
Welcome to a world-shattering, must-be-heard-to-be-believed crossover episode between your two favorite podcasts: Story Pirates and Wow in the World!
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Lee Overtree
Hey, Story Pirates podcast listeners. Lee, here today we have something incredibly special for you. A crossover episode with one of our favorite podcasts, wow in the World. If you've never heard wow in the World before, they're a show that goes on scientific adventures. And they're pretty funny too. And in today's episode, the World of Wow in the World and the World of Story Pirates smash together into one. What does that even mean, though? You're gonna have to listen to find out. And of course, we also have a brand new story for you, written by a real kid and co starring Mindy from Wow in the World. Grownups. Guess what? You can get twice as many new stories on your feed this summer by subscribing to Story Pirates Creator Club. Plus subscribers get the ad free version of the show and premium members even get to participate in quarterly video meetups with Lee and Peter with 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 by subscribing right in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Today's crossover episode, A Brand New Story and another edition of Roll Call Live with Lee and Peter coming. Coming up after a few words for the grown ups. Hey grown ups. Today's episode is sponsored by Smurfs, the new movie about the smurfs in theaters July 18th. Yeah, the little blue Smurfs. It's the perfect family movie for the summer if you like comedy, music, adventure and Rihanna. Yep, Rihanna is in it, along with an all star cast of actors that I love, including my faves, Amy Sedaris, Alex Winter, and Kurt Russell. Yes, and did I mention Rihanna? Yeah, she plays Smurfette. And there's new Rihanna music in the movie too. Best of all, I love that Smurfs focuses on themes of friendship, teamwork, finding yourself and being kind to each other. Basically, there's something for everyone in this film. So starting July 18, make sure you smurf your way to Smurfs in theaters. You'll be glad you smurfed. Hey grown ups. See Story Pirates live. We're bringing the amazing adventure tour to more cities this fall in places like Northern and Central California, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. We want to see you there. Get tickets@storypirates.com live proceeded 3, 2, 1. The Story Pirates and wow in the world have come together to produce a magnificent creator that was. Oops. I slipped on a penguin by wobble patrol on Kwow's Bongo in the big toot in the morning. Bongo. Speaking of penguins, our next guest is not a penguin. That's right, Toot. That's because our next guest is a pirate. Hey, everybody, it's Lee from the Story Pirates. Wait, the Story Pirates? Pop. Shiver me timbers, you scurvy slinging scallywag. Hey, pirate, where'd you bury the booty? Um, sorry? Ah, the booty. The treasure. Where do it be buried? Oh, yeah. I'm not that kind of pirate. Sorry. That's right, he's not. What do you mean you're not that kind of pirate? How many varietals of pirates are there? Me, maybe. Uh, there's several varietals, actually. And I'm a story pirate. And my name is Lee. Lee Overtree. I know him. I've been on his Story Pirate ship. Well, Lee, if you're a story pirate, then what do you even pillage? Um, well, stories, I guess. Huh? Yeah, stories written by kids. Dude, you can't be pillaging stories from little kids. No, no, no. Story pirates only pillage stories that are given to us by kids. Like, they send them to us. No one's forcing them to do it. Oh. And then we take those stories and we turn them into sketch comedy and songs, and then we share them with the whole world. And just how exactly do you do that? You know, by acting them out and performing them on the Story Pirates podcast and in cities around the country. And even at the new penguin exhibit at your local aquarium this afternoon. At our local aquarium this afternoon. I should tell Mindy. She loves penguins and she loves story pirates. And this show is extra special because one lucky fan is going to get to perform with the Story Pirates live on stage. What? I gotta go find Mindy. Mindy? Mindy, you're never gonna. Awesome. Uh, Lee, can Bongo and me be on your podcast? Yeah, we're great at being pirates. Uh, no, that makes sense. Coming up next on the Real Penguins of New Zealand. Oh, Den. Reggie, come on. It's about to start. Coming, Mindy. Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. Will Peter Penguin's pebbling ways be enough to attract Portia? Will they build their nest for two and live happily ever after? Or will pretentious Polly enter the picture and push all other penguins to their limits? Dennis. Shh. Oh, sorry. This is the real penguins Of New Zealand. Oh, no, she did not. Portia, that is so rude. I know. Did you see that? I mean, I realize that some penguins are nocturnal, but to keep everyone else up with your excessive partying. Come on, Portia. Yeah, come on, Portia. Ew, is that one molting? Yeah, all the penguins are doing it. It's self care ind. Uh, you'll never believe what I just heard on Bongo and the Big Toot. Open up. Is that Guy Raz? Pause. The penguins. Mindy. Mindy. I'm coming, I'm coming. Waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle. Guy Razzie, quick, get in here. Dennis and I are watching the season finale of the Real Penguins of New Zealand. What? Come on, Dennis. You can unpause the Peng penguins. Proceed. Mindy. Mindy, I. He basically said she was his only egg. And now he's waddling with piper from Nest 4. Dump him. Wow. She spent all that time and energy getting fish for a nice dinner, and this is how he thanks her. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. You do realize you're just watching footage from a pengu cam, don't you? What? Huh? Yeah, you're just watching a pengu cam. Basically, a webcam attached to a penguin. I don't get it. What are you even talking about? Guy Raz? Pengu cam? Yes, Pengu cams. They're these little lightweight cameras that attach to the penguins. I just read a new study about them in the scientific journal Pure J. And what you're watching is whatever the pengu cams are capturing in the water. No, no, no, no, no, Guy Raz, we are watching a reality TV show called the Real Penguins of New Zealand. Yeah, well, it's a reality show, all right, but I'm not sure it's the one you think you're watching. Guy Raz, are you implying that we are projecting onto these penguins? Well, I'd say it's highly possible. You see, what you're really getting from this pengu cam footage is a penguin's eye view of the ocean and, I guess, other penguins. So nothing is scripted or edited? What? No. Mindy, these cameras are capturing penguin behavior. They're helping to track how much prey these penguins need to eat and where they're finding fish and how much energy it's taking them to find their food. Oh, I see. These penguicams are snooping on penguins and giving scientists, a nosy snoops like us, a view of penguin behavior that we normally never get to see. Well, yeah, and one of those behaviors is how these penguins interact with Their prey. Oh, we see that, all right. Portia basically ate that entire school of fish for lunch. And it was so rude to eat them like that. So rude. Well, what might be entertaining for you is also very interesting for scientists. Well, yeah, the real penguins of New Zealand can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages and intelligence levels. Well, not exactly, Mindy. I mean, scientists are trying to collect accurate data to find out where penguins are finding food, how they're hunting for it, and how much prey they actually need to survive. And probably who's backstabbing who also. Yeah, and with this video footage, scientists are able to understand why the penguins may be foraging for food in certain spots. Scientists are such snoops. I should be a scientist. Me too. But being a scientist is so much more than just snooping. It is. It is. It's what scientists do with the information that they get from snooping that matters. And in the case of these Pengu cams, the information that they collect can help them in conservation efforts. Wow, cool. And also in better protecting threatened or endangered species. So they're snooping for good? Well, I guess that's one way to put it. Yay, Penguin cams. Snooping for good. And science, too. But also probably for frivolous entertainment for me and Mindy. You know, speaking of entertainment, the reason I came over here today was to let you know that I just heard on Bongo and the Big Toot that the Story Pirates are gonna performing. Did you just say Story Pirates? What? When? Where? Today at the new penguin exhibit at our aquarium. Guy Raz, why didn't you tell us this when you came over? This is important information. Well, I tried, but anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that the Story Pirates plan to invite one member from the audience up on stage to perform with them. Story Pirates. Penguins Performance? Yes. Lee from Story Pirates was on the radio just now