November 10, 2025 • 31 mins
Come listen to the winning stories from the LOL Storytime story writing contest. Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to the winners!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome back for a special episode of Llowell Storytime where
I'll be reading you the winning stories from the Yellowell
Storytime story writing Contest. The regular Monday story will be
out later today in a separate episode, so stay tuned
for that. Big thanks to all of this year's participants
and congrats to all of the winners. How first is
the winning story from the youngest age group. This one
(00:22):
is called Saving the Camping Survival Book by Griffin Wilcox.
Teacher mister Crabb gave his sea creature pupils a book
about how to survive by yourself if you get lost
in a wilderness whilst camping. The book was called the
Camping Survival Book and it had everything you needed to
do to help set up for camping on your own.
Mister Crabb told them that this was an extra special
(00:43):
book as it was the last survival book left in
their school, so they had to really look after it.
Martin the Jellyfish, Jack the Seahorse, and Claire the Pufferfish
were given the book first to study.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
They had to do a.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Project on it and present it to the class at
school the next day. Claire, Jack and Martin had been
friends since year two. And we're happy to have the
book to study together. Although they were all very different,
they got along very well and liked doing projects together.
They were especially keen to do this one as they
really wanted to go camping together.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Soon.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
The trio took the book on their swim home. On
their way home, they swam past a deep, dark, underwater trench.
They were all holding the book together and they accidentally
dropped it down the trench. Oh no, they cried. They
all swam down to get it, and Martin the jellyfish
said he would give them light as his tentacles glowed.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
In the dark. They're so bright.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Thank you, Jack said, yeah, it's really helpful. We're lucky
to be friends with a jellyfish that glows, said Claire.
As they swam down, they saw an anglerfish with a
bright bioluminescent light on its dangler. It swam towards the
book and bid it, thinking it was food. It nearly
ate the book whole, but Martin stung it with his tentacles,
so it swam away. Watch out, Martin, said Claire, as
(01:58):
the anglerfish swam back towards Martin, but this time looking
very angry. It then opened its huge mouth and ate
Martin whole. No, cried Claire and Jack. But Martin was smart.
He stung the anglerfish again, but this time from the
inside of its mouth, and the anglerfish, looking shocked, spat
him out super quick and also spat out the book.
(02:18):
The book flew across the trench into a small crevis.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Ah. No, how are we going to get the book
out now?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Said Jack. Try and get in there. Jack, you're the
smallest one of us, said Claire. The pufferfish. You can
do it, cried Martin. Jack the seahorse, who was very small,
swam over and got into the crevice and tried to
pick up the book, but he wasn't strong enough. What
else can you do, Jack, asked Claire. Jack uncurled his
(02:45):
tail and curled it again, and it made him bounce.
He then tried to bounce the book with his tail,
playing basketball. After a while, he ended up bouncing the
book out of the crevis and had bounced over the anglerfish.
Great job, Jack, you save the book, said Martin, who
grabbed the book as quickly as you could. Then all
three swam away out of the trench. Phew, they all said.
(03:06):
But they spoke too soon, as another big anglerfish was
waiting further up the trench, and it really wanted to
get the book. This time, the angler fish ate Claire,
the pufferfish, and the book in one big gulp, But
Claire had her own special maneuver. Claire puffed up inside
the anglerfish, and her spikes, which are poisonous, jabbed the
anglerfish's gums. The anglerfish was so startled it spat out
(03:27):
Claire and the book so hard that they were sent flying.
If it could speak, it would have said ah. Then
as Claire was being spat out, she grabbed Jack and
Martin on her way, and they were going so fast
they flew out of the trench and landed on Martin's
doorstep at home. When they got home, they told their
parents what a wild day they just had. Their parents
(03:47):
were so proud of how they worked together and used
their own skills and maneuvers to survive such a scary
swim home. That night, they all read the camping Survival
book together and found out how to survive in the
wilderness on their own. I think we learned a lot
from that book, but I think we learned a lot
more from the swim home, don't you think, said Martin. Yeah,
(04:07):
we learned to work together as a team, said Claire,
and to use our own unique skills, said Jack.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I've got a great.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Idea for our school project tomorrow, said Martin, and the
others all listened as Martin explained his great idea. The
next day at school, Claire, Martin, and Jack all presented
their school project about the camping Survival Book. At the
end of their presentation, Claire said, We've got one more
thing to add to our presentation. We've written our own
book to add to this collection, and it's called how
(04:37):
to Work as a Team. Then the three of them
told their wild story to the class. No one could
believe it, and at the end of the story, the
class all stood up and cheered. Mister Crabb was so
impressed by the book that he gave them an A
plus for team work, imagination, and bravery. After school, all
three swam home together again, but this time went a
different way home. Let's go camping this weekend and try
(04:59):
to use some of the skills we've learned, said Martin. Yeah,
great idea, said Claire. But let's try to avoid trenches
and anglerfish, said Martin. They all laughed. In the next age,
category for nine and ten year olds. We have Z
for zebra, written by Eleanor Akhurst. But why, Dudley whined,
(05:22):
Why am I last?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Again?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
This is how it always began for Dudley the zebra,
last for lunch, last for games. Oh, Dudley wished he
could change his name, last in line, last for tea.
But a zebra's name starts with a Z. The king
of the Kingdom, Leah the Lion, roared and rolled his eyes.
Because that's the way it is. The alphabet goes the
way it goes, and Z for zebra is always last.
(05:48):
Dudley drooped. Being last was really lame. Oh, Dudley wish
he could change his name. He dreamed of being a
bird or a bee, but a zebra's name starts with
a Z. Dudley went to see the horses.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Can I be a horse? He asked?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Why they winned, because then my name would start with
an H and I wouldn't be last for lunch, last
for games. Oh, I wish I could change my name
last in line, last for t But a zebra's name
starts with a Z. The horses weren't convinced. I'm pretty
much just a horse and striped pajamas. Right, guys, let's
(06:24):
have a vote. Harriet horse huffed all in favor, silence.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
All opposed. Nay, nay, nay.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The horses answered in unison.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Guess that's a no, sorry zebra.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Next, Dudley paid a visit to the chickens. They were
pecking and scratching, scratching and pecking. Hey, girls, think I
could be a chicken?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Why?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
They clucked, Because then my name would start with a sea,
and I wouldn't be last for lunch, last for games. Oh,
I wish I could change my name last in line,
last for But a zebra's name starts with a z.
The chickens cluckled, as if you could be a chicken.
Hold on, hold on, can you scratch? Charlie Chicken questioned.
(07:12):
Dudley kicked up some dust with his hoofs Okay, that's good.
