Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hellol story Time really not of glory time rabbis standing.
You'll be fine. Follow the whole storyline. Hellol story Time
Might you love? Released one time well story, Hello and
welcome back to the podcast. This is LOL story Time.
Big thanks to everyone who submitted stories for the story
writing contest. The deadline to enter recently closed and I
(00:24):
cannot wait to read all of your amazing stories. Stay
tuned because winners will be announced in September. In today's episode,
I've got a story for you called Waffleheist, and this
one features characters named after siblings Hudson, Liam, Oliver and Clara.
Some other shoutouts this week go out to Cassia and
Nicole from Crown Point, Indiana, Van Max and Tripp from Canada, Claire,
(00:50):
Lucy and Owen from Salem, Virginia, Minna and Text from
Sunshine Coast Australia, Hunter Dorian from Melbourne, Australia from Melbourne, Australia,
Marcus from New Zealand Beyond from Singapore, Noah and Eli
from Sunshine Coast Australia and Jesse McGovern from Auckland, New Zealand.
(01:13):
More shutts that come next time, but for now let's
get into the story. This is the story of why
you shouldn't keep your city clean. I know that sounds
a little strange, but hear me out. Crombopolis was a
(01:35):
big city, much like any other big city, tall buildings,
lots of people, and some funky smelling air. The mayor
of Crombopolis, Mayor Curly Log, didn't like that a city
had smelly air, and even though he didn't know what
caused the smelly air, he decided he needed to get
rid of it. He thought, if he could make his
city the cleanest city, then perhaps it too would become
(01:56):
the best smelling city. So the mare cleaned and cleaned
and cleaned some more. Well, let's be honest, he himself
didn't lift a finger. He had a team of city
cleaners for that day and night. His team worked around
the clock until Kromboplis became the cleanest of all the
cities around. Once the project was complete, the city looked good,
(02:19):
and best of all, it smelt good. Everything was shiny
and polished, with no signs of garbage anywhere. If you
dropped a French fry on the sidewalk, you wouldn't think
twice about picking a backup and eating it. And if
you accidentally licked a store window, because we've all been there,
you wouldn't have to worry about your tongue falling off
from a window licking disease. So this all seemed great.
(02:41):
The mayor was happy, and the people were happy, except
for those French fry dropping people who got yelled at
for dropping French fries. But there was someone in particular
who really couldn't stand having a clean city. Hudson. Hudson
the raccoon. Hudson was infuriated. Yeah, Pikes, what has happened
to this place? This used to be one of the
(03:03):
best cities, but now it's like I don't even know
where I am anymore. Hudson was a tenacious city raccoon.
He'd lived in Crombopolis's whole life and had always been
very well fed. When people left food on the ground,
Hudson was there. When people forgot to secure the lids
on their garbage bins, Hudson was there for that too.
(03:23):
He'd even show his appreciation by leaving a huge mess
of shredded garbage all over the ground. He was a
decent guy like that. But things were different now, and
food had become scarce. Oh, I'm so hungry. How was
every garbage bag and every dumpster suddenly empty? That's not
even a thing. That's never been a thing. Dumpsters exist
(03:45):
for people to put bags of garbage in them. I
exist to tear those bags open again. A pigeon flying overhead,
whose name was Liam, heard Hudson complaining and swoop down,
landing right next to him. WHA did you just say
all the garbage are empty? Because I've been having a
trouble finding food too. Used to be that I could
hand close to a family having a picnic or camp
(04:07):
out near the hot dog carts. Now I'm not seeing
any of that stuff. Where's my kid that likes to
hide a sandwich crust under the picnic blanket? And speaking
of kids, the other day, I saw a kid drop
a French fry on the ground, but instead of leaving
it there for me, he picked it up and ate it,
Like who does that? Hudson and Liam agreed something fishy
(04:27):
was going on. This new version of the city stunk.
Well to them, it's stunk. Look, Hudson, I'm a city pigeon.
I'm a classy guy. I have refined and sophisticated tastes.
I can't go back to eating seed and grain like
one of those country pigeons. No way, I'll only except
the best half eaten tossed on the ground foods this
(04:48):
city has to offer. Hudson decided to let Liam in
on a little secret. Well, pigeon, get this. I bumped
into a ladybug who told me something interesting this morning.
Apparently they're keeping all the good stuff inside the buildings.
Now like that might be where they're keeping all the
French fries in garbage. Liam the pigeon found this fascinating.
(05:10):
Might explain why the city had been smelling so strange lately.
Liam always considered Crimbopoulus one of the best smelling cities around.
