The Evil Bunny/20 Eucalyptus Leaves

Summary

Story Pirates Podcast Episode Summary: "The Evil Bunny/20 Eucalyptus Leaves"

Release Date: April 3, 2025

The Story Pirates podcast, renowned for transforming children’s stories into hilarious sketches and original songs, presents its episode titled "The Evil Bunny/20 Eucalyptus Leaves." Hosted by Lee Overtree, the episode immerses listeners in the festive spirit of Gift Day, a holiday dedicated to the joy of giving and receiving gifts.

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Introduction to Gift Day

The episode kicks off with Lee Overtree introducing Gift Day, a holiday centered around celebrating the exchange of gifts. Lee enthusiastically states, “Today’s episode. It’s Gift Day, the holiday where you give gifts, get gifts, and just sort of generally celebrate the idea of gifts” (00:01). The hosts, including Megan, Peter, Rachel, Nimini, and Eric, share their excitement for the day, setting a playful and communal tone.

The Evil Bunny Story

Performance

The first featured story, "The Evil Bunny," is authored by 13-year-old Peter from Massachusetts. The narrative revolves around Evil Bunny (Evel Bunny), the cousin of the beloved Easter Bunny, who harbors jealousy and plots to sabotage Easter by stealing all the Easter eggs and candy. The story unfolds with humorous dialogues and a twist of redemption as Evil Bunny ultimately realizes the value of kindness and teamwork.

Key moments include Evil Bunny's confrontation with the Easter Bunny:

“Because, Max, the Easter Bunny, is my cousin.” (05:38)

And his confession leading to the resolution:

“I'm sorry. Now, what do you say we take all these eggs and save Easter together?” (12:17)

Interview with Peter

Post-performance, Lee Overtree interviews Peter about his creative process:

Lee: “Can you tell me how you came up with the idea for it?” (13:13)

Peter: “So my sister Betsy was, like, hopping around, pretending to be the Evil Bunny, and I added, like, a plot and stuff to create the story.” (13:20)

Peter explains that inspiration stemmed from his sister's playful antics, which he expanded into a full-fledged story highlighting themes of jealousy and reconciliation.

The Gift Day Gift Swap Party

Following the story, the hosts engage in a Gift Swap Party, where each participant exchanges gifts from a "gigantic silly hat." Initially, the gifts amusingly turn out to be identical slices of strawberry cheesecake, leading to a comedic realization of their coincidental gift choices:

Peter: “It's my favorite food, so I decided to buy it for my secret gift.” (17:12)

Megan: “It's about gifts. Original, different gifts.” (19:05)

The humorous exchange underscores themes of friendship and the unexpected connections that arise during Gift Day festivities.

Second Story: "20 Eucalyptus Leaves"

Performance

The second story, "20 Eucalyptus Leaves," is authored by 11-year-old Tamar from Australia. This tale features a group of Australian platypuses working together to build a hut to escape the scorching sun. They encounter Elizabeth, a cranky echidna, who initially resists teamwork but ultimately learns the value of cooperation and kindness.

Highlights from the story include:

Peter: “I'll let you lot build huts on my land, but you gotta pay rent.” (29:21)

Rachel: “This is terrible. How did this happen?” (24:36)

The narrative emphasizes environmental challenges and the importance of community support.

Interview with Tamar

In the subsequent interview, Tamar discusses her inspiration and aspirations:

Lee: “Are there any people out there that you aspire to be like or aspire to have some of the same qualities as?”

Tamar: “Yeah, like, I play music, so I've always wanted to be, like, a famous musician. And there are a bunch of role models out there that I can look up to, like Trombone Shorty and this band named Fire Frenzy.” (14:17)

Tamar reveals her love for music and her desire to integrate her passion into storytelling, reflecting her creative ambitions.

Roll Call: Stories from Young Authors

Lee Overtree introduces a Roll Call segment, showcasing stories from young listeners:

1. Eden's "The Hamster" (8 years old, UK):

   • Synopsis: A whimsical tale where a hamster transforms into a giraffe, leading to humorous adventures.
   • Notable Quote: “What a roller coaster.” (26:11)

2. Marcos's "The Giant Spider" (6 years old, Florida):

   • Synopsis: A knight teams up with a giant spider to prevent food from being mashed in a grocery store, highlighting themes of friendship and redemption.
   • Notable Quote: “They spent vacations and had so much fun.” (26:11)

3. Milo's "The Biggest Pineapple's Head" (4 years old, Wisconsin):

   • Synopsis: A pineapple is turned into a chicken by a witch's potion, undergoes a mishap, and reverts back, delivering a whimsical narrative.
   • Notable Quote: “Your imagination is a special one, Milo.” (31:02)

These stories celebrate the boundless creativity of children, with Lee commending each author's unique imagination.

Conclusion and Listener Engagement

The episode concludes with an encouragement for listeners to craft their own stories inspired by everyday images, fostering a space for creativity and expression:

Lee: “Take a picture, a photo of something normal, and then make up a story of what you imagine could be happening in the photo.” (37:00)

Listeners are invited to submit their stories via the Story Pirates website, with assurances that every submission is acknowledged.