Can you peck? Dudley dug his nose into the dirt
and sneesed. Acceptable. Charlie squawked. Here's the real challenge. Can
you lay an egg? Dudley scrunched up his face. Dudley
squatted over a nest. Dudley squeezed his eyes shut and
pushed nothing yes, that's a no.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Sorry, Zebra.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Being last was really lame. Oh, Dudley wished he could
change his name. The horses, the chickens, the lion said no,
So off to the city Dudley would go. Dear friends,
Dudley wrote, I've decided to move to the city because
I am tired of being last for everything. Just because
I'm a zebra doesn't mean I should be last for lunch,
(07:58):
last for games.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I wish I could change my name, last in line,
last for T, but you guys forgot that. I'm just Dudley.
Dudley signed his letter Dudley Z.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
All.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
The animals gasped as Liam Lyon read the letter aloud.
What his name is Dudley that starts with a D.
You can have lunch right after the chickens. He can
have tea before the horses. They all chased after Dudley.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Wait, come back.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
They exclaimed. I'm sorry that we forgot you're Dudley. Liam
Lyon apologized, you're fourth for lunch, fourth for games. Now
you don't have to change your name, fourth in line,
next for T instead of Z. Your name starts with D.
Dudley grinned he was so happy yell yack. However, well
that's a whole other story. This next story is from
(08:48):
the eleven to twelve age group. It's called The Dragon Portal,
written by Kaya Dick, who listens to the show with
her sister Danica. N I and Ian were living in
a white holiday house next to a matching white private
beach with their parents for a vacation. Ni was reading
her favorite book when Ian burst in, speaking faster than
the speed of light, and she had to wait for
her brother to slow down so she could understand him.
(09:10):
Ian's new tidi shirt was already covered in sand. Ian
was actually a stepbrother to I, and she didn't like
calling him a brother.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
What are you going on about? Ian?
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I found a portal, yeah, right, and a dragon just
walked through our kitchen. Ian was going bonkers trying to
persuade his stepsister to come see the portal. Ny soon
got pulled away by her brother and tugged down to
the beach, where Ian dug a huge, deep pole. Ian,
why did you dig a hole on the beach. Why
(09:41):
haven't you dug a hole on the beach. It's a
whole lot of fun, Ian asked, genuinely confused, because I
do better stuff when I'm on the beach.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Look inside the hole.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Ian got impatient. Inside the gigantic hole was a purple, vibrant,
swirling portal. Nice's jaw hit the round of the hole.
I know, right, I kind of want to go in,
Ian said, n I look surprised. Do you know what
will happen if you go in? Ian thought for a
moment before answering nope. Ian didn't let Nye say anything
(10:14):
else and jumped in the portal and disappeared.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Ian.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Ugh, now I need to go after you, and I
yelled down to her brother, and then jumped in. The
siblings both felt dizzy when they got to the other
side of the purple portal. Ian, why did you go in?
Ny reprimanded her brother. Well, you came in too. Ian
defended himself, but please stop fighting. I can't get to sleep.
(10:41):
A lazy, green, chubby dragon with a small brown bag
came out from the berry bushes behind the two.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Sorry, who are you?
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And I apologized?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Is it just me? Or do you want to ride
that dragon?
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Ian whispered to his stepsister, Ny, but Ni seemed offended.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
What I can hear you?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
The dragon entrapt at the siblings. My name is Joe,
I don't do piggyback rides, and I'm the Green Dragon
of Pyria. The island the shape of an onion ring.
Nice to meet you, but I'm going back now bye.
N I walked over to the portal, but it was
unlit and no longer glowing. Ian, why is the portal
not swirling like before? Because you need the fire breath
(11:23):
of three colored dragons to light it? Obviously, the dragon answered,
but Ni was still confused. Okay, but why is it
no longer on hm?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
The dragon shrugged, not knowing what the answer was. So
I guess I need three colored dragons. Where would they be?
N I was looking at the closed portal, then turned
around to hear the dragon's reply, but when she did,
she saw Ian trying to climb onto the dragon. Yes,
there are three different dragon tribes, and you need fire
breath from one dragon from each tribe. The dragon was
(11:58):
clueless about Ian go that way into the dens of
the Red and Yellow fire dragons. The dragon pointed his
claw to some high mountains with a boiling hot volcano
in the middle. Come on, Ian, we're going to a volcano,
and I started to walk away toward the mountains, but
Ian stopped her. Mister green dragon, sir, are you one
of the dragons we need firebreath from.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
As a matter of fact, I am. Here's a bottle
of grass dragon breath, but you need to earn it.
Ian and I looked at each other, confused.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
What do we do? And I asked, because you woke
me up, you must sing me a song to put
me to sleep.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Okay, let's sing Puff the Magic Dragon, Ian said to Ni.
The dragon snapped, I've had enough of songs about dragons.
Make it Lucky the Magic Kkka two.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Then Ian was confused, but they started singing anyway. Lucky
the Magic I mean cockatoo lived by the sea and
frolicked in the dragon's breath and lived up in a tree.
Puff I mean Lucky has feathers, but he also has fluff.
(13:10):
He likes destroying important things and breaking fancy stuff. When
the kids finished their song and the dragon was snoring
peacefully in time with the tune, Ian pulled out a
little glowing bottle of a yellowish lime flame from the
dragon's brown bag and passed it to Nigh, whoa nice
smiled surprised. As the kids started to walk away, Ny
(13:32):
whispered something to Ian.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Thanks for the help. You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
When I tried to climb the dragon, I saw the
bottle in his little bag, Ian explained, beaming. Ni and
Ian started to get bored from all the walking. Ian
got so bored he ran over to a tall yellow
tree and started to climb.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Ian.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Stop, we need to keep going, nice, scolded Ian. Come
up and get me. Then Ian continued to climb fine.
I climbed up after him, copying his exact moves. They
climbed and climbed higher and higher, but Nia was scared
of heights. This was fun, but how do we get down?
Ian let go of the branch he was climbing and
(14:10):
jumped down.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Just like that. What I can't do that.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
It's too far, n, I said, shocked. Ian put out
his hands. Come on, I'll catch you, okay. Then I
copied he and then tumbled down onto the floor.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Whoops.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Sorry and I at least it was not far off
the ground, Ian apologized, I guess, but it looked so
high when I was up there. It was lots of fun.
N I was mad, but still smiling. Let's continue walking.
She said, as Ian helped her get up. Soon they
entered the fire Dragon's territory and immediately saw millions of
thousands of dragons. N I didn't know which one to
(14:50):
talk to first. Ian yelled over the sounds of the
dragons and asked, excuse me, ladies and gentlemen and all
dragging identifying creatures, can my assister and I have have
some bottled firebreath please? A few dragons looked at them,
but nothing happened. My brother just asked for something. You
should probably say something in reply. And I was deeply offended.
(15:12):
But now the dragons seemed to be offended too. A
little dragon with wings came over, looking sympathetic. I apologize,
tiny creature, but only our queen can get you your wish.
Ian muttered something about the dragon, but I ignored it.
