Lee Overtree (0:01)

Hey, Story Pirates podcast listeners. Lee here on today's episode, the Story Pirates discover a deserted island in the middle of the ocean, far from anyone and anywhere. And you'll never guess who we find there. That's right, special guest, the amazing comedian Kyle Gordon, that's who. And we have two brand new stories written by kids, of course, grown ups. Did you know that ads only cover a small portion of what it costs to make this show show? It's true. So if you'd like to help us keep making it, consider supporting Story Pirates by becoming a creator Club member. There are so many perks, including the ad free version of the show. And premium members even get to participate in a quarterly video meetup with Lee and Peter where we create a brand new story together for the podcast. But most of all, Creator Club members help us support the cost of the show so we can keep bringing it to you every week. If you're already a Creator Club member, thank you so much. And if you'd like to join, you can do so by visiting storypirates.com creatorclub or subscribing in Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Two brand new stories and all the adventure one deserted island can contain. Coming up right after a few words for the grown ups. Oh, we're on the high seas. La la la la la. There's no land in sight. La la la la la. Just ocean for miles. La la la la la. Not a single bit of land anywhere near land. Oh, a small island over there. And look, there's a man with a long beard. He's jumping up and down and holding a big stick. Hello down there. Peter, don't bother him. What if he's just practicing a dance? Save me. That's not what dancing looks like. Well then you haven't seen me dance. I'm stranded on this deserted island. Pull over. He said desert. He said deserted. That means that nothing is there. So the dessert is already gone. I'm pulling over. Ooh, parallel parking. This thing is such a nightmare. Just back a bit more and forward to the right and to the left. Just a bit forward. Okay, got it. Woo. Come on, let's go onto the lifeboat. I'll row up to the shore. Oh, thank goodness you're here. I'm Frank. I've been stuck on this island for three years with nothing but this stick. Say hi, stick. Riiight. We're just gonna sidebar for a quick sec. Nope. Yeah, go for it. I think he's been stuck on this island for so long, he started to believe the Stick is his friend. I think you're right. Should we say hi to the Stick? You know, to play along? I think so. I was going to anyway. Hello. Hi, Stick. Don't be shy, Stick. He's my best friend. Come on. Let me give you a little tour of my island. You don't want to just get right on the ship and get off this island? That's a few more minutes, right? Follow me. Let me get you something to eat. I hope you like dessert. Ah, I am always right. Wow. I love storytelling. I'm very different from everybody. Confusion is the step before curiosity. Okay, that's a really funny idea. We have to send that in. I'm amazing. I can do this. I will rock this test. I believe all the things in my story. Human beings are just able to create the story Pirates. Welcome back to the Story Pirates podcast, everyone. Where we take stories written by kids and turn them into sketch comedy and songs. Frank, what are you laughing at? Sorry. Stick just said the funniest thing. He is so hilarious. That's nice to have such a funny friend. Right, everyone? Yeah. Should we do a story? What was that, Stick? He says yes. Great. And here to introduce it is the author. Hi, I'm beckham, and I'm 14 and I live in Utah. This is my story, Gerald the Wizard. Ah, another day as the servant of King Zorblok the zombie king. What a boring life for me. Gerald the oblivious. Gerald. Yes, Your majesty? Do you require pancakes again? Your majesty, if I may, don't you think you've had enough pancakes recently? You have them for every meal of the day. Even snack time. Okay, okay. I'll get you more pancakes. Be right back. Gosh, that guy is obsessed with pancakes. Frankly, I'm sick of it. But at least I'm not stuck toiling in the mines like the other humans. Just look at them down there. Working in the mines for these zombies is no way to live. I got a cramp in me. Pickaxe and wrist. Me lungs are full of small rocks. We'll get back to work. We might be stuck here for now, zombie, but just you wait. Someday we humans are going to band together and rise against. Or my name isn't Joan of Dark. Hey, you up there watching us from that castle window. Who, me? Yes. Can't you do something? Uh, sorry. There's no one here. I can see you. Whew. Now that I've closed the window, I don't have to feel bad. Like I always say, if I can't see it, it's not my Problem. Not like there's anything I could do anyway. Wow. I tripped right in front of this painting of a door. Hey, wait a minute. This isn't just a painting. It's a real door. A secret room. Looks like a scientist is talking to a little girl. I'm gonna stay hidden and listen in on their conversation. Untie me, you evil scientist little girl. There is no use in trying to escape. You will be turned into a zombie. King Zorblock's orders. You'll never turn me into a zombie. You're technically correct. I won't turn you into a zombie because this zombie will. Oh, a zombie. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to leave the room so the zombie will bite you in the arm instead of me. Gross. Goodbye. No, don't bite me in the arm. I'm the best pitcher on my softball team. Ouch. Oh, there goes our championship season. Whoa. I feel woozy. Oh, no. She's turned into a zombie. I gotta get out of here. I'm safe here in the hallway. As long as that zombie girl is behind that door, I can't see it. And if I can't see it, it's not my problem. Gerald. Oh, you're that lady I saw working in the mines. I mean, the lady I didn't see and whom I don't see. Now, the name's Joan. And frankly, I'm tired of living under the tyranny of these zombies. We humans should band together and do something. I don't know. I have it pretty good. King Zorblock yells a lot, but he only ever wants me to get him pancakes and the occasional French toast. Gerald, you really are oblivious. In fact, you're willfully oblivious. Hey, I just saw a girl get turned into a zombie. You think I want that to happen to me? You saw someone get turned into a zombie? Do you know what this means? No, and I don't want to know. La la la la la la la. Get your fingers out of your ears this instant. Gerald. It means that if people can be turned into zombies, maybe there's a way to turn zombies into people and end this zombie apocalypse. Well, I guess that would be pretty cool. Or whatever. We need more information to the Royal Library. So many books. Where do we even begin? Let's start looking here, under dystopian nonfiction. Let's see here. How to stop a vampire Preventing werewolf colonies. When your mommy is a mummy, we're never gonna find the right book, so let's just give up forever instead. Bye, Gerald. No. Come look at this book. What to do in case zombies take over the world and have found out they can turn everyone into a zombie. A book just for Gerald. You have to read it. Looks pretty heavy, Gerald. Just read it. Fine. I'm opening the book. No. There's a blinding light shooting out of the book. That was weird but pointless. There was nothing in that book that was at all useful. There's gotta be something in here we can use. Oh, I agree. In fact, there it is. Right over there. Huh. See ya, Gerald. Haha. That was too easy. Now back to my easy peasy job of serving King Zorblock Pancakes to the throne room. I'm back in the throne room. Oh, King Zorblock, of course I broke. Brought you a hot and fresh stack of pancakes. Hey wait, I think I hear something. Are those King Zorblock's thoughts? Yum. Pancakes. As soon as I finish these, I am going to turn Gerald the Oblivious into a zombie. He'll never see it coming because he's oblivious. Oh no. I don't know why I can suddenly hear the King's thoughts, but it's clear that it's time for old Gerald the Oblivious to get out of dodge. I'm outta here. Gerald. Oh, it's you. Help. I can hear the King's thoughts and he's gonna turn me into a zombie. Oh, so now that you're personally affected, you're interested in fighting the zombies. Uh, yeah. I see how it is. Anyway, that book must have been a magical wizard spell book. It gave you magic powers. Maybe it also gave you some way to defeat the King. Speak of the zombie. Here comes King's Zorblock. This is your chance, Gerald. Do I gotta? Yes. You're our only hope. Unfortunately. Now point your finger, say some magic words and see what happens. Ugh. Fine. Ahem. Abracadabra. Wait, what just happened? Isn't it obvious? You're no longer Gerald the Oblivious. You're Gerald the Wizard. Oh no you don't. Since you can read my thoughts, pay attention because I'm only going to think this once. I am going to finish turning this town into zombies. And once I'm done with that, the world. All right, King Zorblock, get ready for an epic showdown. Abracadabra. Abraca Zebra. I. I want pancakes. What? What happened? I turned you back into a human, is what happened. Pretty cool, eh? But if you weren't always a zombie, then who started this whole zombie apocalypse? It was me, the scientist. It was my evil experiment to turn this whole town into zombies. Why? Well, to Be honest. I got so caught up in knowing that I could that I never stopped to ask if I should. Hmm. Yes, Many such cases. Well, off to the mines with you. No. My experimenting wrists. They'll be ruined. Guards. Take him away. Let go. Let go. No. No. Oh, right. Gerald, think you could use your wizard powers to