Final Remarks

In a light-hearted exchange, Peter showcases his flair for accents, adding a humorous close to the episode:

Lee: “Your Australian accent has a little bit of an R rolling vibe, you know?”

Peter: “No, but Australians don't roll their Rs.” (39:16)

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Key Takeaways:

• Gift Day Celebration: Emphasizes the joy and humor in gift exchanges among friends.
• Storytelling Power: Highlights how children's narratives can be transformed into engaging performances.
• Themes of Friendship and Kindness: Both featured stories underscore the importance of cooperation, understanding, and redemption.
• Encouraging Creativity: The podcast continually fosters an environment where young listeners are inspired to create and share their own stories.

Notable Quotes:

• “I have chills. Literally, the hairs of my mustache are standing up.” – Megan (03:14)
• “Evel. Sorry, I don't know why I can't get that.” – Evil Bunny (05:25)
• “We can confiscate these eggs. Right. Sorry, Evil Bunny.” – Eric (11:22)
• “You need to breathe from the diaphragm. Support your breath.” – Rachel (Voice Coach) (10:08)
• “You were always there for me. But I wasn't always there for you. I'm sorry.” – Eric (12:13)

This episode of Story Pirates masterfully blends storytelling, humor, and heartfelt lessons, making it a delightful listen for both children and adults alike.

Transcript

[Lee Overtree]

Hey, Story Pirates podcast listeners. Lee here on today's episode. It's Gift Day, the holiday where you give gifts, get gifts, and just sort of generally celebrate the idea of gifts. Stuff gifts. Stuff gifts. And we have two brand new stories written by kids, of course, grownups. Did you know that ads only cover a small portion of what it costs to make this 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. Premium members even get to participate in a quarterly video meetup with Lee and Peter, where we work and create together a brand new story to make for the podcast. But most of all, Creator Club members help support the cost of the show. So we can keep bringing it to you and every single 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 by subscribing right in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Two brand new stories and a lot of gifts coming up right after a few words for the grownups.

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[Megan]

Good morning, everyone. Guess what day it is.

[Peter]

April 37th.

[Lee Overtree]

Is it my birthday?

[Rachel]

Ooh, it's National Chair Day, isn't it? I gotta get building.

[Megan]

No, it's National Gift, the holiday where you give gifts, get gifts, and just sort of generally celebrate the idea of gifts.

[Peter]

Oh, yeah, I was close.

[Megan]

I was so excited. I couldn't sleep through the night last night.

[Nimini]

Baby with a mustache, you never sleep through the night. You drink a bottle every three hours.

[Peter]

Oh, right.

[Megan]

Well, I can't wait to swap gifts later. I hope I get so many new things because there's nothing in the world more important than stuff and gifts.

[Peter]

Hear, hear. Should we all sing the famous Gift Day song that everybody knows and Loves.

[Eric]

Yes, please.

[Peter]

Count us off, Megan.

[Rachel]

And a one, and a two, and a five, six, seven, eight.

[Megan]

Wow. That sounded amazing. I have chills. Literally, the hairs of my mustache are standing up.

[Nimini]

I think that might be all the mustache wax.

[Megan]

Ew. Anyway, we should celebrate Gift Day in the traditional way.

[Rachel]

What's that?

[Megan]

A gift day gift swap party. Everyone goes shopping in secret to buy a special gift, and then we bring them to a party. We put all our gifts into a giant silly hat, and then we take turns pulling gifts out of the hat. Hat. It's so fun to see all the different things people get for each other.

[Peter]

That sounds really fun.

[Gabby's Dollhouse Ad]

Gift day gift.

[Rachel]

Oh, sorry. Are we done with this song?

[Lee Overtree]

I love storytelling.

[Megan]

I'm very different from everybody. Confusion is the step before curiosity. Okay, that's a really funny idea.

[Tamar]

We have to send that in. I just make, like, an underground bunker to hide all the trombones.

[Megan]

I believe all of the things in my story. Human beings are just able to create the story Pirates.

[Lee Overtree]

Welcome back to the Story Pirates podcast, everyone.

[Megan]

Gift Day.

[Rachel]

Where we take stories written by kids.

[Megan]

Gift Day.

[Peter]

And turn them into sketch comedy gifts.

[Megan]

Gift Day.

[Nimini]

And songs.

[Lee Overtree]

Gift Day, baby. With a mustache. You are pretty excited. It's Gift day, huh?

[Megan]

Gift day. Gift day. Gift Day.

[Rachel]

Gift Day.

[Nimini]

Why don't we do a story? And here to introduce it is the Gift Day. Oh, I mean, the author.

[Tamar]

Hi, my name is Peter. I'm 13 years old, and I live in Massachusetts. This is my story. The Evil Bunny.

[Eric]

Picture, please.

[Lee Overtree]

Please look over this way, please. Normally, I can't stand catering these red carpet events, but this one is so cool. I can't believe the Easter Bunny is coming. It's so exciting. Right, Evil Bunny?