Where is your queen, she asked, I shall take you
to her, majesty. The dragon bowed Tony, who copied the bow,
(15:35):
young maiden. I'm doing this so you can get on
my back. The dragon sat a bit confused. Eh, sorry,
come on, Ian. She jumped on top of the dragon,
and Ian followed. I'm auto dragons back flying in the sky. Yes,
Ian cheered, screaming down to the earth. By the way,
you called me your brother, Ian told his stepsister, laughing away,
(15:58):
No I didn't, and I argue, d yes, you did.
This went on for a little but soon stopped because
the dragon interrupted them. Stop waving your arms a bed
and hold on tight, or else you might get a splinter.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I hear.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Pulling scale splinters out of your bottom is not a
pleasant experience. The two got very cautious and quiet after that.
The ride was very short, but Ian still managed to say.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Are we there yet?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
As they arrived, the queen's palace was huge, and orange
is a well as an orange. The dragon brought the
kids through the giant doors to see amazing yellow tulips
in pretty yellow vases. As they walked around, they saw
lots of rooms. There was a room full of oranges,
and a room full of eggs. That's a lot of eggs.
(16:44):
Ian's eyes went wide. The dragon smiled, those are dragon eggs.
We keep our little lords and ladies together. Before they hatch,
Ian laughed, I bet everyone cracks up on that day.
The dragon snorted, stick around, and you shall see, n
I got in on the joke. Stop yoking around, you teenagers.
(17:05):
They all burst out laughing until they got up close
to the eggs. I gasped, whoa, they're so small they
could fit in your pocket.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Ian.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
One room had a painting of the queen hanging above
a throne. This room also contained the queen, who was
waiting to see them. The queen was ecstatic to see
the siblings. She was clapping and giggling.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Hello, tiny children, I am the dragon Queen of Pyriea,
the island in the shape of an onion ring.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
The Queen grinned, swirling Ian's hair with her talon. Hai,
my brother and I need some fire breath from you,
your highness, so we can go home. Ni replied, you're from.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
The portal, aren't you, so you can't stay.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
The queen sighed yes, and now we need to get home. Well,
I shall come visit you sometime, but don't worry us.
Dragons can be very sneaky. She did some weird ninja
moose the two had never seen before, and knocked the
painting of her off the wall. Yes, very sneaky, Ian
(18:07):
said sarcastically. N I glared at him and repeated herself,
excuse me, but can we have some of your firebreath.
The queen called over a butler, but Ian interrupted, but
nobody listened to him. The butler was holding a tray
with three glittering flame bottles on it. You can have one,
but only on one condition. If a dragon goes to
(18:31):
your world, you must share your potion with them.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Ni and Ian got worried. What potion?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Oh, don't act fooled, we know of your magic.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
The one called cisiola I think.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Ian's face lit up. Oh, you mean Coca cola. The
queen nodded, licking her lips. As the kids agreed, Nide
chose one of the bottles, and they left the castle.
The little helpful dragon who had brought them to the
queen flew off, waving goodbye. Where next? We only need
one more fire jar, n I said as she waved
back to the helpful dragon. She turned her head to
(19:06):
see that Ian was riding another dragon. This dragon was
a gradient of blue and purple with silver horns, and
was flying with Ian on their back. Ian, why do
you love riding dragons? Nya's eyes went wide. Ni, why
don't you love riding dragons? Ian said, genuinely confused, Because
I'm scared of heights. Ny replied, what's up, dude, I'm George,
(19:30):
the dragon of pyriea the island in the shape of
an onion ring. The dragon was flying in all sorts
of patterns and tricks that almost made Ian fall off.
Do you happen to have any bottled blue dragon breath
with you? Asked Nig. Of course, dude, awesome. Can we
catch a ride to the portal, please, Ian asked the dragon,
knowing from the queen that these dragons knew where it was.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Sure, dude.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
The dragon landed, letting Ni join Ian on his back,
and off they flew.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
A I'm on top of the world once more.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Ian yelled, beaming gnarly, said the dragon, George, why do
you have bottles of flames just on you? And I
wanted to know? I'm delivering them to the queen, But
I'm not in a hurry. It was beautiful seeing the
view in the sunset and all its colors.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Wait a sunset. We need to get home before.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Mom and dad get worried, n I said, gesturing for
the dragon to go faster. Oh no, hurry, Ian whimpered.
Once they arrived at the portal, the green dragon was
still there, sleeping. Well, uh do you have a bottle
of fire with you, then asked Ni.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, dudes, did you want one? Oh?
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yep, that's why I asked, n I explained, Well, I'll
trade for that tied eyed t shirt. George said, eyeing
Ian's shirt. Fine, I'll give up this awesome shirt. Then
Ian jumped down from the dragon, took off his shirt
and replaced it with his jumper. Hey, dude, tie the
shirt on my tail if you don't mind, George asked,
and then Ian tied it on. Okay, can we have
(21:06):
the bottle now, n I pleaded in a rush. The
dragon nodded, and with a flick of its tail, the
bottle flew up in the air and landed in Nice's hands,
which was extremely hard for her to hold because she
was still holding the other two bottles as well. Ian
jumped forward and grabbed the little jar before it fell.
Good catch, bro The dragon cheered and clapped, amazed by
the stunt. Yeah, good catch, bro Ny smiled at her brother,
(21:30):
and he smiled back. Ian gave Nigh the blue bottle
and she lit the portal. Ni poured the flames all
out like liquid, and then she used her hands to
spread it into shape and color. It soon spiraled into
the spinning purple portal from before. The blue dragon waved
then flew away with his new tidy shirt flapping behind him,
and the kids went through the newly lit portal.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Bye dudes.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
The siblings both felt dizzy when they got to the
other side of the purple portal. What they first saw
on the other side it was a white holiday house
next to a matching white private beach. Come on, Ian,
it's dinner time already. Ni ran inside, but Ian slowed
down and snuck something shiny out of his pocket. Ian
we have takeaways for dinner, n I yelled from inside
(22:14):
the house.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
I'll be right there.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Ian quickly put the golden dragon egg back in his
shorts pocket and ran inside. The end. All right, I've
got one final story for you, which is one of
the honorable mentions. I wish I had enough time to
read all of them to you, since they were all
so good, but I can share this one with you
because I've already been given permission to do so. The
story is called One More Cup and was written by
(22:38):
Harry Smith. Every Tuesday and Thursday, James and Alice would
visit their grandma after school with their mom The kids
loved their grandma, but they always stayed for hours because
she kept making cups of tea. Are we going home soon?
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Mom?
Speaker 1 (22:53):
The kids would ask, and the reply was always soon, love,
just one more cup. Sometimes they were nearly ready to go,
but then Dad would arrive and he'd have a cup
of tea too. After a particularly long afternoon at Grandma's,
the kids thought Mom must have drank at least a
hundred cups of tea. We need to do something about this.
