Hey story pirates podcast listeners, Peter here.
Do you like spaceships?
Do you like it when a spaceship goes haywire and things start breaking and alarms are going off and then whoever is driving the spaceship has to scramble to right the ship and fix everything on the fly before the spaceship crashes into space stuff?
Yeah, me too. And we're in luck because that's what happens in today's brand new story, coming up right after a few words for the Grown Ups.
Hey Grown Ups, Season 7 of the Story Pirates podcast is right around the corner and it's time for your kids to send us their own stories.
But maybe they don't know what to write about.
Luckily, Story Pirates is partnering this season with The Week Junior, an incredible magazine that kids can't wait to read.
Every issue of The Week Junior has a section called Photos of the Week that is full of photos that are great to tell an imaginative story about.
Grown Ups, as part of our partnership, you can get 6 free issues of The Week Junior for your family delivered right to your mailbox by going to theweekjunior .com slash Story Pirates.
And don't forget, the Story Pirates Amazing Adventure Tour continues October 5th and 6th with shows in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
You can find tickets at StoryPirates .com slash Live.
Now back to the show.
I've been told it has no reactive imagination.
It makes me feel cozy.
Welcome back to the Story Pirates podcast.
Have you ever made a quick decision about something because you wanted to feel more in control?
I know I have. Like the time Lee asked me if I had any extra donuts to share and I panicked and I was like yes!
Even though I didn't have any donuts at all because I ate them the other day in the middle of the night because I was hungry and also I was reading a book about the history of donuts so they were really on my mind.
By the way, did you know that a 16 year old named Hanson invented the donut in 1847 while he was at sea?
Anyway, I ended up having to secretly order more donuts to be delivered because I didn't want to let Lee down.
Anyway, something like that kind of happens in today's brand new story.
Except, instead of a donut, it's a spaceship.
And no one eats it.
But you'll understand soon.
Here's the author to introduce it.
Hi, my name is Allie.
I'm 13 years old and I live in Kansas.
And this is my story.
Broken down Spaceship Diary.
Dear Diary, It's me, Ella.
You know, the space girl from the future who writes in you every night?
Well, let me tell you, it has been a day!
Let's start at the beginning.
I had just moved away from home to a new planet and into my very first adult apartment!
Good morning, new apartment!
Wow, look at me living all by myself!
I'm such an adult! Incoming call for parents!
On screen. Hi mom and dad!
Hi sweetie! Is this your new apartment?
Looks small. Well, it's not dad.
It's perfect. Well honey, we know you only just moved, but we wanted to know when you were planning on visiting us back here on our home planet.
Yes, why don't you let us pay for a space taxi so we can take you out to dinner tonight?
Future burgers on me.
Dad, you don't need to pay for a space taxi.
I'm an adult now. Haha, of course you are.
I'm serious mom! Okay, Ella, easy.
In fact, the reason you don't need to give me a space taxi tonight is, well, uh, is because I bought my own spaceship!
You did? Honey, how adult of you?
Well, I wanted one, so I bought one.
Why don't you fly it on over here tonight so we can see this spaceship of yours?
Sounds great! Except diary, it didn't sound that great at all.
You see, my parents tend to baby me.
So I just kind of made up the whole thing about having a spaceship to seem like I was grown up.
I just didn't know what to do.
So I called up my friend Bella and told her to meet me at the cheapest spaceship dealer in town.
Ah, thanks for meeting me here, Bella.
Sure thing. I had no idea this was a dealership.
I thought it was a junkyard.
What are we doing here?
I need to buy a spaceship.
You wanna buy one from here?
Look, I don't have a lot of money to spend on it, and well...
Hello there, young folks!
The name's Rick, and welcome to Rick's Spaceship Dealery and Notary Public Services.
I wish I could say I was the eponymous Rick, but sadly no.
That's my son. Now, what would you like to have notarized?
Sorry, uh, we're actually here to buy a spaceship?
Brrrr! You are? I mean, right this way.
Right over here, I have an absolute beauty.
It's only been here a couple of decades.
Just let me pull this tarp and, uh...