turn everyone back into humans? It would be my honor, your majesty. Wonderful. The curse has been lifted. And to remember this day, may you always keep a stack of pancakes nearby as a reminder of where your journey began. Uh, thanks. You're welcome. The end. And now Lis speaks with the author. So, Beckham, you wrote Gerald the wizard? Yeah, I did. Can you tell me how you got the idea for it? So I actually wrote this story in my creative writing class, and I believe that week we learned about how to make a character interesting and how to make readers want to look at the character more. So I was able to use that into my writing and put that in the story. Can you teach me a little bit? Like, how does one make a character interesting? What we learned is that when writing a character, if you have time, sometimes you can, like, make up a whole character's backstory, and you try to figure out the character's motives and feelings in the scene that you're writing about, and you try to, like, look at their personality as a whole and try to. Try to. Try to put that in your story. This sounds like a really good class. Yeah, it's pretty fun. Okay, so I know that Gerald ends up helping out because he himself is threatened by King Zorblock, but it also feels like he probably could have gotten away with just being a servant for King Zorblock indefinitely or getting away and not helping. So why does he put himself at risk to save the kingdom? He knows that what's going on in the town right now isn't right, and he wants to change it and try to help those around him who are also being affected by this bad world and the bad zombies. Have you ever been intimidated by having to, like, solve a big problem yourself like that? I think most of the times I've been intimidated is going into, like, a big test or an audition and not feeling prepared enough. Is there anything you say to yourself to keep you motivated in those moments? Yeah. One of my science teachers always made us stand up and do positive affirmations before test, and so I'm able to use that, and it really helps me. Can you give me an example of what a positive affirmation is? So a positive affirmation is something that you can say to yourself to make you feel better. And so we would always say, like, I'm amazing. I can do this. I will rock this test. Does that ever become part of your writing process when you're trying to figure out what happens next? Yeah, I would say so, because sometimes if I have, like, writer's block and I get really frustrated with my stories, I can say, I can do this. I'll get through this. I've come up with really good ideas before. I love at the end where you say that. Gerald keeps a stack of pancakes nearby as a reminder of where his journey began. Why do you think it's important for him to remember where he started? Probably because when he's trying to make a tough decision, if he sees the stack of pancakes, he's able to look at his past experiences and be like, this is the right thing to do. I should do this choice instead of the other choice, which would only affect me, because every time he sees the pancakes, he wants to be selfless and humble, and he doesn't want to be like Zorblock. Do you have anything in your life that you keep around to remind you of hard choices that you've made in the past? I'm currently in my room, and I have a poster that I made because I was running for school president. And if I'm feeling down, I can look at it, and I'll be like, oh, I didn't get that. And I was able to get over it. So I can get over this. I love that so much because it must have been hard not to win. I felt really bad after I heard the news, and I felt like it was the worst thing that's ever happened to me. But I got over it eventually, so I'm able to look at it. Are you able to be proud of the campaign that you ran? Oh, yeah. I'm really proud of the campaign that I ran. And even if I didn't get chosen, I read this in a book that failure is not the same as not being selected. And I like that because I was able to connect it to my own life. You are a wise kid, Beckham. That is so awesome. I love that so much. Beckham, thank you so much for sending us your story, and thanks for letting us perform it. Yeah, thanks for performing it. All right. Bye, Beckham. Bye. Oh, such a good story. Truly exceptional. All righty. Got some dessert for you all. I hope you like leaves. What? I love leaves. These are really good leaves. Anyone else? They're fresh dipped in salt water with a light sprinkling. Of sand. Oh, yeah. You can really taste the sand. You know what? I think I'm good. Suit yourself. Here, let me show you around. This is my tree. Oh. This is my rock. Ah. And of course, you already know Stick. We certainly do. And that's pretty much it. How'd you end up here? I gotta be honest, it was totally my fault. I