We need to sabotage the tea, said James. Yes, said Alice.
(23:18):
Now that's a good idea. But how The kids secretly
stayed up way past their bedtime to come up with
a plan, and they came up with a genius one.
A few days later, they went to Grandma's house again.
James and Alice gave each other a little nod. To
put the plan in action. James snuck into the kitchen
and took the milk from the fridge. He put it
in the garden in the hot sun, and left it
(23:40):
to soak up the rays indoors. Alice was keeping Mum
and Grandma distracted with an increasingly weird dance routine. That's wonderful, love,
said Grandma. Let me go and put the kettle on
and you can show us more. Alice said, now you
have to watch it all at once now and continue
to dance around the living room. Grandma's poor cat, Marvin,
(24:02):
fled the room in terror. James came in and gave
his sister the thumbs up to let her know that
the milk was baking in the sun. Ten minutes later,
Alice was exhausted from dancing and flopped down on the floor. Well,
said Mom, that was certainly interesting, love. Shall we have
a cup of tea now? James shouted, No, I need
to tell you about my school day. Mom looked confused.
(24:26):
You never want to tell me about your school day,
said James fake laughing. Course I do, and went into
a long and detailed story of his day. Alice knuck
out and popped the milk back in the fridge. Eventually,
James ran out of stories about his day, both real
and made up. Grandma smiled and said, okay, time for
(24:46):
tea now. She made herself and Mom a cup of
tea and they sat down to drink it. Mom took
a big sip and pulled a face. Oh, I think
your milk has gone bad, she said. Grandma shook her
head and said.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
It's still in date. Should be fine.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
She took a sip herself, and uh, it was bad.
You were right, Love, she said, How strange. James and
Alice looked at each other happily it had worked. But
then Mom said, don't worry, I'll just have black please,
and Grandma made them both a fresh cup of black tea.
So much for that plan. But they'd been their ages now,
(25:25):
surely Mom would only have one cup, another one, Love,
said Grandma. Oh go on, then said Mom, just one
more cup. The kids shook their heads and sat crossly
on the floor. That night, they came up with an
even better plan. The following week, they visited Grandma again.
After giving her big hugs, Alice insisted that Grandma and
(25:48):
Mom sat down to hear a new song she had
learnt at school. She could see that Grandma was about
to suggest a cup of tea, so she started loudly
singing a made up song with a bonker's tune, and
she did not sing it well. Meanwhile, James snuck into
the kitchen and ripped little holes in every single tea
bag in the caddy. He had just finished when he
heard Mom say I'll make the tea today so I
(26:09):
can check the milk first. Eh, and Mum and Grandma laughed.
Alice ran into the kitchen and said quick, they're coming,
and the kids ran out to the garden and tried
to look innocent. They walked through the window as Mum
and Grandma chatted and saw Mum pull an odd face
as she poured water into the cups. Grandma went over
to where Mum was and peered into the cups and
looked confused. The kids gave each a high five and giggled.
(26:32):
This had definitely worked. But then Grandma went over to
the larder and pulled out a big box of new
tea bags.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Ah.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Mum finished her cup of tea and stood up, and
the kids got excited. Were they going home? I'll make
us another one, she said. Oh lovely, said Grandma, just
one more cup. Later that week, all the family went
over to Grandma's again. Grandma looked very happy and said
look at this, and pulled out a giant box full
(27:02):
of tea bags. What on earth I complained to the
tea bag company about those tea bags with holes in
She said they sent me all these to apologize. I've
got some fresh milk. Into fancy a cup of loves yes, please,
said Mom. Oh, I love one, said Dad. Ah said James.
(27:25):
We'll be here for hours now, and I want to
play my video game. Alice said, I know we need
a new plan. James snapped his fingers. I've got it,
he said. While Mom, Dad, and Grandma enjoyed their first
cup of tea, the kid snuck into the kitchen. They
opened the cup cupboard and took every single cup. There
(27:45):
were purple ones, flowery ones, red ones, striped ones, orange ones,
tall ones, short ones, and some ugly ones. They took
the lot and hid them in a big flowery bush
in the garden. When Grandma took Mum and Dad into
the dining room to show them her new plant, James
snuck in and took the cups they'd been drinking from
and hid them too. That has to do it, said Alice.
(28:07):
How can they have tea when they have nothing to
drink it from. James agreed and rubbed his hands together
in glee. They went out to the garden and kicked
the football round together. Suddenly they heard, what on earth
where did our cups go? And the kids looked at
each other happily. This was definitely working. They watched as
Grandma and Mom went into the kitchen, looking very confused.
(28:30):
Grandma opened the cupboard and stared open mouthed at her
empty shelves.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Where are all my cups?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
She said. Dad came in and the kids watched as
Grandma showed him the empty cupboard. Mom looked out the
window at the kids and raised her eyebrow.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
James, Alice, what have you done.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
The kids came in and tried to look innocent. Nothing,
said James. We haven't even seen the cups, said Alice.
Mom and Dad gave each other a look, you know,
the kind of look that grown ups give each other
when they know something. We don't well, said Mom. We
are going to the park on the way home, but
I think we should take Grandma to the big shop
to buy some new cups instead. Oh yes, said Grandma lovely.
(29:15):
I need some new slippers too, and maybe some nice candles.
The kids looked at each other in horror. That would
take hours. They'd have to ooh and awe over every
pair of slippers and smell every candle in the shop. Hmm,
said Alice. I just remembered we did see some cups
out in the garden, didn't we James. James nodded and said,
(29:37):
oh yeah, we thought it was weird, but forgot to
mention it. Hmm M, said Mom, why don't you bring
them all in please? And Grandma added, would you be
a pair of gloves and give them all a good
wash for me? There are washing up gloves by the sink.
The kids gritted their teeth as they collected the cups
(29:57):
and took them to the sink. Half an hour, Alice
dried the last cup and put it back in the cupboard.
Well this all went wrong, she said, I guess we
can't stop them drinking tea. Grandma came in and smiled.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
You've done a great job, Loves, thank you. She said
as reward, would you both like a little cup of
tea and a biscuit? The kids looked at each other
and said sure. They sat in front of the TV
and watched cartoons as Grandma brought them a tray of
two cups of tea and a little plate of chocolate biscuits.
The kids dipped their biscuits in the tea and ate
(30:31):
them delicious, said James, who knew tea was so sweet,
said Alice. A few minutes later, Mom said, okay, kids,
time to get going. Still, time to get to the
park if you like.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
The kids looked at each other and James said, um, actually, could.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
We have another cup of tea?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
And Alice said, yeah, just one more cup the end,
All right, Before we wrapped this one up, i'd once
again like to thank and congratulate everyone who participated in
this year's contest. I hope you guys are all very
proud of the awesome stories you created, and to everyone else,
thanks for listening.