[Evil Bunny]

Max, I've told you this several times. My name is pronounced Evel Bunny.

[Lee Overtree]

Evel. Sorry, I don't know why I can't get that. Anyway, aren't you excited to see the Easter Bunny?

[Evil Bunny]

No, I'm not.

[Lee Overtree]

Why not?

[Evil Bunny]

Because, Max, the Easter Bunny, is my cousin.

[Lee Overtree]

He is? That's awes.

[Evil Bunny]

Loves the Easter Bunny because he gives out candy and eggs and most famously, hangs out with a bunch of gorillas.

[Lee Overtree]

I wish I had a gorilla entourage.

[Evil Bunny]

Of course you do. Everyone wishes they had a gorilla entourage. But it's not fair.

[Lee Overtree]

What's not fair? It's just.

[Evil Bunny]

Don't get me wrong, I love my cousin and everything, but I get a little jealous sometimes. You see, back when we were bunnies, we had a secret hideout in China.

[Lee Overtree]

Uh, cool.

[Evil Bunny]

It was. That's where we came up with the whole giving out candy and eggs thing?

[Lee Overtree]

You came up with that together? Then why aren't you famous, too?

[Evil Bunny]

Well, it's like Easter said. Who wants to get eggs from an evil bunny?

[Lee Overtree]

He's here. Easter Bunny. That's him getting out of that limo. Wow, look at all those gorillas. You have to go say hi to him.

[Evil Bunny]

I guess it would be nice to see him again.

[Lee Overtree]

Come on, let's get closer. Easter bunny.

[Peter]

Hey, Mr. Easter Bunny, you've had an incredible year. What's your secret?

[Eric]

Oh, I don't have any secrets. I just love my job. And I love my fans.

[Peter]

Tell us, what's next for the Easter Bunny?

[Eric]

Well, as you know, Easter is right around the corner, so that'll keep me hopping for a while.

[Evil Bunny]

Easter Bunny. It's me, Evil Bunny.

[Peter]

Evil Bunny? Who are you?

[Evil Bunny]

I'm the Easter Bunny's cousin, E.B.

[Peter]

We didn't know you had a cousin.

[Eric]

Oh, he's a distant cousin on the left side.

[Evil Bunny]

Distant left. Come on. We actually invented giving out candy on Easter together.

[Peter]

Is that true?

[Lee Overtree]

Um.

[Evil Bunny]

Come on, tell him.

[Eric]

I. I love my cousin. He's so funny. He was probably in the room when I came up with it. Probably in the room. Well, I've gotta run. Evil. It was great to see you.

[Evil Bunny]

Easter Bunny. Wait, he. He acted like he didn't even know me.

[Lee Overtree]

Max, I'm so sorry. Eval.

[Evil Bunny]

He's the one who's gonna be sorry.

[Lee Overtree]

What do you mean?

[Evil Bunny]

Easter is only three days away. That's just enough time for me to ruin it.

[Lee Overtree]

That's evil.

[Evil Bunny]

Maybe that's what I am. There's nothing left to do but ruin the Easter Bunny and become the Candy Master.

[Lee Overtree]

Was that supposed to be an evil laugh?

[Evil Bunny]

Give me a break. I've been evil for, like, five seconds. I'll work on it. Anyway, come Easter morning, that bunny is in for a surprise.

[Eric]

Phew. Another long night of hiding candy and eggs all across the world. Now to sit back, relax, and enjoy all the inevitable praise that's coming my way on this beautiful Easter morning.

[Peter]

Hey, Easter Bunny.

[Eric]

Oh, hello. What can I do for you, little girl?

[Megan]

You can retire from being the Easter Bunny.

[Eric]

Whoa. What has gotten into everyone today?

[Lee Overtree]

I'm supposed to be eating eggs and candy right now. Except you didn't put them out.

[Eric]

That's not true.

[Rachel]

Yes, it is.

[Peter]

The only eggs I could find at.

[Rachel]

My house were the rotten ones in my fridge that I've been too lazy to throw away.

[Lee Overtree]

It's true.

[Peter]

Her rotten eggs were the only ones I could find. They tasted terrible. I think we could all agree that the Easter Bunny failed and he no longer deserves a gorilla entourage.

[Koala]

Agreed.

[Rachel]

Come on, everyone. Let's get out of here and get out of here fast.

[Eric]

I put them out. I promise. What is happening? Maybe the issue is isolated to this one town. I'm sure the rest of the world is fine. My phone. Hello, D.B.

[Peter]

It'S me, Dave the gorilla.

[Eric]

Yes, of course, Dave. How are all the eggs where you are gone.

[Lee Overtree]

In fact, all the eggs have disappeared.

[Eric]

Someone sabotaged me.

[Lee Overtree]

But who would do that?

[Peter]

A former flame bitter business partner?

[Lee Overtree]

An evil twin?

[Eric]

No, I don't have any evil siblings. But I do have an evil cousin. Dave, schedule the private jet. We're going to China.

[Evil Bunny]

I did it. I've stolen all the Easter eggs and candy in the entire world and piled them up here in my secret lair in. Oh, no. That wasn't it. Evil Laugh Vocal coach, what am I doing wrong?