talking about it, and I had to come over here to tell you. What are we waiting for? We've gotta get down there now. Come on. Yeah. Penguins and pirates doing a performance. And hopefully Dennis gets picked to do a dance. Reggie, you think you can get us to the aquarium in time for the show? Come on, everyone on Reggie, in 1, 2, 3. All right, hit it, Reg. Mindy, shouldn't we be outside before Reggie takes off? Yeah, good point. No time, Guy Raz. What? Now? Hold on tight. Cause here we go. Ow. Dennis. Everyone good? Thanks for the ride, Reg. Come on, Dennis. Come on, Guy Raz. Mindy. Mindy. I think we might be a little underdressed for this. Everyone here Is wearing tuxedos. Oh, yeah. Well, technically, they're dressed like penguins. The whole town has gone completely bonker. Balls for penguins. Hello. Are you here for the Story Pirates performance? You know it. Super. Right this way. The show is about to start. You wouldn't mind sitting in the splash zone, would you? No, we actually prefer it. Yes, we do mind, thank you. Wow, look at the penguins. Hi, penguins. Whoa. What's up, penguin people? I'm Bob Go. And I'm the big two. I didn't know Bongo and the big toot were gonna be here. Thanks for coming down to the new penguin exhibit here at the fish zoo. Does he mean the aquarium? Yeah. Now give it up for the one, the only Story Pirates. Woo hoo. Yeah. I love you, Story Pirates. Hey, everybody, what's going on? We're the Story Pirates and my name is Lee. Before we get started with our show, I need one volunteer from the audience to help us in today's story, right here on this very stage. That's you, Mindy. Raise your hand. Oh, me, me, me, me. Pick me. I'd like to go, please. Pick me, pick me. I'm available. Uh, yeah. Yes, you in the Real Penguins of New Zealand T shirt. What? Me? Really? Yes, you. Mindy. Get up there. Go on. Why don't you waddle your way on up to the stage? Oh, I'm so excited. I'm so nervous. I'm so happy. I'm so nervous. I'm so excited. I can't wa. I think I recognize you, but why don't you tell everyone your name? Hi, everyone, my name is Mindy and I love three things. Penguins, Story Pirates, and sneezing with my eyes open and pretzel salt and. Hey. Well, thanks for that. How would you like to perform a penguin story as an honorary Story pirate today? Do I get to sneeze with my eyes open? No. Fine, Whatever. I'll do it. Hey, guy, run. Look. Come on stage. Great job. Okay, here's the script. Oh, I don't need a script. Well, without a script, how are you gonna know your lines? Well, like any good penguin, I'll just wing it. Penguin wings are flippers. Okay, well, as you know, this story was written by a real kid. And it's called the Ice Skating Penguin. The Ice Skating Penguin. I love it. Hi, I'm Alice. I'm nine years old and I live in Pennsylvania. This is my story, the Ice Skating Penguin. Attention, penguin citizens of Penguinville. This is your new mayor, Mayor Flip, with your morning announcements. Quick review of all the things that are now illegal Snowball fights, sledding, ice skating, and above all, fun. But don't worry. If you forget any of the rules, my new clone robots will be right there to remind you. Or arrest you. Have a great day. Oh, Mother. Father, is it really illegal to have fun? I'm afraid so, child. Penguin, I guess we have to cancel our sledding plans and head home. I just don't get it. Mayor Flip ran on a fish and fun platform, easily defeating the evil Mr. Dingle penguinhopper who ran on the promise of robot clones. But now Mayor Flip is against fun and has his own robots. Why? Whatever the reason, we should do what any wise penguin would do. Keep our heads down and don't make waves. Well, if that's what being a good penguin is, then I don't want to be one. Quack. My boy, what are you doing wearing those iced skates? I'm going to skate, father. Like I do every day right here in the town square. But it's illegal, brother. Everyone will see you. Well, then, I say to the ice son. No. Penguin. Stop that beautiful skating this instant. It's the mayor's robots. If you want me to stop, robot, you'll have to make me. Very well. Ah. Get your metal hands off of me. You have been found guilty of skating. Says who? Says I may. Or Mayor Flip. Don't you know that this is a no fun zone? Go ahead and write me a ticket, Mayor Flip. But you'll never stop me from skating. Who said anything about a ticket? Huh? Robot, this penguin is officially banished from Penguinville. Banished? Take him far away. Last hop in one. Wait. Where are you taking Mother? Father, Don't Stop making waste. Who