Alligator Droppings/Bees in the Ballot Box

The Story Pirates begin their roadtrip to StoryTellerCon. Featuring two new stories: ‘Alligator Droppings’, a story about a very fancy breakfast dish that isn’t what it sounds like (or is it?), written by Jocelyn, a 10 year old from Canada, and ‘Bees in the Ballot Box’, a story about the importance of voting, even when there are bunch of bees, written by a 9 year old from Virginia named Trevor. Peter and Lee also sit down with Nimene to read more stories written by kids in the latest installment of Story Love.

Scroll down for the original stories behind the episode!

We need your help finishing our season, and we’re offering personalized videos from Story Pirates Podcast hosts and more! Learn more HERE!

Illustration by Camila Franklin

Alligator Droppings

by Jocelyn, age 10, Canada

Once upon a time a king and queen woke up. The queen yawned and the king said "i am hungry! It must be time for breakfast."

"Yes," said the queen. But what will we eat for breakfast today?"

"Let's get dressed and go down to breakfast and choose our breakfast for today," said the king.

They walked down the stairs into the royal dining room and a castle servant came and said to them, "hello Sir, Hello Madam. What would the royal magasties like for breakfast today?"

"I do not know," said the king.

"I do not know," said the queen.

"Then," said the castle servant, "I will call in all the breakfast makers in the land!"

And so the castle servant called in them all. But the king and the queen said no to them all! They said no to pancakes, waffles, eggs in any styles, cereal, PB and J sanwiches, granola, fuit, yogurt and much more. But none of the breakfasts were quite right.

"Oh dear," said the queen, "is that all?"

"No," said the castle servant, "there is one more. He is quite odd though."

"I do not care!" said the queen, "let him in." And in came a strange man wearing dark, dark sunglasses so they could not see his eyes and wearing bunny ears on his head. He was also carrying a strange bag.

"I think...." the strange man said, "for breakfast you should have....alligator droppings!!!"

"What?!" screamed the king, the queen, and the castle servant all together.

"You heard me," said the strange man. "I said alligator droppings."

The king and the queen were very hungry so they said "OK".

"Follow me!" the strange man anounnced. So the king and queen followed him.

They ran and they ran and they ran until they came to the deep, muddy, disgusting...Alligator Swamp!

"On no!" said the king and queen.

"Here we are!" said the strange man. "Now I just need to find the supplies for getting alligator droppings from my bag.

"Aha!" said the strange man and took out a net, 5 steaks, stilts, beans, 8 more nets, a set of armor, a chess set, a rubber band, rocks, and 19 books. Then he grabbed a belt with a compartment to store stuff in. And then he said "of course the queen will fetch the alligator droppings."

The queen did not want to fetch the droppings, but she was very hungry so she just said "OK." So the strange man got her ready.

The queen waded into the swamp on stilts. She threw beans and steaks and books and a chess set to distract the alligators and went to the droppings.

The queen scooped up all the droppings and began to head back when the alligators attacked her! The alligators tried to nibble her stilts and threw themselves at her snapping their jaws!

"Hiiii Ya!" screamed the queen and she waved about her net of alligator droppings like a club. Then she took the rubber band and the rocks and slingshoted the rocks at the alligators!

Then the queen rushed back to land with the droppings and got off all the stuff. Then the king and the queen and the strange man ran off back to the castle.

When they got back to the castle they went straight to the castle kitchen.

The strange man took out pots and pans and spices and tools and got to work. Soon an amazing smell floated out of the castle kitchen and it was the best smell the king and queen had ever smelled. And then it was time to eat! The king took a bite and the queen took a bite and together they said "mmmmmmm." "Yum!" "Wow!" And together they said "this is delicious!"

"This has been the best and most exieting breakfast we have ever had!"

"Good," said the strange man. "I'll be on my way then."

"Will we ever see you again?" said the king and queen.

"Maybe," said the strange man and then he walked away.

THE END

Bees in the Ballot Box

by Trevor, Age 9, Virginia

Bees in the Ballot Box

A boy stepped into the ballot box for the first time and saw bees voting!

“Ahh” he screamed! “Where am I?!”