Welcome back for a special episode of Llowell Storytime where
I'll be reading you the winning stories from the Yellowell
Storytime story writing Contest. The regular Monday story will be
out later today in a separate episode, so stay tuned
for that. Big thanks to all of this year's participants
and congrats to all of the winners. How first is
the winning story from the youngest age group. This one
(00:22):
is called Saving the Camping Survival Book by Griffin Wilcox.
Teacher mister Crabb gave his sea creature pupils a book
about how to survive by yourself if you get lost
in a wilderness whilst camping. The book was called the
Camping Survival Book and it had everything you needed to
do to help set up for camping on your own.
Mister Crabb told them that this was an extra special
(00:43):
book as it was the last survival book left in
their school, so they had to really look after it.
Martin the Jellyfish, Jack the Seahorse, and Claire the Pufferfish
were given the book first to study.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
They had to do a.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Project on it and present it to the class at
school the next day. Claire, Jack and Martin had been
friends since year two. And we're happy to have the
book to study together. Although they were all very different,
they got along very well and liked doing projects together.
They were especially keen to do this one as they
really wanted to go camping together.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Soon.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
The trio took the book on their swim home. On
their way home, they swam past a deep, dark, underwater trench.
They were all holding the book together and they accidentally
dropped it down the trench. Oh no, they cried. They
all swam down to get it, and Martin the jellyfish
said he would give them light as his tentacles glowed.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
In the dark. They're so bright.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Thank you, Jack said, yeah, it's really helpful. We're lucky
to be friends with a jellyfish that glows, said Claire.
As they swam down, they saw an anglerfish with a
bright bioluminescent light on its dangler. It swam towards the
book and bid it, thinking it was food. It nearly
ate the book whole, but Martin stung it with his tentacles,
so it swam away. Watch out, Martin, said Claire, as
(01:58):
the anglerfish swam back towards Martin, but this time looking
very angry. It then opened its huge mouth and ate
Martin whole. No, cried Claire and Jack. But Martin was smart.
He stung the anglerfish again, but this time from the
inside of its mouth, and the anglerfish, looking shocked, spat
him out super quick and also spat out the book.
(02:18):
The book flew across the trench into a small crevis.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Ah. No, how are we going to get the book
out now?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Said Jack. Try and get in there. Jack, you're the
smallest one of us, said Claire. The pufferfish. You can
do it, cried Martin. Jack the seahorse, who was very small,
swam over and got into the crevice and tried to
pick up the book, but he wasn't strong enough. What
else can you do, Jack, asked Claire. Jack uncurled his
(02:45):
tail and curled it again, and it made him bounce.
He then tried to bounce the book with his tail,
playing basketball. After a while, he ended up bouncing the
book out of the crevis and had bounced over the anglerfish.
Great job, Jack, you save the book, said Martin, who
grabbed the book as quickly as you could. Then all
three swam away out of the trench. Phew, they all said.
(03:06):
But they spoke too soon, as another big anglerfish was
waiting further up the trench, and it really wanted to
get the book. This time, the angler fish ate Claire,
the pufferfish, and the book in one big gulp, But
Claire had her own special maneuver. Claire puffed up inside
the anglerfish, and her spikes, which are poisonous, jabbed the
anglerfish's gums. The anglerfish was so startled it spat out
(03:27):
Claire and the book so hard that they were sent flying.
If it could speak, it would have said ah. Then
as Claire was being spat out, she grabbed Jack and
Martin on her way, and they were going so fast
they flew out of the trench and landed on Martin's
doorstep at home. When they got home, they told their
parents what a wild day they just had. Their parents
(03:47):
were so proud of how they worked together and used
their own skills and maneuvers to survive such a scary
swim home. That night, they all read the camping Survival
book together and found out how to survive in the
wilderness on their own. I think we learned a lot
from that book, but I think we learned a lot
more from the swim home, don't you think, said Martin. Yeah,
(04:07):
we learned to work together as a team, said Claire,
and to use our own unique skills, said Jack.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I've got a great.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Idea for our school project tomorrow, said Martin, and the
others all listened as Martin explained his great idea. The
next day at school, Claire, Martin, and Jack all presented
their school project about the camping Survival Book. At the
end of their presentation, Claire said, We've got one more
thing to add to our presentation. We've written our own
book to add to this collection, and it's called how
(04:37):
to Work as a Team. Then the three of them
told their wild story to the class. No one could
believe it, and at the end of the story, the
class all stood up and cheered. Mister Crabb was so
impressed by the book that he gave them an A
plus for team work, imagination, and bravery. After school, all
three swam home together again, but this time went a
different way home. Let's go camping this weekend and try
(04:59):
to use some of the skills we've learned, said Martin. Yeah,
great idea, said Claire. But let's try to avoid trenches
and anglerfish, said Martin. They all laughed. In the next age,
category for nine and ten year olds. We have Z
for zebra, written by Eleanor Akhurst. But why, Dudley whined,
(05:22):
Why am I last?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Again?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
This is how it always began for Dudley the zebra,
last for lunch, last for games. Oh, Dudley wished he
could change his name, last in line, last for tea.
But a zebra's name starts with a Z. The king
of the Kingdom, Leah the Lion, roared and rolled his eyes.
Because that's the way it is. The alphabet goes the
way it goes, and Z for zebra is always last.
(05:48):
Dudley drooped. Being last was really lame. Oh, Dudley wish
he could change his name. He dreamed of being a
bird or a bee, but a zebra's name starts with
a Z. Dudley went to see the horses.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Can I be a horse? He asked?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Why they winned, because then my name would start with
an H and I wouldn't be last for lunch, last
for games. Oh, I wish I could change my name
last in line, last for t But a zebra's name
starts with a Z. The horses weren't convinced. I'm pretty
much just a horse and striped pajamas. Right, guys, let's
(06:24):
have a vote. Harriet horse huffed all in favor, silence.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
All opposed. Nay, nay, nay.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The horses answered in unison.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Guess that's a no, sorry zebra.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Next, Dudley paid a visit to the chickens. They were
pecking and scratching, scratching and pecking. Hey, girls, think I
could be a chicken?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Why?
Speaker 1 (06:50):
They clucked, Because then my name would start with a sea,
and I wouldn't be last for lunch, last for games. Oh,
I wish I could change my name last in line,
last for But a zebra's name starts with a z.
The chickens cluckled, as if you could be a chicken.
Hold on, hold on, can you scratch? Charlie Chicken questioned.
(07:12):
Dudley kicked up some dust with his hoofs Okay, that's good.