[Rachel]

You need to breathe from the diaphragm. Support your breath.

[Evil Bunny]

The Easter Bunny's reputation is ruined.

[Rachel]

Better.

[Evil Bunny]

Thank you.

[Rachel]

Congratulations. You've ruined Easter.

[Evil Bunny]

Oh, this is bigger than Easter.

[Koala]

Voice coach, it's Sheila.

[Evil Bunny]

Now that I've taken all the goodies, everyone, including the gorillas, will worship me as the Candy Master. Take that, cousin, wherever you are.

[Eric]

Okay, Dave, we're here outside the evil Bunny's lair, back where it all started.

[Lee Overtree]

This is where you came up with the idea for giving out candy and eggs?

[Eric]

Uh, yeah. All by myself. Quickly, let's open the door. Oh no. It's locked. Looks like it needs a secret password.

[Lee Overtree]

Try chicken.

[Eric]

Oh, I thought about it, but eating chicken is not good. Look, for the Easter Bunny. You know what?

[Lee Overtree]

No. Try chicken as the password.

[Eric]

Oh, right, right. That wasn't it. This is hopeless.

[Lee Overtree]

I got it.

[Eric]

Why are you evil laughing?

[Peter]

No.

[Lee Overtree]

Try bwahaha as the password.

[Eric]

Okay, but that's not going to. Hey, it worked.

[Evil Bunny]

Well, well, well.

[Lee Overtree]

Look who it is.

[Evil Bunny]

The world famous Easter Bunny.

[Eric]

Evil Bunny.

[Lee Overtree]

That's the evil Bunny? But he's just a normal sized bunny sitting on top of millions of eggs. He's the same size as you, Dave.

[Eric]

We can have a long conversation about my size. We can confiscate these eggs. Right. Sorry, Evil Bunny. I'm here to take back my eggs and candy.

[Evil Bunny]

Oh, they're your Easter eggs and candy, are they? Or maybe you want to tell everyone the truth.

[Eric]

What do you mean everyone? Where did all these reporters come from? Is that camera shooting live?

[Peter]

Yvestavoni, is it true that you didn't come up with the idea of giving out eggs? And candy all by yourself.

[Evil Bunny]

Do you deny it? Tell the truth for once.

[Eric]

It's true.

[Evil Bunny]

I did it. I destroyed the Easter Bunny.

[Eric]

But now it's your turn to tell the truth, Ivo. Tell everyone the real reason why you chose not to join me in my quest to give out candy and eggs. Or did you forget?

[Evil Bunny]

Because I thought that no one could love an Evil Bunny.

[Eric]

But you were wrong, Evil Bunny. Because I love you.

[Evil Bunny]

What?

[Eric]

You were always there for me. But I wasn't always there for you. I'm sorry. Now, what do you say we take all these eggs and save Easter together?

[Evil Bunny]

No. You are the Easter Bunny, not me. And I finally understand that. That's okay.

[Eric]

Thanks, cousin.

[Peter]

So, does this mean you're done being Evil Evel Bunny?

[Evil Bunny]

Actually, it is pronounced evil. You can have the candy back, but watch out for your carrots. You can now call me the Carrot Master.

[Rachel]

That one was awkward from the diaphragm.

[Evil Bunny]

Thanks, Sheila.

[Megan]

The.

[Rachel]

I'm so sorry.

[Megan]

And now Lee speaks with the author.

[Lee Overtree]

Hey, Peter.

[Tamar]

Hi.

[Lee Overtree]

So you wrote the Evil Bunny?

[Tamar]

I did.

[Lee Overtree]

Can you tell me how you came up with the idea for it?

[Tamar]

So my sister Betsy was, like, hopping around, pretending to be the Evil Bunny, and I added, like, a plot and stuff to create the story.

[Lee Overtree]

She was just playing the character.

[Tamar]

Mm.

[Lee Overtree]

I love that. The Evil Bunny is the distant relative of the Easter Bunny.

[Tamar]

Yeah, I mean, it starts with E and it's a bunny, so I just made it a relative of the Easter Bunny.

[Lee Overtree]

Do you know about any of your distant relatives?

[Tamar]

Well, my grandpa told me that a really long time ago, he had a relative that fled from France to not be in Napoleon's army.

[Lee Overtree]

That's pretty cool.

[Tamar]

Yeah.

[Lee Overtree]

It sounds like the Evil Bunny isn't, like, purely motivated by evil. They're also motivated by this feeling of wanting more for themselves.

[Tamar]

Yeah, he has a really famous relative, so he wants to be famous, too.

[Lee Overtree]

Are there any people out there that you aspire to be like or aspire to have some of the same qualities as?

[Tamar]

Yeah, like, I play music, so I've always wanted to be, like, a famous musician. And there are a bunch of role models out there that I can look up to, like Trombone Shorty and this band named Fire Frenzy.

[Lee Overtree]

What instrument do you play?

[Tamar]

I play trombone. That's why I like Trombone Shorty.

