What if you could fly or travel back in time?
We welcome you to What If World.
Hey there folks, and welcome back to What If World, the show where your questions and ideas inspire off-the-cuff stories.
I'm Mr Eric, your host, and today I have remastered one of our most popular guest episodes of all time.
Yes, I got to do a team-up with Story Pirates, specifically Lee Overtree, one of the founding members and a truly great improviser and very kind person.
We'll be back next week. to finish our two-part unicorn story.
And for now, it's time to meet our special guest.
He is the co-founder and artistic director for the Story Pirates and the producer and co-host of the Story Pirates podcast, Lee Overtree.
Hey, what's up?
I'm so glad to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you.
Oh, man.
The person we have to thank for this happening is a patron named Oliver P.
Oliver has sent us a bajillion questions and he's got great, great ideas.
But we're going to read his what if question right now.
Okay.
It goes, what if story pirates came into what if world because Cthunkle dragged them into his lair?
And Max also wrote in with a wonderful question.
What if books were enchanted and you could jump inside them?
Wow.
We have a lot to work with, Lee, already.
Excellent questions.
Plenty to work with.
I think we can do this.
Cool.
We'll talk a lot about story pirates at the end.
Can you briefly tell listeners who may not know what story pirates is?
Oh, yeah.
Well, if you don't already know what story pirates is, we take stories written by kids, like real kids, from all around the world and we turn those stories into podcasts and books and and theater and music and so many other things.
It's basically all about how kids are creative geniuses.
It's such an inspiration, and I hope you go enjoy Story Pirates after you listen to this story.
Yeah, stay here.
Listen to this one first.
So let's find out.
What if Story Pirates came into, What If World because Gothunkle dragged them into his lair?
And what if books were enchanted and you could jump inside them.
Once upon a time in What Is World?
Lee Overtree was taking a quiet walk down Smith Street in Brooklyn.
Lee stopped in front of his favorite bookstore, Books Are Magic.
Oh, and he was having a lot of feelings just then.
Oh, what a beautiful day here on Smith Street.
I can see all the things here on Smith Street than I normally see on Smith Street, such as dogs and babies in strollers.
Dogs in strollers and babies pushing strollers full of dogs and dog babies.
But also, ah, my favorite bookstore.
Books are magic.
I love this place.
Mostly because the title is a good title and it's also a true fact.
Books are magic.
Although, you know, not the kind of magic you normally see.
Like a real, supernatural, crazy, awesome magic.
You mean magic like this?
Uh, that's not exactly what I meant, but I guess it's true!
Ah!
Who are you?
And one of the books inside the bookstore opened up and out of it reached a bunch of big slimy tentacles.
Yes, children, you know who it is.
I am Garthunkle, and you, Story Pirate, are now my prisoner.
Ah!
What's happening?
The tentacles!
They've got me!
They're pulling me into the boat!
Where am I?
What's happening?
You are under Squid Lake and breathing surprisingly well.
Is that a story pirate ability?
Under a lake?
I didn't realize that I had gills.
But maybe I do.
I'm highly evolved.
I can do all sorts of things that many humans can't.
So maybe breathing underwater is one of them.
It must be.
Now that you are my prisoner, I was hoping that you could just go ahead and tell me stories like forever.
Forever?
Uh, you want me to tell you stories forever.
Is that what you're saying?
Well, let's start with for today and then continue into next week.
And then after that, yes, forever.
Okay.
So I think lots of people have different understandings of what forever means, because time, you know it's fluid and it changes and expands and contracts.
Like, how do you understand time?
As an extra-dimensional beast of unimaginable horror, a squidopus, if you will.
I understand time, both backwards, forwards and upside down.
Got it.
So it's an unending pit of despair from which I will never escape.
I think that is the kind of... Wait a second.
Unceasing pit of despair.
I'll never escape.
No!
I don't want to be here forever.
I do not want to be telling you.
I love telling stories, but I like to do it with my own.
You know creature comforts around.
Not under a lake with some crazy Lovecraftian monster like you.
The problem is I have all of these...
But reading, it takes so much focus and I can't read the words fast enough sometimes.
So I just like other people to tell me the stories.
Okay, I think I see where you're headed now.
See, reading stories is actually sometimes way more fun than being told stories.
I like being told stories too, but when you can really get good at reading, it's like diving right into a book.
So, like, you have all these books around you.
Why don't you just keep reading and read these and get better at reading, and then you'll really enjoy it, I promise.
I think I need a demonstration.
Okay, all right, fine.
I can help you.
I will tell you a story.
Maybe I'll get used to it.
Maybe forever won't be so bad.
I'll give it a try.
What do you say?
Wonderful.
Cthunkle reached out into his squid-like lair and pulled over a book, one of his favorites.
Maybe you can tell me this story if you like.
It's got a character in it that sort of reminds me of myself.