Voila! Oh, wow. It's so...
Rusty. Thank you. I've put some serious work into this, girl.
Is the hood supposed to smoke like that when you hit it?
Umm... Yes? Just don't touch the hood and you'll be fine.
Let's look at the inside.
Ooh! It actually does look kind of nice in...
I'll take it! Ella, don't you wanna...
If you need anything, the user manual is in the supply closet there.
Good luck. Scudum! Ella, I really don't understand what the rush is.
Well, then you really won't understand this.
Blast off! Whoa! It's working.
We're really flying.
I almost can't believe this thing actually moves.
Of course it does, because it's a real adult spaceship.
You want to listen to some tunes?
Sure. Where would that radio dial be?
Oh, here it is on the dashboard.
Alert! Alert! Spaceship malfunction!
What did you do? I just touched the dial and the whole dashboard fell off.
All systems failing!
All systems? Okay, okay.
Just let me think. I think that salesman said something about an instruction manual over here in the supply closet.
There's so much stuff in here.
A lifetime supply of glitter glue and duct tape?
There's the manual.
Right. Let's see, let's see.
Okay, dashboard, dashboard.
Dashboard! I found it!
It says, in case the dashboard falls clean off, users should hit it five times with a hammer and then fix it with duct tape.
Really? That's what it says.
Okay, here goes nothing.
One, two, three, four, five!
Duct tape! There. Spaceship fixed.
I can't believe that worked.
I've got a bad feeling about this.
Nonsense! That was just one little problem with the dashboard.
No biggie! Let's just sit back, relax, and enjoy the...
Alert! Alert! Critical malfunction detected!
Oh no! What now? The engine?
The oxygen system? Warning!
Your toaster is broken!
That's a critical malfunction?
Well, what does the manual say?
I doubt there's going to be anything in here about the toaster.
Oh, here it is. It says, if your toaster breaks, hit it seven times with a wrench, then fix it with glitter glue and duct tape?
What kind of spaceship is this?
An adult spaceship.
Glitter glue! And duct tape.
There. There's no way that fixed.
Toaster fixed. All systems operational.
What is happening? What's happening is that I'm proving myself to be a self -sufficient adult who can easily solve any problem that comes her way.
Now, computer, what else can this ship do?
My functions include trivia, playing music, answering questions, and GPS services.
Please play your default music playlist for adults.
Now playing Baby Dolphin on repeat.
Baby Dolphin! Oh no!
Off! Off! Computer off!
Turn this off! Oh, shut it down!
Whoa! Shut down the music!
Computer! What? What is wrong with you?!
Spaceship owners regretful monologue activated.
What?! Fine! Fine! You win spaceship!
I admit it! I just bought this thing to prove to my parents I was adult enough to own a spaceship because they always treat me like a child.
But it was clearly a huge mistake.
That's why you bought this thing?
Your parents? Yes. That makes sense.
It does? I mean, you just want to make them proud by showing them how grown up you are.
What's ironic is that buying this thing is actually a super immature move.
I know. But you know what?
Part of becoming an adult is learning from your mistakes.
So come on! Grab some glitter glue and some duct tape.
We're gonna get there even if we have to fix every inch of the ship!
Mail function, all systems failing.
Not on my watch! Glitter!
Duct tape! Still no sign of Ella?
No. I have a feeling she might not actually have a spaceship.
I didn't believe that for a second.
I mean, I'm proud of her.
But our Ella is still growing up.
Hey. What's that dropping straight down from the sky?
Huh. That can't be… A spaceship!
Hey Mom. Hey Dad. Wow, Ella.
You made it! And in your very own spaceship.
I am an adult after all.
You sure are. Now let's take a look at this bad boy.
Don't touch the hood!
Hmm. I guess I don't know my own strength.
Yada! What? The end!
We'll be right back after a few words for the grown -ups.
Hey grown -ups! Season 7 of the Story Pirates Podcast is right around the corner and it's time for your kids to send us their own stories.
But maybe they don't know what to write about?