“What are you doing here?!” said all the bees at once.

“I don’t know?!” replied the boy. Then he jumped on his bike and pedaled home as fast as possible! When he got home, he screamed, “Mom, Dad, when I went to go voting, bees were voting too!”

“What, where, why?” stammered his mother.

“I don’t know,” replied the boy.

“Let’s just go over there and see,” declared his father. So, they went back.

The bees asked, “What are you doing here and who have you brought with you this time?”

“My mother and father,” answered the boy. “Why are you here?”

The bees replied, “We don’t know. We were just sent here by the queen bee to annoy the humans.”

The boy thought and then said, “Let’s spray the queen bee with bee killer.” It worked! The queen bee died, and the other bees few off wherever they wanted to.

Click to Read Original Stories from Other Episodes.

Story Love Stories

Scroll down to read the original stories or watch Peter, Lee, and special guest Nimene read them and react below:

The Army That Couldn’t Army

by Lucas, age 6, Michigan

Adventures of Evil Pancake Pants and the Question Mark Agency

by Holland, age 10, and Brightly, age 8, Utah

It was a dark night. Evil Pancake Pants was jumping around in his pink hearted underpants. Dun Dun Dun! Then Evil Pancake Pants yells out, "World domination is today!" Then he mysteriously does a back flip.

Meanwhile...

Sir Question Mark the Great and Greg, the Dog Bunny, are making a plan to stop Evil Pancake Pants. Tomorrow they will use their plan.

The next day...

Greg and Question Mark the Great get in a super high speed hot dog Lamborghini and start riding in the car. Greg sticks his tongue out the window. Than Question Mark the Great says, "Great how ya doing back there?" "Ruff ruff!" he responds.

Meanwhile...

at Evil Pancake Pants base he is doing a workout. then all of a sudden, Question Mark the Great pulls up to his base. Then Evil Pancake Pants gets into his hamburger race car.

Then they have a super fast car chase. Then Evil pancake Pants says "Yeah!" During the car chase they pass the bakery and a woman is holding bread. When they pass her, she gets twirled around and looses her bread. Then she screams "I just wanted my bread!" Eventually they get to a dead end and Evil Pancake Pants goes to jail. Then he says, "The End!"

Story Backwards The

by Calvin, age 11, Virginia

(note: a period or comma indicates the end of a backwards phrase.)

Time upon once, short for Jeff or Jeffery was name whose kid a was there. "breakfast for time!" upstairs called mom His. "Heck the what!?" said he. bed he jumped out of, dressed get to. Breakfast get to downstairs walked he. Sneakers his beneath stairs the on wood the went squeak. "Pancakes best the make you mom." Said Jeff. "okay you are?" mom his asked "no oh! day backwards was it forgot I!" "Great, oh." Jeff said. "it of best the make well as might." (Note to the story pirates: this is taking a while to type, so can you guys make the school parts and I'll just skip to the end.) School after. Dessert delicious a and dinner had he. Games video some playing and schoolwork his finishing after, went he bed. "Day backwards another be won't tomorrow least at." said he. The next day he found himself on the ceiling. "Oh no."

End The

The Bed/Do Not Disturb (feat. Alison Pill)

Welcome back to season 8 of the Story Pirates Podcast! In this first episode, the Story Pirates receive an intriguing invitation and meet a new adversary. Featuring two new stories: ‘The Bed’, a song about an exhausted doctor just looking for somewhere to nap, written by Bentley, a 9 year old from New York, and ‘Do Not Disturb’, a story about one girl’s unending quest to keep her family out of her bedroom, written by a 9 year old from Virginia named Mallory. We also debut our new segment ‘Story Love’ where Lee and Peter read and discuss more stories written by kids with a special guest: the incredible actor Alison Pill.

Scroll down for the original stories behind the episode!

We need your help finishing our season, and we’re offering personalized videos from Story Pirates Podcast hosts and more! Learn more HERE!

Illustration by Camila Franklin

The Bed

by Bentley, age 9, New York

Once there was a doctor named Doctor Bentley. He worked in the hospital. Doctor Bentley liked to say “I help the sick patients.” The patients call him on the telephone when they are sick. He helps them feel better.