does a countdown of one? I do. Well, now that that unpleasantness is over, we can all go back to not having fun. Come, robots. Away. Mother, Father, we have to do something. Don't talk that way, child. I've already lost one penguin today. Your mother is right. What can we do? We can look for him. Huh? I don't know about you two, but I'm gonna pull my head out of the sand and find my brother. My goodness. Of course, you're right. Let's go. Oh, dear. We've been waddling for so long. And it's getting so warm. Penguins usually dare not go this far north. I'll travel all the way to the equator if I have to. I won't give up, no matter how hard the road Until I find my. Oh. Hey, guys. Quack. Is that you? Of course it is. Whom else could I be? Now Come give me a hug. Because I'm do your brother and not an evil robot clone. Oh, okay. No, wait. Is that Quack? It doesn't sound like him. Of course he is. I mean, I am Quack. Ask me a question that he. I mean, I would know. Are you an evil robot clone? Mother, that's not the question. Yes. I mean, yes. I mean, yes. I mean, yes. That's not my son. Robot compromised. Self destruct in one. Wait, how would we. What is with these countdowns? He was an evil robot clone. But who would do this? I know who. The same person who ran for mayor on an evil robot clone platform. Mr. Dingle Penguin Hopper. Let's head to his secret castle. How do we get there? It's easy. We just have to head southeast. Okay. And then northwest. But wouldn't that just bring us back? Let's go. We made it. Isn't this where we started? Look. It's the secret castle. Whoa. There it is. Now to find that evil Dr. Dingle Penguin Hopper. That's Mr. Dingle Penguin Hopper to you. Dingle, we know that you're up to something. Your evil robot clones seem to be everywhere. We demand that you destroy all of them this instant. Oh, well, if you insist. Sure. Really? No, not really. Activate cage. Oh, no. He trapped us in a cage. Activate lava trap door. Ah. There's a pit of hot lava below us. And now to do what any good villain would do. Start this timer to open the cage. And then walk away, confident that nothing will interrupt it. Cage opening in. Oh, no. Another short countdown. 2, 3, 4. Wait. Is this a count up? I keep them on their toes. Goodbye. Wow. What a good villain I am. This plan is so smart and awesome. Mr. Dingle. Penguinhopper. You've done it again. That's one weird penguin. Quick. We need to find a way out of this cage before the countdown. It's no use. There's no way out. Mayor Flip? What are you doing here? And in a cage, no less. I've been here since Penguin election day. Once Mr. Dingle realized he was going to lose, he kidnapped me and replaced me with an evil robot clone. That evil Mayor Flip is a robot? Of course. It all makes sense. But it's too late. Unless a hero shows up right at the last second, I think it's safe to say that we are. Not so fast, Quack. That's right. And I come to save you all. Yes. Awesome. Shh. Keep it down. Okay, I think I can turn off the timer. 39, 12. 16. 84. What kind of countdown is this. 92. The lava doors are closing. The cages are opening. Quack. You're here. But how? I managed to escape evil Mr. Dingle's cage yesterday. But I stayed and waited because I knew you would come for me. We're penguins and we don't bury our heads in the sand. Well, well, well. Look who thinks they've escaped. Mr. Dingle, you're far too predictable. Quack. I knew that you wouldn't be able to resist saving your fun loving family. Fun? Gross. I'm so sick of fun. Why'd you do it, Mr. Dingle? I knew that I couldn't rule the town with your beautiful skating on display every day in the town square. Skating? Disgusting. So I had to get rid of you. Wow. It was a pretty good plan. Except for one thing. Oh, yeah? What's that? I'm not the real quack. You're a robot clone. Where's the real quack? Right behind you. Gah. Get your flippers off of me. You really shouldn't leave your robot clone machine unattended, Dingle. Oh, fine, you got me. What are you gonna do about it, huh? Write me a ticket? Mr. Dingle. Penguinhopper, you are banished. Banished. Robot quack. Take him away. Banishment in 3. No, please. 