[Lee Overtree]

Makes sense. Let's pretend that your life is a story, kind of like the story you wrote. So if Trombone Shorty is the Easter Bunny, what's your name?

[Tamar]

I don't know. I'd be the Evil Shorty. Or Trombone evely.

[Lee Overtree]

Trombone evilly. I love that. Or maybe even trombone tally.

[Tamar]

Yeah, maybe.

[Lee Overtree]

Amazing. Yeah. And then your job in the story is to steal all the trombone sheet music in the world so that you can be the only one that plays trombo.

[Tamar]

Or I could steal all the trombones in the world.

[Lee Overtree]

There you go. But where would you put them? They're all so long.

[Tamar]

I'd just make, like, an underground bunker to hide all the trombones.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, and maybe you could even create some kind of device that could play all the trombones at once.

[Tamar]

Or maybe I just take them out one at a time to play for all my fans.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah. There you go. Peter, this has been so fun to talk to you about your story. Thank you so much for letting us perform it.

[Tamar]

Thank you for performing it.

[Lee Overtree]

You're so welcome. Bye. Bye.

[Tamar]

Bye.

[Rachel]

Really, really good.

[Megan]

Gift day. Gift day. Gift day. Gift day. It's time for the gift day gift swap party.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay. Okay. Let's get to it then.

[Rachel]

Yay.

[Eric]

What if first we went around and each said something? We're grateful for this gift day.

[Megan]

I'm grateful for gifts. Kay, that's out of the way. Let's extend change.

[Nimini]

Okay, so as you all know, we all spent the last few hours shopping, and we each picked out a very special secret gift. And then we wrapped them up and put them into this gigantic silly hat.

[Rachel]

Good recap.

[Nimini]

Thanks. So, should we start the gift swap?

[Lee Overtree]

Ooh, let's do it.

[Rachel]

Okay.

[Megan]

So excited. Let's one at a time, reach into the hat, open our gift, and say what we got. I'll go last. Peter, want to start us off?

[Peter]

It would be my pleasure. Okay. Ooh, mine feels heavy. It's making a bit of a rattling sound. I wonder what it is.

[Rachel]

This one is from me. I hope you like it.

[Peter]

Okay, I'm unwrapping my gift, and I got a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Thank you. I love strawberry cheesecake. It's my favorite food.

[Rachel]

I'm so glad you like it, Peter.

[Peter]

Great gift, Megan.

[Lee Overtree]

I'm next. Here I go. Okay. Mine feels light, and it's such an interesting shape, like a pointy circle. I wonder what it is.

[Peter]

That one's from me. I hope you like it.

[Lee Overtree]

I got a slice of strawberry cheesecake. That's funny. That's the same thing Peter got from Megan.

[Peter]

Yeah, it's my favorite food, so I decided to buy it for my secret gift.

[Lee Overtree]

That makes sense. Well, thank you so much, Peter. I love it. Nimini, your turn.

[Nimini]

Ooh, I'm so excited. This gift is Mushy and a little soggy. And it smells like strawberries and cheese. I wonder what it is.

[Rachel]

This gift is for me. I hope you like it.

[Nimini]

Huh? Okay. It's a slice of strawberry cheesecake.

[Lee Overtree]

Do you love it?

[Rachel]

I hope you love it.

[Lee Overtree]

Hold on a second. Is every gift in this hat a slice of strawberry cheesecake?

[Megan]

Okay, it's my turn. I bet mine is going to be something different. Here we go.

[Lee Overtree]

Woo.

[Megan]

This one is a big solid rectangle.

[Rachel]

It's like six feet wide.

[Megan]

There's no way this is a slice of strawberry cheesecake. I bet it's a toy race car or a board game or like a shiny rectangle or something. It's a cardboard box. And inside the cardboard box is a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Ugh, this is getting ridiculous.

[Eric]

That one was from me. You don't like it?

[Megan]

I love strawberry cheesecake. It's just I wanted something original and unique that no one else has had. That's the spirit of gift day. To get the best gift and make everyone else jealous.

[Koala]

Huh.

[Eric]

I never knew that. I thought the point was to be together and show that we're grateful for one another.

[Megan]

I almost barfed. No, wrong. It's about gifts. Original, different gifts.

[Lee Overtree]

I'm sure someone must have brought a gift that's not strawberry cheesecake. Right?

[Nimini]

That's when I was just doing that when I got. It was a really original strawberry cheesecake.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay, raise your hand if the super special secret gift that you bought this morning was a slice of strawberry strawberry cheesecake.

[Rachel]

Let the record show that everyone on the entire ship is raising their hand.

[Megan]

This is a disaster. We need to go shopping again to get each other new different gifts. If we don't, gift day will be a failure and I'll be practically miserable.

[Nimini]

Oh, boy.

[Megan]

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

[Gabby's Dollhouse Ad]

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[Rachel]

Everybody gather round. It's time for the Gift Day Gift Swap Party part two.

[Nimini]

Okay, so as you all know, we all spent the last few hours shopping again and we all bought gifts that are not slices of strawberry cheesecake, right?