One day. Doctor Bentley was super tired. He looks for a hospital bed to take a nap. Doctor Bentley sees an X-Ray mactiine. He tried to sleep on the machine and it was comfortable: but people could see his bones. So, Doctor Bentley went to find a new bed. He found an MRI machine. He tried to sleep on the machine and it was comfortable; but he heard sounds like smoke sounds. So, Doctor Bentley went to find a new bed. He found a wheelchair. He tried to sleep in the chair and it was comfortable; but he started to roll away. So, Doctor Bentley decided to go home to his house. He went straight for his bed in the bedroom. Doctor Bentley immediately falls asleep.

The End!

Our adaptation of “The Bed” was written and produced by Jack Mitchell

Do Not Disturb

by Mallory, Age 9, Virginia

One day, there was a girl named Mallory who was making a do not disturb sign because her annoying little sister Dorothy had been coming in without knocking. And Mallory was getting mad. NOT a surprise. After all, she is an annoying sister. so, Mallory hung up the sign.

Over the course of the next few days, her family ignored the sign. Like when her dad came in without knocking to tuck her in. and when her mom came in without knocking with laundry. And when Dorothy came in WITHOUT KNOCKING and left three seconds later.

“What is your deal? The sign literally says, ‘do not disturb’ so you Do not disturb!” Mallory told her family. They ignored her. They were scrolling on their phones. Mallory was annoyed.

“BRUH” Mallory said. So, she decided to add more. She made posters that read: bodyguards wanted if interested show up at my house on august 29th at 6:00 am. I will be jumping up and down in my blue flower pj’s. Mallory hung the posters up all over town. The next day, Mallory went to her front door and started jumping up and down. Four of the wannabe bodyguards saw her and thought in their heads oh no that’s the kid I’m working for she looks like she has rabies. I guess I will go anyway. they went to her house and one of them asked “are we going to be doing the interviews in your room?” asked a bodyguard. “Yes, we are.” Mallory answered. “SOOO, are we going through the front door?” asked another. “Nope. Probably not.” Said another.

“You’re right. We’re not. Okay, Smurf guy! You! With the blue hair and skin! and pajama pants! Your first!” Mallory screamed. “Um… okay.” Said Smurf guy. “Form a line! when it’s your turn, you can choose to climb up the ladder or jump on the trampoline.” Mallory said gesturing to a trampoline and a ladder. Smurf guy chose to climb because the trampoline seemed immature. He climbed up and entered a very, very, very, very, very, pink room.

“The chairs are really small.” Smurf guy said as he sat down in the chairs Dorothy used to do her nails. “Why do you want to be a bodyguard?” Mallory asked. Ignoring his observation. “Well, I need to Mak-” he began. “Okay, you’re done.” I see you have a lot of experience. And I will get back to you in thirty minutes” Mallory interrupted. She made him jump out the window and he broke his Rist. This is how every interview went. Smurf guy was hired. Along with 5 other

Then she ordered an airport machine. Which came the day later. It was delivered by Mallory’s 5-month-old cousin Juliet. Juliet got out of her truck and crawled to the front door with the airport machine on her back and Mallory put it together just as the bodyguards showed up. Luckly, they didn’t knock poor Juliet over when they ran in., she made them go back out and WALK in.

“You almost knocked my little cousin over. Say sorry” she lectured them. “Sorry.” They said after a few lame tries. Mallory and Juliet went to Mallory’s room and started playing. A few hours later, Dorothy walked out of her room, and she saw the airport machine and the security, and she tried to move the airport machine, but it wouldn’t budge. So, she went through the machine. And looked up at Smurf guy. he didn’t notice. So she hit him in the knee. She was short very short. So she just walked right in.

“HOW DID YOU GET PASS SECURITY!?” Mallory screamed. “Oh, you mean the airport thingamabob outside?” Dorothy asked. “Man, I thought you were smarter than that.” Mallory said. “Well, get out!” Dorothy left.