was kayaking and lost track of time and I didn't realize it had been like three weeks. Before I knew it, I was here. I figured I'd just spend a night or two to regain my strength, then start back. But while I was sleeping, my kayak must have washed out to sea. I've been here ever since. Wow, that sounds difficult. Honestly, it's been kind of nice. I used to work this really busy job and was always saying things like, I wish I could just move to a deserted island. Or ugh, I wouldn't have to send all these emails if I lived on a deserted island. And now look, I got my wish. It's been great having time to think and reflect and have long meandering discussions with Stick. But now I'm ready to go home. Gotta say, I really miss toilets. Me too, Peter. We have toilets, right? Right. Anyway, I'll go gather up my stuff and then we can hit the road. Or hit the ocean. What's that, Stick? Oh, you're right. That would have been good. Dang, you are smart. Okay, I'll be right back. Huh. Nice guy. I'm so glad we can help him. Oh, me too. Now we can have real friends. And not just that old Stick. Yeah, right. Excuse me, who said that? I did. Down here on the ground, Stick. That's right, it's me. That old Stick. I'm so sorry. When I said that, I didn't realize. Didn't realize what? And I was listening while I was. We are really sorry, Stick. We thought that. That Frank had made up a friend out of loneliness. Wrong again. Please let us make it up to you. You're coming with Frank, right? There's so much fun stuff that we can show you on the ship. Like a movie theater and a garden. Oh, and a little room with this white porcelain statue full of water that swirls around when you pull it. That's misunderstood. I'm not leaving this island. And neither is Frank. And neither are you. Wait, why can't we leave? We'll be right back after a few words for the grown ups. 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By puncturing your lifeboat. Huh? Oh no. How you gonna get back onto your ship now? Swim? Well, yeah. Oh yeah. Actually we could just swim. All set? I packed up as much sand as I could, but I'm gonna have to leave some of it here. Ready? Stick? Yes, Stick. Are you ready? He says he's ready now. How do we get to your ship? Well, we're gonna have to swim. Uh oh, I can't swim. What? You went for a three week kayaking trick without knowing how to swim? Huh? Guess I never really thought about that. What about the lifeboat you came in on? It got punctured by a stick. Oh no. Stick. Did you hear that? Their lifeboat got punctured by A stick? That's so crazy. Well, we're not leaving without you. We have to find a way to get you to that ship. Maybe I can find something on this island to patch up the boat. I'll be right back. I found some rocks. Will that work? No, probably not. Nice try, but I told you he's not getting off this island. And neither am I. And neither are you if I can help it. I still don't understand why we can't leave. Because you know about us now and you'll tell everyone and they'll come here and make Frank leave. And why can't Frank leave? Because. Because why? Because he's my best friend. And if he leaves, he won't want to be my friend anymore. What? That's what this is about? Uh, yeah, but that would never happen. Yeah, Frank seems to really love being friends with you. Sure, maybe he does now, but he won't forever. Why do you think I hit his kayak? You what? Oh, no, Frank. You heard me loud and clear. Also, you can talk. I'm so confused. And things are making more sense to me than they ever have before. I can't believe you hid my kayak. I just didn't want you to leave. Frank, you showing up on my island is the best. Best thing that ever happened to me. I used to just be a stick, but now I'm a stick with a friend. And I can't let you take that away from me. Stick. Even though I've been stranded on an island for three years with nothing but a rock to sleep on, these have been the best three years of my life. Because I had a great friend to enjoy them with. And when we. Yes, we get back to Pittsburgh, where I live, my life may look different, but I promise you will always have a place in it. Friends? Friends. Yes. Oh. Okay, I'm sobbing. Let's go home, stick. Let's. Now I just gotta remember where I hid your kayak. Oh, Stick, you nut. You know me. Oh, Stick A. We're best friends with each other. It's true. We've established that we are. Huh. Should we do another story? Yeah. And here to introduce it is the author. Hey, I found another stick. Put me down. Yikes. Hi, I'm Henry. I'm 11 years old and I live in Ohio. This is my story. The Scaredy Ghost Cat. Most people know all cats have nine lives. But few talk about the tenth life. That's my life. The life of a ghost cat. From my perch high on the roof of my so called haunted house, I'm able to perceive without being perceived. If