[Lee Overtree]

Uh huh. Yes ma'am.

[Megan]

Hopefully all the gifts are different and unique this time. Who wants to go first?

[Rachel]

I would love to go first.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay Rachel, reach into the silly hat and grab A gift.

[Rachel]

Okay, here we go. Reaching in.

[Eric]

And.

[Lee Overtree]

Ooh.

[Rachel]

It's small and round. I wonder what it is.

[Eric]

That gift is from me.

[Rachel]

Here we go.

[Lee Overtree]

Wow.

[Rachel]

It's a snow globe from Buffalo, New York. I've always wanted one of these.

[Eric]

Really?

[Lee Overtree]

Aw.

[Eric]

I'm so glad you like it.

[Rachel]

This is an amazing gift, Eric. Thank you. Okay, who's next?

[Nimini]

I'll go.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay, Nimini, reach into the silly hat and grab a gift. This is going great so far.

[Nimini]

Okay, mine is also small and round. I wonder what it is.

[Rachel]

Ooh, that one is from me.

[Nimini]

It's a snow globe with a skyline of a city. Looks like it's Buffalo, New York.

[Peter]

Huh? That's the same gift Eric bought for Rachel. What a coincidence.

[Nimini]

I love it. It'll go perfectly with my collection of snow globes from different cities in upstate New York.

[Megan]

Hold on just a second. It's happening again. Did we all get each other the same gift again?

[Lee Overtree]

Let's find out. Raise your hand if the new secret gift you bought was a snow globe of Buffalo, New York.

[Rachel]

Okay. And everyone has raised their hand.

[Eric]

Ugh.

[Megan]

This is terrible. How did this happen?

[Eric]

It's not terrible. Baby with a mustache. It's actually kind of cool. We've all spent so much time together on this ship, we're starting to get to know each other so well, it's almost like we can finish each other's nobody. Really.

[Rachel]

Okay, sentences.

[Eric]

Too little too late. That is all to say, we might have all gotten the same gift, but I'm grateful to have friends who know me so well that we're practically in each other's.

[Peter]

Wow.

[Eric]

I thought that one would work.

[Rachel]

Heads.

[Eric]

Don't you see, Baby with a mustache? We were the gift all along.

[Megan]

And nobody else has that.

[Rachel]

Well, nobody else has this exact group of specific friends. I suppose so.

[Megan]

I'm unique and original.

[Rachel]

You're definitely the only baby with a mustache.

[Lee Overtree]

I know, I know. A toddler with a goatee.

[Peter]

Yeah, but that guy is.

[Lee Overtree]

Ugh.

[Megan]

Thanks for being my gift, everyone.

[Lee Overtree]

Aw.

[Peter]

Speaking of gifts, should we do another story?

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah. And here to introduce it is the author.

[Megan]

Hi, I'm Tamar. I'm 11 years old and I live in Australia. And this is my story. 20 eucalyptus leaves.

[Koala]

Alright, mates, let's climb out of the water and onto the riverbank. That was a tough swim. Or at least that's what I would be saying if we were a load of land animals. But we're not. We're Australian platypuses. Isn't that right, Polly?

[Lee Overtree]

That's right. Penny.

[Koala]

Perla.

[Peter]

We sure are.

[Koala]

And finally, Puddle Cool. We're ace in the water and on land. And there's nothing we can't do when we work together.

[Peter]

That's right.

[Rachel]

Ooh, if it isn't the little platypuses.

[Lee Overtree]

It's Elizabeth, the cranky Kidna.

[Rachel]

She looks like us.

[Lee Overtree]

Spiky porcupine, but her attitude is even spikier.

[Rachel]

What? You think you platypuses are the only cute animals from down under?

[Lee Overtree]

We didn't say that.

[Rachel]

Cause you're not. Echidnas are cute too. People say we're spiky, but we're not. I don't even care what you think of me. Whatever.

[Koala]

Uh, we actually love your spikes, Elizabeth.

[Lee Overtree]

It's just that you sort of frighten us.

[Rachel]

Cause of my spikes? Whatever.

[Koala]

Relax. Look, you're making Perla sweat.

[Peter]

Actually, I think I'm sweating from this hot sun.

[Lee Overtree]

She's got a good bite. Penny.

[Koala]

No dramas, mates. It's getting dangerous out here. We should build ourselves a nice hut to hide from the sun. And if we use teamwork, it will all go faster. Holly, you collect sticks from the forest floor.

[Lee Overtree]

You got it.

[Koala]

Perla, you pinch leaves from the trees.

[Peter]

Will do.

[Koala]

And puddles, you scrape mud from the riverbed. And Elizabeth, it's very hot out here. Would you like to join us and share our hut?

[Rachel]

And waste my day with you egg laying fuzzballs? No chance. I'll make my own hut. How hard can it be?

[Koala]

But if we use teamwork, it would.

[Rachel]

How many times do I need to tell ya? I don't need your help.

[Lee Overtree]

Whatever.

[Rachel]

But Elizabeth. Whatever.

[Koala]

Just let her go. Let's get to work. We can make a tip top hut in no time.