2. I still have no quack. You did it. Seriously, does no one know how a countdown works? You're supposed to go. 3. The end. Thank you, thank you. You're too kind. Oh, thank you. Please sit down. It's too much. Stop. Don't. Oh, man, that was so bonkerballs. I can't. I can't believe I got to perform a story about penguins in front of penguins with the story pirates. Well, Mindy, just between you and me, I gotta say, you make a great penguin and an even greater story pirate. Thanks, Lee. It means so much coming from you. I love your story Pirates podcast. And I love your wow in the World podcast. My what? Your podcast. I have a podcast? Oh, um, great job, Mindy. You were amazing up there. You too, Lee. A big, big fan of the story pirate here, and I'm a big fan of penguins. What do you say if we all go back to Mindy's house and finish watching the real penguins of New Zealand? Oh, yeah, great idea, Dennis. Is that a reality TV show or something? Uh, not exactly. You see, it's real live footage from these new high tech Pengu cams. And yeah, it's a reality show for science. Because as you probably know, scientists are little snoops. And so are we. Yeah, actually, you know what? I think I had to go. Yeah. Clean up all the ice on the stage. Oh man. Bye bye. I like him. All right now who's ready for a penguin dance party? Now everybody get on your webbed feet cause we we got a little treat. Give it up for Waddle Patrol performing their new hit single Oops I Slipped on a Penguin. Oops I slipped on a penguin When I went a walking around this town Fell to the ground and turned around I said oops I slipped on a Penguin I asked Mr. Banyan are you okay? He smiled at me and ran away oh he's fast for a penguin. Oops I slipped on a penguin. How'd he get under hood? Oops I slipped on a penguin. I never thought I would hoops that I slipped on a penguin. We'll be right back after a few words for the grown ups. If you've ever shopped online and let's face it, who hasn't? Chances are you've bought something from a business powered by Shopify. You know that purple shop pay button you see at checkout? The one that makes buying so incredibly easy? That's Shopify. And there's a reason so many businesses sell with it. Because Shopify makes things easier. And not just for shoppers. They make it easy to start and run your business. Shopify is the commerce platform behind 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. It gives you a leg up from day dot with hundreds of beautiful ready to go templates to express your brand style so you can get up and running fast. You can tackle your important tasks from inventory to payments to analytics and more all in one place. You can also spread your brand's word with built in marketing and email tools built for you to find and keep new customers. And remember that iconic purple shop pay button that's used by millions of businesses around the world. It's why Shopify has the best converting checkout on the planet. Your customers already know and love it. If you want to see less carts being abandoned, it's time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com realm. Go to shopify.com realm shopify.com realm the Greek gods live high on Mount Olympus. But from time to time we walk among you mortals. And wherever the gods move, stories are born. Oh wow. The Minotaur with the head of a bull and the body of a giant. I'm gonna buck you to the moon little Hero. Tune in to the new season of live from Mount Olympus on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. And now it's time for Story Pirates Roll call. Send us your story. Send us your story. We read them all. We read them all. You love. We love a mindful story pirate roll call. Welcome back to Story Pirates Roll Call, where we take just a few of the thousands of stories that kids send the Story Pirates every year. And we read them just like we would read them in rehearsal before we adapt them for the Story Pirates podcast. And joining Peter and I today is an amazing story pirate, Julia Schroeder. Hi, you guys. Hi, Julia. It's so lovely to be here. Thank you so much for having me. It is our pleasure. Ours. Stop. Would you do us the honor of reading our first story today, Julia? Yes, I would love to. This story is written by a 5 year old from Nebraska whose name is Rosie. Rosie's story is called the Walking Blanket who walks all the way to the Store. Once upon a time, there was a blanket, and it got sprayed with living spray and came alive. Flowermen. Flower Man. Flower. Flowerman. Flowerman is the one who sprayed the blanket. So Flower man decided that he had to go to the store to buy apples, orange juice. Apple juice and a new phone because his old phone died and wouldn't come alive. So Flower man sent the blanket to the store. The end. Wow. This is amazing. Incredible. The structure of this story, starting with the most exciting detail and ending with the most mundane. That is humor right there. Great. Yeah. It really, really