Can you peck? Dudley dug his nose into the dirt
and sneesed. Acceptable. Charlie squawked. Here's the real challenge. Can
you lay an egg? Dudley scrunched up his face. Dudley
squatted over a nest. Dudley squeezed his eyes shut and
pushed nothing yes, that's a no.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Sorry, Zebra.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Being last was really lame. Oh, Dudley wished he could
change his name. The horses, the chickens, the lion said no,
So off to the city Dudley would go. Dear friends,
Dudley wrote, I've decided to move to the city because
I am tired of being last for everything. Just because
I'm a zebra doesn't mean I should be last for lunch,
(07:58):
last for games.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I wish I could change my name, last in line,
last for T, but you guys forgot that. I'm just Dudley.
Dudley signed his letter Dudley Z.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
All.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
The animals gasped as Liam Lyon read the letter aloud.
What his name is Dudley that starts with a D.
You can have lunch right after the chickens. He can
have tea before the horses. They all chased after Dudley.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Wait, come back.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
They exclaimed. I'm sorry that we forgot you're Dudley. Liam
Lyon apologized, you're fourth for lunch, fourth for games. Now
you don't have to change your name, fourth in line,
next for T instead of Z. Your name starts with D.
Dudley grinned he was so happy yell yack. However, well
that's a whole other story. This next story is from
(08:48):
the eleven to twelve age group. It's called The Dragon Portal,
written by Kaya Dick, who listens to the show with
her sister Danica. N I and Ian were living in
a white holiday house next to a matching white private
beach with their parents for a vacation. Ni was reading
her favorite book when Ian burst in, speaking faster than
the speed of light, and she had to wait for
her brother to slow down so she could understand him.
(09:10):
Ian's new tidi shirt was already covered in sand. Ian
was actually a stepbrother to I, and she didn't like
calling him a brother.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
What are you going on about? Ian?
Speaker 1 (09:21):
I found a portal, yeah, right, and a dragon just
walked through our kitchen. Ian was going bonkers trying to
persuade his stepsister to come see the portal. Ny soon
got pulled away by her brother and tugged down to
the beach, where Ian dug a huge, deep pole. Ian,
why did you dig a hole on the beach. Why
(09:41):
haven't you dug a hole on the beach. It's a
whole lot of fun, Ian asked, genuinely confused, because I
do better stuff when I'm on the beach.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Look inside the hole.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Ian got impatient. Inside the gigantic hole was a purple, vibrant,
swirling portal. Nice's jaw hit the round of the hole.
I know, right, I kind of want to go in,
Ian said, n I look surprised. Do you know what
will happen if you go in? Ian thought for a
moment before answering nope. Ian didn't let Nye say anything
(10:14):
else and jumped in the portal and disappeared.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Ian.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Ugh, now I need to go after you, and I
yelled down to her brother, and then jumped in. The
siblings both felt dizzy when they got to the other
side of the purple portal. Ian, why did you go in?
Ny reprimanded her brother. Well, you came in too. Ian
defended himself, but please stop fighting. I can't get to sleep.
(10:41):
A lazy, green, chubby dragon with a small brown bag
came out from the berry bushes behind the two.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Sorry, who are you?
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And I apologized?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Is it just me? Or do you want to ride
that dragon?
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Ian whispered to his stepsister, Ny, but Ni seemed offended.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
What I can hear you?
Speaker 1 (10:59):
The dragon entrapt at the siblings. My name is Joe,
I don't do piggyback rides, and I'm the Green Dragon
of Pyria. The island the shape of an onion ring.
Nice to meet you, but I'm going back now bye.
N I walked over to the portal, but it was
unlit and no longer glowing. Ian, why is the portal
not swirling like before? Because you need the fire breath
(11:23):
of three colored dragons to light it? Obviously, the dragon answered,
but Ni was still confused. Okay, but why is it
no longer on hm?
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
The dragon shrugged, not knowing what the answer was. So
I guess I need three colored dragons. Where would they be?
N I was looking at the closed portal, then turned
around to hear the dragon's reply, but when she did,
she saw Ian trying to climb onto the dragon. Yes,
there are three different dragon tribes, and you need fire
breath from one dragon from each tribe. The dragon was
(11:58):
clueless about Ian go that way into the dens of
the Red and Yellow fire dragons. The dragon pointed his
claw to some high mountains with a boiling hot volcano
in the middle. Come on, Ian, we're going to a volcano,
and I started to walk away toward the mountains, but
Ian stopped her. Mister green dragon, sir, are you one
of the dragons we need firebreath from.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
As a matter of fact, I am. Here's a bottle
of grass dragon breath, but you need to earn it.
Ian and I looked at each other, confused.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
What do we do? And I asked, because you woke
me up, you must sing me a song to put
me to sleep.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Okay, let's sing Puff the Magic Dragon, Ian said to Ni.
The dragon snapped, I've had enough of songs about dragons.
Make it Lucky the Magic Kkka two.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Then Ian was confused, but they started singing anyway. Lucky
the Magic I mean cockatoo lived by the sea and
frolicked in the dragon's breath and lived up in a tree.
Puff I mean Lucky has feathers, but he also has fluff.
(13:10):
He likes destroying important things and breaking fancy stuff. When
the kids finished their song and the dragon was snoring
peacefully in time with the tune, Ian pulled out a
little glowing bottle of a yellowish lime flame from the
dragon's brown bag and passed it to Nigh, whoa nice
smiled surprised. As the kids started to walk away, Ny
(13:32):
whispered something to Ian.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Thanks for the help. You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
When I tried to climb the dragon, I saw the
bottle in his little bag, Ian explained, beaming. Ni and
Ian started to get bored from all the walking. Ian
got so bored he ran over to a tall yellow
tree and started to climb.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Ian.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Stop, we need to keep going, nice, scolded Ian. Come
up and get me. Then Ian continued to climb fine.
I climbed up after him, copying his exact moves. They
climbed and climbed higher and higher, but Nia was scared
of heights. This was fun, but how do we get down?
Ian let go of the branch he was climbing and
(14:10):
jumped down.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Just like that. What I can't do that.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
It's too far, n, I said, shocked. Ian put out
his hands. Come on, I'll catch you, okay. Then I
copied he and then tumbled down onto the floor.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Whoops.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Sorry and I at least it was not far off
the ground, Ian apologized, I guess, but it looked so
high when I was up there. It was lots of fun.
N I was mad, but still smiling. Let's continue walking.
She said, as Ian helped her get up. Soon they
entered the fire Dragon's territory and immediately saw millions of
thousands of dragons. N I didn't know which one to
(14:50):
talk to first. Ian yelled over the sounds of the
dragons and asked, excuse me, ladies and gentlemen and all
dragging identifying creatures, can my assister and I have have
some bottled firebreath please? A few dragons looked at them,
but nothing happened. My brother just asked for something. You
should probably say something in reply. And I was deeply offended.
(15:12):
But now the dragons seemed to be offended too. A
little dragon with wings came over, looking sympathetic. I apologize,
tiny creature, but only our queen can get you your wish.
Ian muttered something about the dragon, but I ignored it.