Okay.
Ah, okay, okay.
Do you want to try to read this together?
Like, we could read the words at the same time?
Yes, let's do it.
Okay.
Once upon a time, there was a pirate.
Oh, yes. pirate.
See, you are very good at reading.
There's no way you could have read that without having been a good reader.
Oh, and as I was reading it, I felt I was being sucked into this book.
And, oh, you know what?
Actually, no, that's happening.
Oh, it's happening.
You're getting sucked into the book?
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Watch out!
Cthunkle!
Lee, come with me!
Okay!
Ah!
Now, now where are we?
And there they were, inside the book, on top of a ship sailing the seven seas across from a young Petrina the Pirate.
Ha ha ha!
Avast, me hearties!
Are you here to help me slay the wicked beast?
Yes, yes, you're Petrina the Pirate, I know you!
You're a brazen young adventurer!
You sail the seven seas through tremendous storms, through all sorts of stuff, and, wow, you're...
You're here?
We're inside a book about you?
That's what happens when you read and read and suddenly the words, they disappear, and then you're in the story just like this.
Wow.
Cthunkle, are you hearing this?
I'm sorry.
I was busy looking over the boat.
See, this is my favorite part about to happen.
Uh-oh.
What's that?
What's that in the water?
Do you see that?
There's like a sort of... There's a bubble and a spray and a swirl.
Something's under there.
What is that?
And, up from the depths, unfurled a great horror, with tentacles even bigger and knobbier and hookier than Cthunkle's own.
Wow, Cthunkle.
That's impressive.
What do you think about this guy?
I mean, it's basically my role model here.
It's the Kraken.
It's like the OG Squidopus.
Well, I mean, that's something to aspire to.
I bet it's neat to read books about sea monsters just like yourself.
I do.
I do.
That's why 99% of my books are about sea monsters, and I've read them all.
Oh, I think I'm understanding now.
You've read only books about sea monsters, so you're getting a little bored with them.
Okay, let's jump out of this book.
What do you say?
Let's go find some books that aren't about sea monsters for you.
You know, I could actually still use a little... Okay, no, you're leaving.
I'll just fight the beast on my own.
You got this, Petrina.
You got this.
Bye.
Okay, we're back.
That's disoriented.
You know, I wish I could say it's nice to be back, but it's very damp in this cave.
And I don't like damp places.
I prefer my home to be dry and soft, like with like a soft cushion.
Well, I have a very absorbent sponge here that you could rest on if you like.
I gotta say, like a sponge is like a wet cushion.
You're right.
Okay, I can get into this.
Nice.
Oh, good, good, good.
I think there's one book over here.
That I've actually never read because it doesn't have a squidopus.
And I thought, why would I read a book like that?
Yeah, well, let me tell you why you'd read a book like that.
Because it's interesting to learn about people and things and creatures that aren't like yourself, Cthunkle.
Here, I'll just walk over and get that book.
Okay, hey, is it this one?
Yes, the one with the plastic still wrapped around it.
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, shrink wrap.
Okay, here we go.
Got it.
Okay, all right.
Okay, I got the...
I got the book for you.
And whoa, look at this.
This looks like a cool sci-fi book.
Do you read a lot of sci-fi ever?
I'm not sure what that means.
I think you mostly read sci-fi.
Sci-fi, that sounds good, yes.
Yeah, sci-fi is like science fiction.
It has to do with cool concepts like time travel, but maybe they're not stuff that we know how to do yet or that even exists.
It's like a cool genre.
Wow.
This is called The Learninator.
Ooh, ooh, I love the Learninator.
Okay, let's just open it up right here.
And... Wait, are we getting sucked into this one, too?
Oh, uh, yeah, actually.
Okay, but it's robot arms this time.
That's at least something new.
A robot arm just stuck out of the book!
It's got me!
It's got me!
It's pulling me in!
Cthunkle, come with me!
Whoa.
Whoa.
Okay.
Oh my gosh.
Look where we are now.
It's a dystopian future full of robots.
And chrome.
Wow.
Everything's so shiny.
I wonder how the world got this way.
Learninator, can you tell us what's going on here in this land, in this distant future land?
I will tell you.
What has happened here is that everyone stopped learning new things and trying new things.
And so everything stopped being new and different and all was just chrome and silver shiny things everywhere
Uh, sound familiar, Ka-thunk?
Oh.
Yeah, I called you Cthunk.
That's short for Cthunkle.
That's a cool nickname.
Well, maybe you should listen to the Learninator because there's a lesson here to be had.
The future is going to turn into Chrome, unless we keep learning new things, which means reading new books, Cthunkle.
Yes, in the future, we only have the one book, and it is called Book 101.
Ugh, that sounds terrible.
They'd never just only carry one book at Books Are Magic, my favorite bookstore.
That sounds like a magical bookstore indeed, but i am just stuck in the future reading book 101.