[Peter]

Oh yes.

[Rachel]

Who needs those adorable platypi? Not I. Now that I'm all alone, it'll be much easier to build my hut. This log over here will make the perfect support beam. Just gotta grab a hold of it with my spikes. That's a bit heavy. Well, at least those little quacks would never be able to pull something so big.

[Koala]

Alright, Platypi. Let's tug this big log into our hut. One, two, three.

[Nimini]

We did it.

[Evil Bunny]

Good on ya.

[Rachel]

I can't let those adorable and self confident runts win.

[Megan]

Huh?

[Rachel]

Who's that coming this way?

[Peter]

If you look over here, kangaroos, you'll see this beautiful waterfront property. Oi. What are you lot doing on my riverbank?

[Rachel]

It's a koala.

[Peter]

Don't you know this private land?

[Koala]

We're sorry, koala, but it's like an oven out here. And we wanted to build a hut to keep the sun off.

[Peter]

Sorry. Don't walk the wombat, missy. I's about to rent this riverbank to these kangaroos. So get lost.

[Lee Overtree]

Please, Koala. We'll do anything to stay. Anything?

[Peter]

Anything. All right, I'll tell you what. I'll let you lot build huts on my land, but you gotta pay rent.

[Lee Overtree]

Rent? Crikey. How much is that?

[Peter]

For each hut, I'll charge 20 eucalyptus leaves.

[Rachel]

That's a lot.

[Peter]

It sure is.

[Rachel]

How can a koala be even meaner than me?

[Peter]

What do you think you are, New Zealand? It's Australia, mate. You can't turn around without stepping on something that'll bite ya. Now, if you don't get those leaves to me in the next hour, these roos will pop ya in their pouches and bounce ya out to the outback. Come on, Ruse.

[Lee Overtree]

Did you.

[Koala]

All right, mates. Eucalyptus is scarce in these parts, but together we just might make it to 20 leaves. Elizabeth, would you like to collect leaves with us?

[Rachel]

Ooh, the fuzzy wuzzy ducky wookies want to include the echidna in their teamwork. Look at how they never, ever hold a grudge. Aren't they emotionally resilient and potentially very, very good friends for a lonely animal. Whatever.

[Koala]

So is that a yes?

[Rachel]

It's a no. I don't need you. I'll protect my own hut.

[Koala]

Alright, Elizabeth. Good luck. Come on, platypuses, let's go. Ugh.

[Rachel]

Those miniscule monotremes don't realize an echidna's secret power. All I have to do is curl meself up into a ball, roll down this hill and my spikes will pick up the leaves in no time. Crikey, that was a lot of rolling. Let's see how many leaves got stuck to my back. Only one.

[Lee Overtree]

Oh, no.

[Rachel]

I gotta find 19 more leaves before that koala comes back.

[Peter]

I'm back and these roofs are itching to take you for a ride. Now, where's my rent?

[Rachel]

I'm sorry, caller, I was only able to find one eucalyptus leaf. But maybe you could show me some kindness and let me build a hut anyway.

[Peter]

Kindness? Where do you think you are, New Zealand?

[Rachel]

But those platypuses didn't even bring you any leaves.

[Koala]

Sure we did. We found loads of leaves and helped each other carry them back on our flat tails.

[Rachel]

Cool.

[Peter]

Alright, seems like you made rent. You lot can finish building your hut. But as for you, echidna, unless you come up with 19 more eucalyptus leaves. Right, quick, get Ready to get bouncing, Roos?

[Koala]

Elizabeth, I know you don't ever want my help, but I do have 19 extra leaves. You can have them.

[Rachel]

Why would you do that? I mean, whatever.

[Koala]

Because you need help.

[Rachel]

I don't need help from a bunch of cute little helpful, incredibly patient and understanding platypuses. No, whatever.

[Koala]

Are you alright, Elizabeth?

[Rachel]

Platypi, I've got a confession to make. This might come as a surprise to you, but I'm always mean to you because deep, deep down, I'm secretly very jealous of you.

[Lee Overtree]

Um, we. Gnar. Really? Yeah, it's pretty obvious.

[Rachel]

I'm embarrassed.

[Koala]

Here you go, koala. Here are the other 19 leaves.

[Peter]

Alright, echidna. These platypi really saved you. I'll let you stay. Come on, Roos. I'll sell you some land with a view of the Sydney Theatre Company.

[Rachel]

Wow, platypuses. How can I ever repay you?

[Lee Overtree]

We only ever wanted one thing from you.

[Rachel]

What's that?

[Lee Overtree]

Kindness.

[Rachel]

Alright, but not too kind. Where do you think you are? New Zealand?

[Peter]

Actually, New Zealand and Australia have a lot in common. They share a language and a pathway to dual citizenship and are both members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

[Rachel]

Huddles.

[Koala]

What did he just say?

[Peter]

Oh, I meant.

[Lee Overtree]

Cur.

[Rachel]

The end. Cute.