sets it up like he's gonna take over the world and it's just like, I don't wanna go to the store myself. Yes. Yeah. That's pure genius. Also, the big question I have is, it didn't occur to me till you said Flowerman, I assumed it was Flower man, but there's no space, so it could be Flowerman. I. There was no question in my mind as I read that word that it was Flowerman. That's just his name. And then I was like, maybe it's Flower Man. Yeah, maybe it's Flower Man. Yeah. You never know. It could be Dr. Gary Flowerman. Totally. Or is it a Cher situation where the name is just Flowerman? Guys, I think it's Flower Man. I mean, it's almost certainly Flower Man. Okay. Yeah. I just can't unhear it, though. Any other thoughts on the walking blanket story? I do think that apples, orange juice, and apple juice. I'm worried about Flower Men's like, Macros. What does that mean? I don't even know what that means. You know, when I say that, and I'm not totally sure, but my thoughts are, My thoughts are, okay, is he getting enough protein? Okay, okay, okay. I agreed with that. Like, yes, I agree with that. Is that a macro? Protein's a macro. Don't look at me. So you're just saying things. I think macros do be like protein, carbs, the big categories. This is a lot of sugar. I'm all macros. I'm nothing but micros. Totally. All right, yes. Let's get on to our next story. Rosie, that one was so beautiful and brilliant. Thank you for sending it in. Peter, would you do us the honor of reading the next story? I will. Here we go. This next story comes to us from a 7 year old from Virginia named George. And George's story is called the Adventure of George and the T. Rex. The story begins when George goes back in time and then sees a T. Rex. He checks to see if the T. Rex plays a role in time. Then they become friends because the T. Rex is friendly even though he's big. Then they get in the time machine, which is small, but the T. Rex flies fits in the seat and George sits on his lap. And then they go forward in time to the exact second in 2025 when George went back in time. Then George and his parents tell the T. Rex to try eating some salad and he likes it. Then they tell the T. Rex about spinning food, which is sushi on a conveyor belt at the mall. The T. Rex runs there. Then they get to spinning food and the T. Rex gets in. He has to crawl. They ask if they can have a spot reserved in the mall. Because the T. Rex is large, they get seats in an extra large booth. The family asks if the chefs can make sushi that is the same size of the T. Rex mouth. They say yes. And the T. Rex gets to eat sushi and cake. He likes everything. Then they get some toys for the T. Rex and they go back home. Then they order a humongous amount of pillows. They order the largest pillow in the world so it can be his pillow. And they get a bunch of blankets and a humongous couch for it to sleep on. And it's very comfortable. He lives underground, so he lives underground. So he sleeps underground where he has slides, ball pits, everything a human could want. To be continued. No. Just kidding. Hey, T. Rex, guess what? What? The end. Ah, yes. George. Wow. Wow. That T. Rex is really cared for. Totally. Julia, any thoughts on this story, we have to address the end. I thought for sure it was going to be continued. And then they trick because George goes, just kidding. It is actually the end. It's a double fake out. Yeah, it's a double fake out. Classic. My absolute favorite part of this story is the second sentence. He goes. He checks to see if the T Rex plays a role in time. What does that mean? I think I know. Okay. George understands. He's seen enough time travel movies or read enough time travel stories in which you know that if you go back and you mess with something, it could affect time. So he found a T. Rex who had no impact on history at all. Which. How do you do that? But at least he's being. He's looking out for the rest of us. This is a couch potato T. Rex, who frankly is quite agreeable because he's willing to eat salad once and decide never to eat live flesh ever again. You know what? Maybe he was a vegetarian T. Rex all along, which means he wasn't gonna survive. So taking him out of time had no effect. He could survive. Well, how did he affect nobody? Well, because he doesn't come into contact with living beings because he's in the forest eating leaves all day. Yeah, but you know the butterfly effect. Yeah, I heard about it. He ate enough leaves. We removed T. Rex from a T. Rex from the forest. Who's eating a lot of leaves. That's fewer