Luckily Story Pirates is partnering this season with The Week Junior, an incredible magazine that kids can't wait to read.
Every issue of The Week Junior has a section called Photos of the Week that is full of photos that are great to tell an imaginative story about.
Grown -ups, as part of our partnership, you can get six free issues of The Week Junior for your family delivered right to your mailbox by going to theweekjunior .com slash Story Pirates.
And don't forget, the Story Pirates amazing adventure tour continues October 5th and 6th with shows in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
You can find tickets at storypirates .com slash live.
Now back to the show.
And now it's time for Story Pirates Roll Call.
Our first story comes to us from a four -year -old from Germany named Kyus.
And Kyus' story is called The Dragon Flower Cracker.
Now you might hear that and think, The Dragon Flower Cracker?
Now what's a flower cracker?
What does a dragon eat a bunch of flowers?
And then what did the dragon eat a bunch of crackers?
And then what, the dragon, instead of breathing fire, he was suddenly breathing flower crackers?
If you were thinking that, did you read the story?
Because that's what happens.
Wow, you're good. Great work, Kyus.
Our next story comes to us from a seven -year -old from Oregon named Elizabeth.
And Elizabeth's story is called Gallop the Talking Tree.
Now I don't ever do this, but I simply must read the entire story to you right now.
Are you ready? Ring, ring, ring, ring.
Hi. Gallop's Talking Tree Air Conditioning Repair Company.
How can I help you?
Hi. Is this Gallop's Talking Tree Air Conditioning Repair Company?
Yes, it is. How can I help you?
My air conditioning thing is broken.
What can I do? Fix it.
Okay. I know how to do that.
Good. Bye. Okay. Time for a snack.
Let's see. What do I have today?
Hmm. A bright red car.
My favorite. Come, come.
The end. Now, I don't know if there's such thing as a perfect story, but that was.
Incredible job, Elizabeth.
And finally, from an eight -year -old from Massachusetts named Ian, we have, Where did all the green koalas go?
Now, this story is amazing.
It answers a really important question that I didn't know to even ask, which is, where have all the green koalas gone?
I'll give you just a hint by reading the beginning of this story.
Green koalas eat limes and turn green from eating them.
Their favorite thing to do is hug watermelons.
They live in groups and the best one is named Lemon.
Lemon is the best because he's the funniest.
Like one time, he swallowed a watermelon whole.
He got so full that he exploded and shot up to the moon.
He was okay. Okay. That's just the setup of the story.
You'll never believe where it goes next.
Incredible work, Ian.
To read all of today's Roll Call stories, head to storypirates .com slash podcast.
Now it's time for you to write us a story.
Grownups can submit kids' stories at storypirates .com.
And remember, we respond to every single story we receive.
That was Roll Call.
That's it for today's episode.
Thanks for listening and a big thanks to Allie, today's author.
We'll be back next week with another brand new story.
Until then, stay creative and stay kind.
Bye! Our theme song was written by Bobby Lourd and produced by Sam Baer, Bobby Lourd, Jack Mitchell, and Brendan O 'Grady.
Roll Call theme by Andrew Barbeta.
Musical scoring by Jack Mitchell and Eric Gerson.
Broken Down's Spaceship Diary was adapted by Will Jacobs.
Featuring performances by Ben Blackman, Christina Gross Beach, Alexis Lambright, Peter McNerney, Josh Nasser, and Rebecca Robles.
Oh, man! That story was really good.
But also a little stressful.
I hate it when I break things.
You know, it makes me feel so guilty.
And then I get nervous about fixing it.
Oh, look! It's Lee's Domino's project.
He set up all these dominoes.
You know how you can hit one and it knocks the other one over and the other one over?
Yeah, Lee's been working on this one for months and months and months.
He says when it's done, it's going to create the shape of Lee's own face in dominoes.
But it's going to take him another few months.
And he said I'm not allowed to be here.
Aah! Oh, no! Oh, no!
Stop dominoes! Stop!
Oh, goodness! Okay, I was never here.
I'm backing out of the room.
Please stop falling over dominoes.
It wasn't me! Oh, boy!
