'm trusting peer reviewed science.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay.

[Peter]

And there are some animals that can see beyond our spectrum. I don't know how much into the ultraviolet. Like ghost, infrared. I mean, we gotta ask one of those shrimp.

[Lee Overtree]

See this is it science? How are you gonna do that? You gonna put a ghost in front of a shrimp and see if its brain lights up?

[Peter]

You're making me defend a thing I read. Not carefully enough.

[Lee Overtree]

All right, but so then the cousin. Cousin junior's vision turns blue and they see the tree. And this was the moment that the world came alive to them.

[Peter]

And in my mind it's the. Oh, they saw something other than themselves

[Lee Overtree]

and they decided to protect it. Yeah.

[Peter]

Other life.

[Lee Overtree]

Right.

[Peter]

What a beautiful way to see the world. We must protect this precious thing.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah. This is an environmental allegory. I think. I'm with you right there. Yeah. Unbelievable. Apollo, you've given us so much to think about. Thank you for your beautiful story. Peter, that's it for StoryLove.

[Peter]

Already?

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, already. Thanks for watching and listening to read all of today's Story love stories. You know you could just head to storypirates.com that's a fact. Peer reviewed.

[Peter]

T end ding.

[Lee Overtree]

And don't forget grown ups. You can find an even longer version of today's Story Love on YouTube. And StoryLove isn't just the name of a segment on our show. It's also the name of our incredible corporate volunteer program. To find out more about StoryLove, our digital creative writing program, StoryQuest, or our non profit arm, Story Pirates Change Makers. Check the show notes for links. Well, my friends, that is it for season eight of the Story Pirates podcast. Thank you so much for sticking with us this season. You know, when we started season eight, we didn't know if we'd be able to finish it, but here we are. Thanks to so many of you and especially thanks to our co co executive producers this season. You guys saved the day. And though we'll be off next week for a short break after that, we'll still be releasing new stories all summer. So thanks to today's authors, Ethan and Ellie. Have an amazing summer. And don't forget about the summer story challenge. We want to read your stories. We really, really do. Most of all, stay creative and stay kind.

[Ellie]

Bye.

[Lee Overtree]

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 Manulissi, Aaron Moore, Murray Sampson, Jack Schaefer and Jacob Vaughn. This episode was produced produced by Isabella Riccio, 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' Neill and Alexis Simpson. Contributing writers are Matt Cox and Lee Overtree. Episode artwork by Camilla Franklin. This episode features performances by Sarah Morgan Ashey, Eric Austin, Chris Ferry, Christina Grossbeach, Justin Linville, Caroline Lux, Peter McNerney, Josh Nassar, Megan O', Neil, Lee Overtree, Sam Rogel, Rachel Minitsky, Addie Weyrich and Nimini Ware. There's no Such Thing as Too Silly was written by Peter McNerney and Jack Mitchell and produced by Jack Mitchell. Coco's Crazy Schedule was written and produced by Eric Gerson. Ah, what an amazing adventure. This season was our first road trip. Our first time at Storyteller Con. And now we're back on the road. Off to our next adventure. I wonder where we'll go next.

[Peter]

Hmm.

[Lee Overtree]

I'm all out of my coffee. Free coffee, Kefir. I better get a refill. Excuse me, Barista. Yes, sir. What can I do for you?

[Peter]

Ah.

[Lee Overtree]

No longer Evil Robot. Lee, how are you liking your new job here at the Bean Emporium? It's pretty good. Honestly, World domination was exhausting. It's nice to have such a simple task as serving coffee. Glad to hear it. Speaking of, can you refill my mug? Sure. Thanks. Say when. And when. Say when. I did. It's overflowing now. Say when.

[Peter]

When. Wow.

[Lee Overtree]

This is a huge mess. I don't think that reprogramming really worked. Say when. When. Well, now I'm ankle deep. Rollo is not gonna like this. Say when. When. Say when.

[Megan]

Ooh, Lee, that was a good one.

[Lee Overtree]

Thanks. Say.