Where is your queen, she asked, I shall take you
to her, majesty. The dragon bowed Tony, who copied the bow,
(15:35):
young maiden. I'm doing this so you can get on
my back. The dragon sat a bit confused. Eh, sorry,
come on, Ian. She jumped on top of the dragon,
and Ian followed. I'm auto dragons back flying in the sky. Yes,
Ian cheered, screaming down to the earth. By the way,
you called me your brother, Ian told his stepsister, laughing away,
(15:58):
No I didn't, and I argue, d yes, you did.
This went on for a little but soon stopped because
the dragon interrupted them. Stop waving your arms a bed
and hold on tight, or else you might get a splinter.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I hear.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Pulling scale splinters out of your bottom is not a
pleasant experience. The two got very cautious and quiet after that.
The ride was very short, but Ian still managed to say.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Are we there yet?
Speaker 1 (16:23):
As they arrived, the queen's palace was huge, and orange
is a well as an orange. The dragon brought the
kids through the giant doors to see amazing yellow tulips
in pretty yellow vases. As they walked around, they saw
lots of rooms. There was a room full of oranges,
and a room full of eggs. That's a lot of eggs.
(16:44):
Ian's eyes went wide. The dragon smiled, those are dragon eggs.
We keep our little lords and ladies together. Before they hatch,
Ian laughed, I bet everyone cracks up on that day.
The dragon snorted, stick around, and you shall see, n
I got in on the joke. Stop yoking around, you teenagers.
(17:05):
They all burst out laughing until they got up close
to the eggs. I gasped, whoa, they're so small they
could fit in your pocket.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Ian.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
One room had a painting of the queen hanging above
a throne. This room also contained the queen, who was
waiting to see them. The queen was ecstatic to see
the siblings. She was clapping and giggling.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Hello, tiny children, I am the dragon Queen of Pyriea,
the island in the shape of an onion ring.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
The Queen grinned, swirling Ian's hair with her talon. Hai,
my brother and I need some fire breath from you,
your highness, so we can go home. Ni replied, you're from.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
The portal, aren't you, so you can't stay.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
The queen sighed yes, and now we need to get home. Well,
I shall come visit you sometime, but don't worry us.
Dragons can be very sneaky. She did some weird ninja
moose the two had never seen before, and knocked the
painting of her off the wall. Yes, very sneaky, Ian
(18:07):
said sarcastically. N I glared at him and repeated herself,
excuse me, but can we have some of your firebreath.
The queen called over a butler, but Ian interrupted, but
nobody listened to him. The butler was holding a tray
with three glittering flame bottles on it. You can have one,
but only on one condition. If a dragon goes to
(18:31):
your world, you must share your potion with them.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Ni and Ian got worried. What potion?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Oh, don't act fooled, we know of your magic.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
The one called cisiola I think.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Ian's face lit up. Oh, you mean Coca cola. The
queen nodded, licking her lips. As the kids agreed, Nide
chose one of the bottles, and they left the castle.
The little helpful dragon who had brought them to the
queen flew off, waving goodbye. Where next? We only need
one more fire jar, n I said as she waved
back to the helpful dragon. She turned her head to
(19:06):
see that Ian was riding another dragon. This dragon was
a gradient of blue and purple with silver horns, and
was flying with Ian on their back. Ian, why do
you love riding dragons? Nya's eyes went wide. Ni, why
don't you love riding dragons? Ian said, genuinely confused, Because
I'm scared of heights. Ny replied, what's up, dude, I'm George,
(19:30):
the dragon of pyriea the island in the shape of
an onion ring. The dragon was flying in all sorts
of patterns and tricks that almost made Ian fall off.
Do you happen to have any bottled blue dragon breath
with you? Asked Nig. Of course, dude, awesome. Can we
catch a ride to the portal, please, Ian asked the dragon,
knowing from the queen that these dragons knew where it was.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Sure, dude.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
The dragon landed, letting Ni join Ian on his back,
and off they flew.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
A I'm on top of the world once more.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Ian yelled, beaming gnarly, said the dragon, George, why do
you have bottles of flames just on you? And I
wanted to know? I'm delivering them to the queen, But
I'm not in a hurry. It was beautiful seeing the
view in the sunset and all its colors.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Wait a sunset. We need to get home before.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Mom and dad get worried, n I said, gesturing for
the dragon to go faster. Oh no, hurry, Ian whimpered.
Once they arrived at the portal, the green dragon was
still there, sleeping. Well, uh do you have a bottle
of fire with you, then asked Ni.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, dudes, did you want one? Oh?
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yep, that's why I asked, n I explained, Well, I'll
trade for that tied eyed t shirt. George said, eyeing
Ian's shirt. Fine, I'll give up this awesome shirt. Then
Ian jumped down from the dragon, took off his shirt
and replaced it with his jumper. Hey, dude, tie the
shirt on my tail if you don't mind, George asked,
and then Ian tied it on. Okay, can we have
(21:06):
the bottle now, n I pleaded in a rush. The
dragon nodded, and with a flick of its tail, the
bottle flew up in the air and landed in Nice's hands,
which was extremely hard for her to hold because she
was still holding the other two bottles as well. Ian
jumped forward and grabbed the little jar before it fell.
Good catch, bro The dragon cheered and clapped, amazed by
the stunt. Yeah, good catch, bro Ny smiled at her brother,
(21:30):
and he smiled back. Ian gave Nigh the blue bottle
and she lit the portal. Ni poured the flames all
out like liquid, and then she used her hands to
spread it into shape and color. It soon spiraled into
the spinning purple portal from before. The blue dragon waved
then flew away with his new tidy shirt flapping behind him,
and the kids went through the newly lit portal.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Bye dudes.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
The siblings both felt dizzy when they got to the
other side of the purple portal. What they first saw
on the other side it was a white holiday house
next to a matching white private beach. Come on, Ian,
it's dinner time already. Ni ran inside, but Ian slowed
down and snuck something shiny out of his pocket. Ian
we have takeaways for dinner, n I yelled from inside
(22:14):
the house.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
I'll be right there.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Ian quickly put the golden dragon egg back in his
shorts pocket and ran inside. The end. All right, I've
got one final story for you, which is one of
the honorable mentions. I wish I had enough time to
read all of them to you, since they were all
so good, but I can share this one with you
because I've already been given permission to do so. The
story is called One More Cup and was written by
(22:38):
Harry Smith. Every Tuesday and Thursday, James and Alice would
visit their grandma after school with their mom The kids
loved their grandma, but they always stayed for hours because
she kept making cups of tea. Are we going home soon?
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Mom?
Speaker 1 (22:53):
The kids would ask, and the reply was always soon, love,
just one more cup. Sometimes they were nearly ready to go,
but then Dad would arrive and he'd have a cup
of tea too. After a particularly long afternoon at Grandma's,
the kids thought Mom must have drank at least a
hundred cups of tea. We need to do something about this.