all a house needs to be haunted is an absence of people, then why isn't the house across the street that's been empty and for sale for six months also considered haunted? A moving van's pulling up. No doubt the new home homeowners. This box is labeled dishes, so make sure it gets to the kitchen, okay? You heard them, fellas. Don't break it. Hello there, new neighbors. Hello. We brought you over this welcome basket to say welcome to the neighborhood. A roof. Oh, I see you have a dog. We have one, too. Your dog is so fancy. I guess we moved into a nice neighborhood, huh, hon? Oh, yes. This neighborhood is way nicer than our last one. Our dog is stinky. Oh, is that his name? His name is Reggie. He's just a really, really stinky dog. I'm sure that's not true. A roof. Oh, that is one stinky dog. Hey, can we see the inside of your house? Dan, I told you, do not come on in. Reggie, you stay out here until we can find a time to give you a bath. Yeah, you two pups stay out here and get to know each other. That's a door. Hi, I'm Reggie. What's your name? Delight. We just moved into the. Yes, I heard the humans talking all about it. Did you also hear them say that you're stinky? Yeah, well, you know, they used to give me baths more, but then I would eat the towels, so they kind of cut back. Towels? A dog eating shoes I could understand. Even pillows, maybe, but towels. I need to go inside with my owners. I've got to get away from this smell. Oh, I think your dog wants to come in. Merk. Merk. Come on in here, Delight. You're gonna love the wainscoting. Let's continue the dime tour. Yay. Delight is right. I am one stinky dog. I should just leave my family so they can start their new life in their new home without being known as the Stinky Dog House like they were in our old place. Goodbye, family. Goodbye. That was a good nap. But now it's time for ghost cat to wake up and get back to contemplating pee. You. What's that smell? A foul odor seems to be coming from down the hall. Aha. There's a super smelly dog napping in front of the fireplace. Oh, it sure is cold all alone in here in this abandoned house. I sure do miss my family, but I bet they're glad I'm not around stinking up their new house. I've got to get this gross dog out of here. Here goes nothing. Boo. Meow. Boo. Meow. That dog just stretched and moved right through me. He didn't see or hear me at all. All this crying and personal shame has made me sleepy. I guess as long as I'm in this house totally alone, there's no reason to hold back. Holy moly. Ew. That's better. Now back to dreaming. I've got to come up with a plan to get this dog out of here. If I can move about totally undetected, then maybe I can build the perfect trap for this uninvited guest. Here goes nothing. Which leads us back to the front door tour complete. Beautiful. What a house tour. That was actually really nice. Well, we'd better get back to moving in. Hey, folks, we got all your boxes moved in. The dishes are in the bedroom, the basement is in the den, the clothes are in the kitchen, and the books are in the conservatory. Perfect. Wait, where's the dog? Oh no. Where did Reggie go? Reggie. Reggie. Come on. We gotta try and find that stinky dog. We'll help. After all, what are neighbors for? Wedgie. Listen, everybody, My trap is set. Now I just need to put this chicken bone from the neighbor's trash under my trap to lure this super stinky dog. And. Done. Pu. Come on, wake up. Reggie. Reggie? Is someone calling my name? Oh, wow, a chicken bone. That's right. Go for that treat. An old dried up chicken bone partially covered in dirt with hints of buffalo sauce. I can't resist. And now, now, now, now, now, now, now. They can't grab onto anything to set off this trap because I'm a ghost cat. Wow. Chicken bones. Out of nowhere. I was gonna keep moving and try to find a different place to stay, but now this place is starting to feel like home. Whoa. There we go. Lean into the stink. He'll never leave. This stinky dog will be in my house forever. Reggie. There you are, everyone. I found him. Reggie. Oh my goodness. If anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself. What? I can't believe they're so happy to see this stinky dog. You found him a roof? Oh, yeah. He's here. And he smells just like he did before. Nah, he smells worse. But that doesn't matter to us. We love our smelly Reggie dog. I was so focused on trying to get rid of this smelly dog that I never stopped to consider that someone loves and accepts him, no matter what he is. That's powerful. Oh, shucks. Should we bring it in for a group hug? Dan, this really seems like a family moment. Okay, we'll see you around. Are you Street? Are you always trying to hug our neighbors? Well, you should have let them answer at least. Come on, Reg, let's get you into a bath in your new home. Reggie