leaves that are. And then there's ripple effects. But if a T. Rex who's vegetarian eats leaves alone in the forest. Does anyone hear it? Anyone hear it? Did anybody hear it? I don't think he was a vegetarian because the way George wrote sushi, he goes. He feeds him salad and it goes. He likes it. Like, it's like. It's a revelation for the T. Rex. We also don't know if that salad had meat in it. It's true. It could be a farmer's cobs. There's bacon. Yeah. And also, I mean, let's not forget, he immediately goes and orders some macros from the sushi restaurant on the conveyor belt. Macro. Macro. Any amount of food you order for a T. Rex is macro. All right, let's get to our final story of today's roll call. I'll read this one by 8 year old Mariella in Maryland. Here is the opera contest. On Wednesday, there was an opera contest. Anna went and she got the prize. Then she was the president. The end. Whoa. I love this story. How cool. Is this the future of elections? Yeah. We can only wish that Our leaders were opera singers. Peter, thoughts on this story? You know, I don't think it was this, but part of me thought, oh, were they having a really hard time finding people who were willing to run for president? So they had to trap somebody. That's a real problem. So they put it in the fine print of an opera contest. Congrats. You won. You have to be president. You have to. And Anna did this, thinking, this is finally my chance to be in La Triviata. And then they go, congratulations. Here you go. It's the country. But we don't know. Anna might have been a poli sci major. That's true. No, it's true. It's true. Clearly qualified. More qualified than many. Were you impressed that Julia could name an opera just now? I am, yeah. But I thought she said La Triviata, which I was like, oh, is that a trivia version of La Traviata? I don't actually know. Is it an A? Is it Traviata? I couldn't. I don't know. That came from the deaf depths of my brain, and I don't know why I didn't recognize either version. Producer Andrew, can you tell us the correct name of that opera? Mm. La Traviata. I'm just gonna say, though, that it was written in 1862. It's wrong. 1612, adapted from an 1848 novel, first performed on the 6th of March, 1853. Oh, that's so close. Within 10 years. Wow. Who wrote it? Oh, my. It was written by Giuseppe Verdi. I was gonna say Andrew Lloyd Webber. All right, that's it for today's Roll Call. Julia, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much for having me. This was a blast. Amazing stories. And yes, Mariella, that last story was genius. Thank you so much for sending it in. And remember, you can watch an even longer version of Roll Call on the Story Pirates YouTube page with help from your grown ups. And now it's time for you to write us a story. Because summertime is a great time to write stories, grownups can submit stories@storypirates.com and remember, we respond to every single story we receive. That was Roll Call. That's it for today's special crossover episode. And a big thanks to today's author, Alex. We'd also like to give a huge thank you to our friends Mindy and Guy from wow in the World for joining us on today's episode. Every Monday, Mindy and Guy travel around the world to discover the latest wows in science, technology, and innovation. And you can Join them on their scientific adventures by following WoW in the world wherever you get your podcasts or@tinkercast.com we'll be back next week with more brand new stories. Until then, stay creative and stay kind. Bye. The Story Pirates podcast is a production of Story Pirate 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. And at the Relic Room in New York City, theme song by Bobby Lord. Roll Call theme by Andrew Barbado. Musical scoring by Jack Mitchell. Our head writers are Rachel Winitsky and David Sidorov. Production coordination by Denisa Wortenby. Episode artwork by Camilla Franklin. The Ice Skating Penguin was Adapted by Peter McNerney and features performances by Andrew Barbato, Langston Darby, Hallie Hawkins, Lindsay Unojosa, Peter McNerney, Lee Overtree, Mindy Thomas, Jamie Watson and Harry Wood. Okay, so after listening to today's new story, I think I finally have a solution to my long standing problem. Robot clone Lee, get in here. Yes, Lee, how can I help you? Okay, Robot clone Lee, I'd like for you to do a thorough cleaning of my private bathroom. Request received. Cannot process. Cannot process. Overloading mainframe. Self distrust protocol initiated. What? No. Stop. I even have the cleaning supplies for you. Goodbye. No.