Hudson led Liam to a nearby building. There she is.
Now that ladybug I was telling you about. Clara the
ladybug was resting on a windowsill, completely transfixed by something
inside the building. Hudson the raccoon cleared his throat to
(05:33):
get the ladybug's attention. MM Claire didn't notice. Liam gave
it a try em still nothing. Hudson tried again, then
back to Liam em then Hudson again. M both of
them at once. Now am finally Claire the ladybug turned around.
(05:58):
Would you too, please keep it down over there, I'm
trying to stare at something longingly. Liam flew up to
the window sill where Clara was sitting. Hudson climbed up
a nearby drainpipe to join them. The three of them
stared through the window in silence. Inside was the most
beautiful thing they had ever laid eyes on. It almost
swept Hudson right off of his feet, while Liam started
(06:20):
uncontrollably doing the flappy bird dance. Who whoo wo wo
wo wo wo wooh waffle, cheered the pigeon while smacking
everyone in the face with his wings. Liam the pigeon
was familiar with waffles, but never once had he tried one.
I once came this close to having a waffle. It
was at a picnic. Someone handed a kid a waffle,
(06:41):
but the kid was like, oh, what is this? He
almost tossed away, but then someone convinced him to try it.
After that first bite, he never turned back, and since
then I've never seen anyone not finish their waffle. They
most taste incredible. Hudson and Clara admitted that they had
never tried one either. People dropped, spilled, and threw away
(07:03):
all sorts of food, but when it came to waffles,
people protected them like jewelry. We have to get inside
that building, shouted Hudson the raccoon. I need a waffle,
and I need it bad. He then paused, But humans
are smart. They've probably built this place like an impenetrable fortress.
(07:24):
Just as he was saying that, a tiny ant emerged
from a small crack in the wall. What's up, my cheese?
I'm Oliver, the ant. Have you guys been inside this
place yet? It's incredible? So many crumbs, Clara asked the
ant if you had noticed the waffle inside waffle? Oh man,
I didn't see any waffles. I discoor a raisin though,
(07:48):
lifted it right over my head. Ever seen someone lift
a raisin over their head? Before Oliver paused to show
off his muscles. Are you seeing this? Look how buff
I am? I don't even lift weight. If you ever
need help moving a sofa, I'm your guy. The raccoon,
pigeon and Lady Bug got no plans to ever move
a sofa, but they did need help getting access to
(08:09):
that building. Hudson jumped back down to the sidewalk. Listen, guys,
no one said getting a waffle would be easy. But
if we work together, we might be able to pull
off one of the greatest heists in history. Each one
of us probably has a unique skill to contribute to
this mission. Like who here knows how to turn off
security alarms? No one put up their hand? Uh? Well,
(08:32):
which one of you knows how to pick locks? Again?
No one put up their hand? Okay, then, but who
here specializes in setting up decoys to divert attention away
from the waffle while we make our move? Crickets? All
you could hear were crickets. Yo, guys, it's not that complicated,
insisted Oliver the Ant. You can literally just walk right
(08:55):
in and help yourself to the waffle. Come on, follow me.
Oliver went back into the building. Five minutes later he
came back out. Hudson, Liam and Clara were still standing
where he'd left them. The Ant rolled his eyes. M guys,
usually come with me means come with me as in
follow me or right this way. Basically you just go
(09:18):
where I go. Okay, now, the others were rolling their eyes.
We know it. Come with me means little ant. But
how do you expect us to fit through a tiny
crack in the wall, Hudson asked. Even Clara wasn't big
enough to fit through a crack of the wall. That's small.
The ant looked at the crack, then back at the others,
and then back at the crack. Huh, I guess you
(09:42):
three are a little on the big side. Well, then
maybe you should have thought of that before you let
yourself grow so big. Anyone here know how to shrink?
Liam the pigeon had a better idea. I might know
a way that's big enough for all three of us.
Get ready to spread your wings and fly up up,
Liam flew, with Clara the ladybug following close behind. Near
(10:04):
the top of the tall building was an open window.
I knew he'd find one, said Liam, who was quite pleased.
All right, exclaimed Clara, waffle time, But she paused before
entering the window. Oh pu, what does that smell? Liam
had to explain that it was often the bathroom windows
(10:26):
that got left open. They also noticed that the ant
and the raccoon were nowhere to be seen. Returning to
the ground, they found Hudson struggling to get a grip
on the smooth surface of the building. You know, if
this place was made out of bricks, I think I
could do it all over. The ant was having more
success with the climbing, but as small as he was,
(10:47):
he hadn't made it very far. Well, the good news began, Clara,
the ladybug, is that we really don't actually have to
go that high. I saw an air vent in the wall,
just a few stories up, easy peasy only the ant
embraced this idea. The pigeon was not impressed. Oh how
(11:07):
lovely for you and tiny mister ant over there, But
have you forgotten that there are some bigger folk here.