found his way back to his stinky dog essence just. Just as his family found him today reminded me that all things pass and with enough patience, move back to their true noble path. Rol. Okay, maybe Noble's pushing it. Ro. The end. And now it's time for Story Pirates Roll call. Send us your story, we read them all. First up, From Violet, a 10 year old in California, we have a story called My Aunt is an Ant. Now I love homonyms. Do you know what a homonym is? Say homonym five times fast while I tell you what a homonym is. A homonym is two words that sound exactly the same but mean different things. Like aunt A U N T, AKA your grown up's brother or sister. And ant, the insect, the tiny guy. Well, in Violet's story she puts this hominin to work, which is very exciting because there is a kid who has bring your aunt or uncle to school day and their aunt happens happens to be an ant, the insect. So when they bring the insect to school, lots of shenanigans ensue and the end of the story is even funnier. Violet, incredible work, my friend. Thanks for sending us your story. Next up, from Renji, a seven year old in Pennsylvania, we have a story called Airplane Eyepatch Day. This is a holiday that I think we all need. It is of course a holiday where airplanes and airplane pilots wear eye patches. And of course the reason why you would do that is to pretend to be an air pirate. But don't worry, these air pirates are not mean and they don't steal from people. They are kind pirates and they just wear eye patches. An unconventional pirate, you say. You know that. I love that. Great work, Renji. And finally, from. From Eve, a six year old in Guatemala, we have a story called the Sloth who Loved Swimming and Roller Skates. And I just love the plot sequence of this story. So first of all, there's this sloth who wants to swim but doesn't have a pool. So the sloth decides to roller skate and is so good at roller skating that they go to the Olympics and win. And then they get a bunch of money so they buy a pool. And then guess what? The roller skates want to learn how to swim too. Of course. And so the sloth Teaches the roller skates how to swim and they have fun in the pool. How beautiful is that? Eve, what a wonderful story. Thank you so much for sending it in. To read all of today's Roll Call stories, just head to storypirates.com and I gotta tell you, we have a very special surprise for next week's Roll Call. So make sure you listen in. It's gonna be cool. That was Roll Call. Now it's time for you to write us a story. And if you don't know where to start, here's one idea. Take a picture of something normal and then make up a story of what you imagine could be happening in the picture. Kinda like this. Okay, Henry, can you describe to me your photo? That is a puppet that I made. Oh, cool. Puppet. And what's your idea for what could be happening in the picture? I put the puppet down one day and then, like, the puppet comes to life and I'm just, like, walking around and stuff. Yep, puppets coming to life. A classic and yet still relevant. You see, listeners, sometimes writing a story is about finding an image that inspires you. Grown ups can submit stories@storypirates.com and remember, remember, we respond to every single story we receive. That's it for today's episode. Thanks for listening. And a big thanks to today's authors, Henry and Beckham. We'll be back next week with another episode. Until then, stay creative and stay kind. Bye. The Story Pirates podcast is a production of Story Pirates Studios, executive produced by by Lee Overtree and Benjamin Salka. This episode was produced by Sam Baer, McKenna Cox, Peter McNerney, Andrew Miller and Lee Overtree. Recording sound design and mixing by Sam Baer at the Relic Room in New York City. Theme song by Bobby Lord. Roll call theme by Andrew Barbado. Musical scoring by Eric Erson and Jack Mitchell. Our head writers are Rachel Winitsky and David Sidorov. Contributing writers are Peter McNerney, Megan O'Neil, Leo Richard and Alexis Simpson. Production coordination by Denisa Wortenby. Episode artwork by Camilla Franklin. Special guest, Kyle Gordon. This episode features performances by Willie Appleman, Colin Batten, Nicole Beckwith, Ben Blackman, Christina Grossbeach, Hallie Haas, Mihaila Lawrence, Peter McNerney, Joshua Nassar, Megan O'Neil, Jasmine Romero, Niminiwear and Matt Zimbrano. Woo. It's nice to be back on the ship and I have to say, new big stick. I'm so glad you decided to come with us. Thank you for having me. You know, when I first picked you up and you said put me down in your terrifying stick voice. I was afraid you didn't want to be friends. Sorry about that. I was just nervous. Sometimes I'm not very good at first impressions. Me neither. Maybe that's why we're such good friends. Now we understand each other. Best friends.