The next day, Mallory’s dad walked out of his room with his work clothes on, looked at the security, shrugged, and went on with his day. Then a few hours later, Dorothy went to her mom and said “mommy, you probably don’t know this, but Mallory’s room, the one you walk by every day, has bodyguards and an airport thingamabob.” “Oh, I know. I walk. By it every day. And I’m sick of it.” So, Mallory’s mom went to Mallory’s room, pushed pass the bodyguards and opened her door.

“ Mallory fire the- really. you got all this security the airport thing the security guards to lay on your bed. Wow.” Mom said looking around. Juliet had left. The keyboard was fine the thing she was mad about was that Mallory was laying on her bed. “Sorry. I’m growing. I need space.” Mallory said innocently. She got grounded. And they lived security free for the next few months until Dorothy had this situation happen.

The end!!!!!!!!

Click to Read Original Stories from Other Episodes.

Story Love Stories

Scroll down to read the original stories or watch Peter, Lee, and special guest Alison Pill read them and react below:

The Squirrel That Disagreed With Talking Pumpkins

by Audrey, age 11, Colorado

Pumpkins…who needs em?

Humans…who needs em?

Us squirrels could totally rule this world!

Oh…ahem! Sorry..I’m getting ahead of myself, my name is Ava, Ava the squirrel! And I have a problem, it’s called talking pumpkins!!!

They are monstrosities who mock us squirrels cause we used to eat pumpkins. Before they started talking….

How did it happen,you say? Well there was a human who bought a pumpkin for her daughter to carve into a jack-o-lantern for her daughters birthday, but they left the pumpkin out too long..it started to hear words that the words the humans were saying..then it had been left out still too much longer, and the pumpkin started to talk. Then the humans were so scared they took it to the grocery store to ask, but at the store the pumpkin rolled out of their arms and taught all the other pumpkins in the entire large grocery store, how to talk. Then the pumpkins ran away from the grocery store and started annoying us squirrels, because we used to eat pumpkins. They made us miserable with..hard riddles! My best friend, James, got a practically impossible riddle!! It’s time that this stops! Once and for all! Fellow, squirrels come together!! We have to band together to stop these talking pumpkin menaces!! So, that night we told those pumpkins “enough is enough,””we’re so tired of these hard riddles, we’re so tired of us being mad at us, ,so tired of you mocking us, and so tired of you frustrating all the squirrels” “can’t we be friends? Instead of you annoying us all day and all night”. “Let us think about it” the pumpkins told us! Think about it! Ugh, how annoyed, I, am. I, am, Ava, the squirrel, and I disagree with talking pumpkins! The very next day the pumpkins said “ we thought about it and decided”….”sure”

The end!

The Banana Touch

by Jon, age 8, Tennessee

<Alarm Clock rings>

The mom: Honey! Wake up for breakfast, the bus will be here any second!

Willbert: Coming, mom! Oh, the bus is already here, I better go, bye mom!

<Willbert at school>

Bob: Hi Willbert!

Willbert: Hi Bob.

Teacher: Today we are learning science.

Random student: We are in kindergarten.

<End of school>

Willbert: Wow, that was a looong school day. Hey (spots something on the ground), what's this? Ooooh, a ring. I'll put this in my ring collection.

<Later that day at home>

Willbert: Mom, check out this ring that I found.

Mom: Oh Willbert, throw that in the trashcan!

Willbert: Why mom?

Mom: Because the banana gods have chosen you.

Willbert: Don't worry, it's not like you are gonna turn into a banana or something.

<Willbert slides on the ring and touches his mom>

Willbert: Oh no!!! My mom DID turn into a banana!!

Narrator: Then Willbert remembered that he had a magic lamp in the closet. So he ran to the closet and he rubs the lamp so hard that a genie comes out and says:

Genie: You only have one wish or if you need one more you will have to give me a million dollars.

Narrator: So they boy went to the store. He found one million dollars for a penny and ran back to the genie and gave him a million dollars and he gave him another wish. Yessss!

Willbert: Genie, my two wishes are my mom being a human again, not a banana, and me not having a spell on me.

Genie: Of course.

<whooshing sound, and mom-banana turns back into a human>

Willbert: Oh mom!!!

Narrator: Then, he hugged his mom.

Willbert: Oh no...not again... (his mom turned into a banana. again).

THE END