How do you expect a bird and a raccoon to
fit through a vent? At least with my idea, everyone
could fit. The pigeon turned to Hudson the raccoon, dude,
can't you just try flying like I don't know, maybe
(11:27):
just flap your tail really quickly and see what happens.
The ant walked over to the raccoon. Well, if you
get that working, mind if I hit you ride, I
don't want to get left behind. The ant climbed onto
the raccoon's head and held on tight. Hudson the raccoon
began moving his tail back and forth as quickly as
he could. He was getting some impressive speed, but it
(11:49):
wasn't lifting him off the ground. Hudson, try jumping while
you do it, suggested Clara. Maybe you just need a
jump start now. The racoon, and was jumping up and
down while flapping his tail, ran with all his might.
He looked like a dog who thought if he jumped
high enough, he might be able to reach a squirrel
at the top of a tree. The pigeon started giving
(12:10):
him some flapping advice. See you're moving your tail like that,
but what you want is to sort of flap it
more like this. Liam the pigeon got a little too close.
Hudson's tail gave the bird a swift whack across his backside.
This sent the pigeon sailing toward the wall, which he
hit and then bounced back. He then knocked over Claire
(12:32):
the Ladybug, crashed into Hudson's head and finished with a
double backflip and a belly flop. Ah who turned out
the lights, moaned Oliver, the ant, who was trapped under
Liam's body. I'm strong, but maybe not lift a pigeon
over my head strong. The four of them took a
moment to sort themselves out and regroup. Okay, so raccoons
(12:55):
can't fly clearly, and some of us are too big
for air vents and bitter cracks in the wall. On
top of that, I think we just learned that pitcheon
heads don't work as well as wrecking balls when trying
to punch a hole through a wall. Hudson the raccoon
realized everyone had come up with an idea except for him. Everyone,
stay right where you are. I might have an idea
(13:16):
that will work for all of us. He ran around
to the other side of the building and soon returned. Guys,
this building has a garbage shoot around back. That's how
we can all get inside. Easy to get to, big
enough for all, and no wings required. Come with me,
Hudson the raccoon. Let the others around back. See that
(13:37):
square little door thingy on the wall above the garbage dumpster.
That door swings open when someone sends a bag of
garbage down the chute. As soon as the garbage pushes
through and lands in the dumpster, the metal door slams shut.
Hudson climbed up to demonstrate he was excited to show
off his impressive dexterity with his paws well. Standing on
top of the empty garbage dumpster, he was reminded of
(13:59):
all the garbage that used to be in there. A
single tear trickled down his cheek. Using his pause like
they were hands, Hudson grabbed a hold of a small
metal handle and began prying the door open. As he
climbed into the chute, the metal door slammed behind him.
Hudson poked his head back out, Who's next. The pigeon
(14:20):
and the ladybug flew inside at the same time while
Hudson held the door open for them, but all over
the Aunt stood there trembling. Ah. That thing really slams
shut quickly, doesn't It really makes a loud bang too.
Did anyone else notice that his friends began calling for
him to join them. Yeah, it's just like slamming metal
(14:40):
doors and cute little ants don't exactly go well together.
If that thing hits me, forget the waffle, You'll be
dealing with a pancake. They were so close to having
all four of them inside, they just needed Aunt to
pull through. Don't worry, little buddy, said Hudson, I'll hold
the door open for you until you're safely inside. The
others began chanting Oliver's name, Oliver, oll Over, oll Over. Oh,
(15:08):
come on, guys, you know I can't say no to
a name chant Oliver mustered the courage to move forward.
He cautiously climbed up to the edge of the opening.
The door looked bigger and heavier up close, but he
continued to go for it. Clara backed up to make room,
but she backed right into Liam's nostril. This made Liam's niece,
(15:28):
which startled Hudson, who then lost his grip on the door.
The door slam shut with a loud bang. Oh no, Oliver.
All three worked together to push the door back open.
Oh no, that the little guy get smushed. A few
seconds later, they heard a tiny voice from the bottom
of the dumpster. Guys, I'm ok, the door didn't hit me.
(15:52):
And kiss what else? This bin wasn't entirely empty after all?