We need to sabotage the tea, said James. Yes, said Alice.
(23:18):
Now that's a good idea. But how The kids secretly
stayed up way past their bedtime to come up with
a plan, and they came up with a genius one.
A few days later, they went to Grandma's house again.
James and Alice gave each other a little nod. To
put the plan in action. James snuck into the kitchen
and took the milk from the fridge. He put it
in the garden in the hot sun, and left it
(23:40):
to soak up the rays indoors. Alice was keeping Mum
and Grandma distracted with an increasingly weird dance routine. That's wonderful, love,
said Grandma. Let me go and put the kettle on
and you can show us more. Alice said, now you
have to watch it all at once now and continue
to dance around the living room. Grandma's poor cat, Marvin,
(24:02):
fled the room in terror. James came in and gave
his sister the thumbs up to let her know that
the milk was baking in the sun. Ten minutes later,
Alice was exhausted from dancing and flopped down on the floor. Well,
said Mom, that was certainly interesting, love. Shall we have
a cup of tea now? James shouted, No, I need
to tell you about my school day. Mom looked confused.
(24:26):
You never want to tell me about your school day,
said James fake laughing. Course I do, and went into
a long and detailed story of his day. Alice knuck
out and popped the milk back in the fridge. Eventually,
James ran out of stories about his day, both real
and made up. Grandma smiled and said, okay, time for
(24:46):
tea now. She made herself and Mom a cup of
tea and they sat down to drink it. Mom took
a big sip and pulled a face. Oh, I think
your milk has gone bad, she said. Grandma shook her
head and said.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
It's still in date. Should be fine.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
She took a sip herself, and uh, it was bad.
You were right, Love, she said, How strange. James and
Alice looked at each other happily it had worked. But
then Mom said, don't worry, I'll just have black please,
and Grandma made them both a fresh cup of black tea.
So much for that plan. But they'd been their ages now,
(25:25):
surely Mom would only have one cup, another one, Love,
said Grandma. Oh go on, then said Mom, just one
more cup. The kids shook their heads and sat crossly
on the floor. That night, they came up with an
even better plan. The following week, they visited Grandma again.
After giving her big hugs, Alice insisted that Grandma and
(25:48):
Mom sat down to hear a new song she had
learnt at school. She could see that Grandma was about
to suggest a cup of tea, so she started loudly
singing a made up song with a bonker's tune, and
she did not sing it well. Meanwhile, James snuck into
the kitchen and ripped little holes in every single tea
bag in the caddy. He had just finished when he
heard Mom say I'll make the tea today so I
(26:09):
can check the milk first. Eh, and Mum and Grandma laughed.
Alice ran into the kitchen and said quick, they're coming,
and the kids ran out to the garden and tried
to look innocent. They walked through the window as Mum
and Grandma chatted and saw Mum pull an odd face
as she poured water into the cups. Grandma went over
to where Mum was and peered into the cups and
looked confused. The kids gave each a high five and giggled.
(26:32):
This had definitely worked. But then Grandma went over to
the larder and pulled out a big box of new
tea bags.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Ah.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Mum finished her cup of tea and stood up, and
the kids got excited. Were they going home? I'll make
us another one, she said. Oh lovely, said Grandma, just
one more cup. Later that week, all the family went
over to Grandma's again. Grandma looked very happy and said
look at this, and pulled out a giant box full
(27:02):
of tea bags. What on earth I complained to the
tea bag company about those tea bags with holes in
She said they sent me all these to apologize. I've
got some fresh milk. Into fancy a cup of loves yes, please,
said Mom. Oh, I love one, said Dad. Ah said James.
(27:25):
We'll be here for hours now, and I want to
play my video game. Alice said, I know we need
a new plan. James snapped his fingers. I've got it,
he said. While Mom, Dad, and Grandma enjoyed their first
cup of tea, the kid snuck into the kitchen. They
opened the cup cupboard and took every single cup. There
(27:45):
were purple ones, flowery ones, red ones, striped ones, orange ones,
tall ones, short ones, and some ugly ones. They took
the lot and hid them in a big flowery bush
in the garden. When Grandma took Mum and Dad into
the dining room to show them her new plant, James
snuck in and took the cups they'd been drinking from
and hid them too. That has to do it, said Alice.
(28:07):
How can they have tea when they have nothing to
drink it from. James agreed and rubbed his hands together
in glee. They went out to the garden and kicked
the football round together. Suddenly they heard, what on earth
where did our cups go? And the kids looked at
each other happily. This was definitely working. They watched as
Grandma and Mom went into the kitchen, looking very confused.
(28:30):
Grandma opened the cupboard and stared open mouthed at her
empty shelves.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Where are all my cups?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
She said. Dad came in and the kids watched as
Grandma showed him the empty cupboard. Mom looked out the
window at the kids and raised her eyebrow.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
James, Alice, what have you done.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
The kids came in and tried to look innocent. Nothing,
said James. We haven't even seen the cups, said Alice.
Mom and Dad gave each other a look, you know,
the kind of look that grown ups give each other
when they know something. We don't well, said Mom. We
are going to the park on the way home, but
I think we should take Grandma to the big shop
to buy some new cups instead. Oh yes, said Grandma lovely.
(29:15):
I need some new slippers too, and maybe some nice candles.
The kids looked at each other in horror. That would
take hours. They'd have to ooh and awe over every
pair of slippers and smell every candle in the shop. Hmm,
said Alice. I just remembered we did see some cups
out in the garden, didn't we James. James nodded and said,
(29:37):
oh yeah, we thought it was weird, but forgot to
mention it. Hmm M, said Mom, why don't you bring
them all in please? And Grandma added, would you be
a pair of gloves and give them all a good
wash for me? There are washing up gloves by the sink.
The kids gritted their teeth as they collected the cups
(29:57):
and took them to the sink. Half an hour, Alice
dried the last cup and put it back in the cupboard.
Well this all went wrong, she said, I guess we
can't stop them drinking tea. Grandma came in and smiled.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
You've done a great job, Loves, thank you. She said
as reward, would you both like a little cup of
tea and a biscuit? The kids looked at each other
and said sure. They sat in front of the TV
and watched cartoons as Grandma brought them a tray of
two cups of tea and a little plate of chocolate biscuits.
The kids dipped their biscuits in the tea and ate
(30:31):
them delicious, said James, who knew tea was so sweet,
said Alice. A few minutes later, Mom said, okay, kids,
time to get going. Still, time to get to the
park if you like.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
The kids looked at each other and James said, um, actually, could.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
We have another cup of tea?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
And Alice said, yeah, just one more cup the end,
All right, Before we wrapped this one up, i'd once
again like to thank and congratulate everyone who participated in
this year's contest. I hope you guys are all very
proud of the awesome stories you created, and to everyone else,
thanks for listening.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.