Podcast Summary: Story Pirates – "The Ice Skating Penguin" (feat. Wow in the World)
Release Date: June 26, 2025
Host Lee Overtree kicks off this special episode by announcing an exciting collaboration between Story Pirates and the beloved science adventure podcast Wow in the World. He entices listeners with a blend of sketch comedy, original songs, and a brand-new story co-starring Mindy from Wow in the World.
"[00:01] Lee Overtree: ...the World of Wow in the World and the World of Story Pirates smash together into one."
The episode seamlessly transitions into a playful interaction featuring Mindy and Guy from Wow in the World. They engage in a humorous exchange about penguins and storytelling, setting the stage for the main performance.
"[09:15] Mindy: I love three things. Penguins, Story Pirates, and sneezing with my eyes open and pretzel salt."
Mindy volunteers to perform the featured story, "The Ice Skating Penguin," written by a young listener named Alice from Pennsylvania. The narrative follows Mayor Flip's stringent rules against fun in Penguinville, leading to a rebellious penguin's quest to skate despite the bans. The story culminates in an epic showdown with robot clones and the revelation that Mayor Flip is an impostor.
Key Highlights:
Conflict Introduction: Mayor Flip declares ice skating illegal, disrupting the penguins' joyful activities.
"[15:32] Narrator: Mayor Flip ran on a fish and fun platform, easily defeating the evil Mr. Dingle penguinhopper..."
Hero's Journey: The protagonist penguin defies the rules, leading to banishment and a heroic rescue mission.
"[22:10] Protagonist: I won't give up, no matter how hard the road until I find my brother."
Climactic Battle: The revelation that Mayor Flip is a robot clone, leading to his defeat and restoration of fun in Penguinville.
"[35:45] Villain: Your song pretty good. Except for one thing... you're a robot clone."
Following the story, Story Pirates invites Mindy to join them on stage at a local aquarium's penguin exhibit. This live interaction includes a playful performance where Mindy showcases her acting chops alongside the Story Pirates team.
"[28:50] Lee Overtree: You make a great penguin and an even greater story pirate."
In the Roll Call Live segment, Julia Schroeder hosts alongside Peter and Lee, reading and dissecting stories submitted by young listeners. Three standout stories include:
"The Walking Blanket" by Rosie (5 years old, Nebraska):
"[40:20] Julia Schroeder: ...it's like he's gonna take over the world and it's just like, I don't wanna go to the store myself."
"The Adventure of George and the T. Rex" by George (7 years old, Virginia):
"[45:15] Julia Schroeder: ...a vegetarian T. Rex who reluctantly becomes part of George's adventures."
"The Opera Contest" by Mariella (8 years old, Maryland):
"[50:30] Peter: It's a double fake out. Classic."
Adding to the episode's vibrant atmosphere, Waddle Patrol performs their catchy original song, "Oops I Slipped on a Penguin," blending humor with an upbeat melody that resonates with both kids and adults.
"[55:10] Waddle Patrol: Oops I slipped on a penguin, I asked Mr. Banyan are you okay?"
The episode concludes with heartfelt thanks to all contributors, including the young storytellers and guest stars from Wow in the World. Lee and Peter emphasize the importance of creativity and kindness, encouraging listeners to continue submitting their imaginative stories.
"[59:45] Lee Overtree: Until then, stay creative and stay kind."
This crossover episode of Story Pirates and Wow in the World masterfully blends storytelling, live performances, and interactive segments to celebrate young creativity. Through engaging narratives like "The Ice Skating Penguin" and insightful discussions in Roll Call Live, the podcast continues to inspire and entertain listeners of all ages.