I've found another raasin down here. Back out front on
the side walk, the four friends did their best to
split a single raise in four ways. This has been
such a disappointing afternoon, complained Clara. Nothing against this dried
up piece of grape, but I really wanted to eat
(16:12):
that waffle. Liam nodded his little bird head. Yeah, that
would have been nice. Just a shame there was no
way for us to all get inside. I mean, we
all found a way to get inside, but none of
them worked for everyone. This was the moment. Hasn't realized
how ridiculous their plan had been? Wait? Why do we
(16:32):
all have to enter the same way? Can we not
just do our own thing and meet up once we're inside? Like?
How did we not think of this sooner? I thought
of it sooner, blurted out Oliver. The ant. I didn't
say anything because I don't always like doing things on
my own. It's a little lonely. The raccoon, pigeon, and
(16:53):
ladybug all glared at the ant. Shortly thereafter, the ant
was crawling through a crack in the wall and flying
through an empty window, which the ladybug could have done too,
but she wanted to feel special, so she squeezed through
an air vent and the raccoon made his way in
through the garbage choote. Once inside, it took a little
while for them to find one another. Guys over here,
(17:16):
whispered Hudson, I see the room at the waffle. But
this seems too easy. Might be a trap. Hudson always
imagined a waffle heist would be more complicated, tampering with
surveillance cameras, cutting power to the alarms, and distracting the
security guards. But it really did seem like they could
just walk right up to the waffle. As they entered
(17:38):
the room together, they were startled by another bug, a cockroach.
Oh hey, guys, are you here for the heist? We've
been carefully planning this one for weeks. Our computer guys
hacked into their system and messed with all the alarms
and cameras. This was everything Hudson wanted to hear. Now
it felt real. But before they could grab the waffle,
(18:00):
they heard heavy footsteps in a booming voice. Finally, I
can sit down and eat my morning waffle. It was
mayor Curly log. My phone has been ringing off the
hook all morning with people complaining about the buildings around
town smelling like garbage. Well, yeah, that's kind of how
it works when you want the outside smelling fresh and clean. Hudson, Liam, Clara,
(18:24):
and Oliver watched helplessly. It was a sad sight to
see their hard work and effort go to waste. If
only they had made their way into the building sooner.
Pushing his fork and knife aside, the Mare grabbed the
waffle with his chubby hands and lifted it toward his mouth.
And that's when they heard him yelp ah, there's a
cockroach on my waffle. The Mayor shot up from his seat,
(18:47):
throwing the waffle to the ground. The cockroach started running
for safety while talking into an imaginary walkie talkie retreat retreat,
stand down, abort the mission, run for it. The Mare
was also in a tizzy. That's it, We're going back
to the way things used to be. I can handle
(19:07):
a lot of things, but I can't handle cockroaches on
my waffles. The Mayor ran out of the room without
noticing the four friends, who were now left on their own. Together,
they crept over to where the waffles sat on the floor.
It looked and smelled even more spectacular up close. Without
saying a word, they circled round, then each took a
(19:28):
bite at the same time, their very first waffle. At last, Poor,
what did I just eat? Asked Clara, spitting out her piece.
Oliver also looked like he was gagging. People actually like
this stuff, questioned Hudson, wishing he had a drink of
water to rinse's mouth. Thing tastes like a donkey's foot.
(19:52):
Liam nodded his pigeon head in agreement. I'd take a cold,
soggy French fry with sand on it over this thing
any day of the week. But as disappointed as they
were by the waffle, thanks to the mayor canceling as plan,
people had already begun filling out door garbage bins and
dumpsters before they were back outside. A little girl even
dropped her entire hot dog on the sidewalk right in
(20:13):
front of them and left it there. These friends were
back to eating the city's finest half eaten runaway foods,
just like before, until a few weeks later, when Mayor
Curly Log rolled out a new plan to keep the
city clean. Folks, I've got it this time, the three hours, reduce, reuse, recycle.
(20:34):
I can't believe we didn't just start with that plan.
Reminds me of the time I watched from my office
window as a raccoon pigeon Ladybug and Aunt repeatedly failed
their mission, only to realize the best plan was in
front of them all along. Fortunately for the four friends,
within a few short weeks, people had mostly forgotten or
given up on following the Mayor's new plan. The lazy
(20:55):
citizens of Krombopolis basically just said, mah, let's just have
the bugs and animals take care of the mess, which
they happily did the end. That's the story, and here's
your question of the week. Which character in today's story
(21:16):
would you most like to be? The raccoon, the pigeon,
the ladybug or the ant. Well, that's a wrap on
this week's episode. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you
on the next one.