[Lee Overtree]

And now it's time for Story Pirates roll call. First up from 8 year old Eden in the United Kingdom we have the hamster. And I love this story. The plotting is excellent. Here's one. What happens first? A mom and a kid decide to take a hamster for a walk outside. Which by the way, never knew you could do that. Do the hamsters have leashes? I don't know. Also then they go and get the hamster. And the hamster is actually a giraffe. It had turned into a giraffe and then it poops. And so they decide to sell the giraffe and buy a new hamster. And it's a beautiful ending. Eden, excellent, hilarious story. Thank you so much for sending it in. Next up from 6 year old Marcos in Florida, we have a story called the Giant Spider. And this is a classic tale of good and evil coming together to form a team and stop mashing food. In this case, it's a knight who's in a grocery store. And what we learn about the grocery store is that people were in it and they loved the food. The knight is there, but also there's a giant spider that breaks in and starts stepping on the food, mashing it all. And the knight tries to stop him, but he can't. And so he builds a trap with the food. The spider eats it and then the knight convinces him to be his friend. And then they team up because he's convinced the spider that is that mashing the food is bad and he might not live if he mashes the food. And other people might not live if he mashes the food either. So then they're friends. And this is my favorite part. It says they spent vacations and had so much fun and he realized that being bad is not good. The end. Incredible work, Marcos. Thank you so much for sending it in. And finally, from Milo, a four year old in Wisconsin, we have the biggest pineapple's head, which I'm just going to read to you a hymn. There once was a pineapple and he went into a witch's castle. The witch put a potion on him. It was a pineapple potion that turns pineapples into chickens. Then he ran and slipped and got a big boo boo. He had a band aid. He drank another potion and turned back into a pineapple. The end. Milo, What a roller coaster. In fact, a roller coaster is pretty much the only thing missing from that story. You got everything? Pineapples, witches, chickens, boo boos, potions. Your imagination is a special one, Milo. Thank you so much for sending us your story. To read all of today's Roll call stories, just head to storypirates.com that was roll call. And now it's time for you to write us a story. And if you don't know where to start, here's an idea. Take a picture, a photo of something normal, and then make up a story of what you imagine could be happening in the photo. Kind of like this from Tamar, the author of 20 Eucalyptus Leaves. Okay, Tamar, so can you describe your picture for me?

[Megan]

Well, it's of me in the shop. The mirror had those pictures on it. It's like a tiger and a bunny and a butterfly right in front of me.

[Lee Overtree]

Okay, and what's your idea for what could be happening in that photo?

[Megan]

So my story idea was that I went into the curtain and I closed the curtains and when I opened them, I saw I'm like in this wonderland sort of thing. And the whole point of my story is me trying to get out of the wonderland.

[Lee Overtree]

You see, listeners, sometimes writing a story is about finding an image that inspired, inspires you. Grown ups can submit [e-mail] and 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. Peter and Tamar. We'll be back next week with another episode. Until then, stay creative and stay kind.

[Peter]

My name.

[Lee Overtree]

The Story Pirates podcast is a production of Story Pirates Studios, executive produced 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 Alessandro King, Peter McNerney, Lee Overtree, and Alexis Simpson. Production coordination by Denisa Wartenbee. Episode artwork by Camilla Franklin. This episode features performances by Eric Austin, Andrew Barbado, Greg Barnett, Ryan Chittapong, J.D. deFore, Sasha Diamond, Tara Halpern, Katie Hammond, Janine Hogan, Peter McNerney, Claire Newman, Megan O'Neill, Lee Overtree, Bill Schaeffer, Billy Zoco, Rachel Winitsky, and Nimini Ware. Hey, Peter, I noticed you got to do another Australian accent in today's episode.

[Peter]

Yeah, Yeah, I guess I did.

[Lee Overtree]

I know you're always self conscious about your Australian accent, but I thought it sounded pretty good.

[Peter]

Really? Thank you, Lee.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, I mean, not good good, but like, pretty good.

[Peter]

Yeah. Okay, thanks. I think.

[Lee Overtree]

I mean, no one's gonna actually think that you're Australian, but it's like a good, jokey, somewhat accurate version of an Australian accent.

[Peter]

Okay, I think I understand, and thank you.

[Lee Overtree]

Wait, are you doing an Australian accent right now? Because now it doesn't sound very good right now.

[Peter]

No, this is my normal American Midwest accent.

[Lee Overtree]

Are you sure? Because it sounds like you're kind of rolling your Rs a little bit.

[Peter]

No, but Australians don't roll their Rs.

[Lee Overtree]

Yeah, but your Australian accent has a little bit of an R rolling vibe, you know?

[Peter]

Okay, sure.

[Lee Overtree]

Icelandic. Now you're doing an Icelandic accent.

[Peter]

No, I'm not.

[Lee Overtree]

Kentucky. That last one was from Kentucky. What? Russian. Huh. Wow, you do a lot of accents. Pretty well.

[Peter]

Um, thank you.

[Lee Overtree]

I mean, not well well, but pretty well.

[Peter]

I'm gonna go New Zealand.

[Lee Overtree]

That was New Zealand.

[Peter]

Okay, bye.

[Lee Overtree]

That door slam was pretty French.