I will start reading it right now.
Okay, go ahead.
Oh one oh, oh one.
I get it now.
It's just binary code.
Oh, oh one.
Coding is much more interesting than this one.
Look, You are right.
I am made of binary, but when you see it on the page yes, it just doesn't really jump out at you in that way.
It doesn't translate.
It's not the right medium for you.
Yeah, I shouldn't be doing coding on the podcast.
Yeah, it's like a very good book that gets turned into a movie.
You're like, Should have stayed a buck, you know what I mean?
Yes, or like a squidopus without any tentacles.
Yeah, that would be weird.
A squidopus without tentacles would be like a blobopus.
I don't know what it would be.
Oh, that sounds fun, though.
Yeah, it does sound kind of fun.
Now I see that it is fun to learn and read new things, even if they're not about people exactly like you.
Cthunkle, you learned the exact message super quickly in a very articulate fashion.
Congratulations!
That is what happens when you have a good teacher like me.
All right, Learninator, we get it.
You're from the future.
You're a great teacher.
Good work.
Pat on the robot back to you.
Okay, I am going to throw you back into a portal through time and space.
Okay, do you really have to throw?
All right, here we go.
Tuck your head.
Wow.
Well, that was fun.
Honestly, I'm exhausted.
But now I'm all out of books.
Yeah, well, that's when you have to go to a bookstore or a library or borrow a book from a friend.
There are so many books everywhere.
Also, you could just make up your own brand new story.
And here's a brilliant idea I just had just this second.
What?
Why don't you be an honorary story pirate and make up a brand new story by yourself?
Oh, I am blushing.
I can tell.
Yeah, somehow you're turning grayer.
Is that a color?
Is that the color I'm seeing?
Yes gray, combined with a few colors outside of the visible spectrum that, if you could see them, would drive you insane.
It would drive me insane.
Yeah, I've been there.
I want to try this storytelling like a story pirate.
Yeah, go ahead.
Go ahead and make up a story.
Okay.
Okay.
Once upon a time, there was a story pirate.
Okay.
Named... Keep going.
Lee.
All right, heard of him.
Leon, named Leon.
That is a brand new story pirate.
Congrats, Cthunkle.
Wow, this is really easy.
Do people actually make money doing this?
No, no one makes money doing this.
Oh.
Sorry, good uncle.
But it's still really fun, isn't it?
Yeah, it's fun.
Another way to think about how to spend your time is to just have fun.
It's not always about a great paycheck.
Making up stories is awesome and it helps you learn things and learn about people and it makes you a better person.
Thank you so much for all that you have taught me.
Now you can just stay here, and we can tell stories together forever or until I eat you.
Boo!
Uh, yeah.
Or you could keep practicing and I could come back and visit you again soon.
Oh, that would be tremendous.
So Kathunkle, how about this?
Next time you need a visit under the lake to help you tell stories, why not just send me an e-vite instead of pulling me into a book from the bookstore?
What do you say?
Oh, Even better, I will give you one of the books about me.
And if you're ever missing me or your home isn't feeling dank and dreary and deadly enough, you can crack it open and be sucked back to the bottom of my lair.
That is super generous of you to provide an interdimensional portal like that.
Thank you, Cthunkle.
I will definitely use this book when I'm feeling not dreary enough.
It also drips acid slime if you're ever running low.
Okay.
Do you have a Ziploc bag I could put this in then?
Oh, yes, of course.
Who do you think I am, a bad host?
Yeah, like one of those big freezer bags?
Okay, let's just put the book in there.
All right.
And close it up.
All right.
Thanks, Good Uncle.
Have a great day.
You're welcome.
Thank you.
The end.
Hooray!
Oh, we did it!
How was that?
Was that what you were hoping for?
That was more than I could have hoped for.
It's so fun telling a story with an improviser like you.
I could just go on and on about how much of an honor this has been, but I want the kids at home to learn more about what Story Pirates is doing right now.
Sure.
So Story Pirates right now, obviously, we have our podcast, which is a big deal for us.
But the biggest thing we've been working on in the last several weeks is the Story Pirates Creator Club, where we've been creating all sorts of videos activities, live stream classes, story prompts and more for kids and families who are at home and looking for stuff to do.
That's so awesome.
And where would they find all of this?
If you go to storypiratescreatorclubcom, you can find all that material and all those activities and videos and classes, and This is my 160th story and I've never been more nervous.
But you like really made me feel at ease.
It's just very fun.
So thank you and have a great day.
Thanks.
Bye.
Bye.
Another big thanks to Leo Overtree and the whole Story Pirates crew.
Where are you on your reading journey?
Are you practicing letter sounds, reading two and three letter words, helping read with your grown-up, or even reading on your own or with a friend?
If you have a pet, i strongly recommend reading to them.
It's a really good way to practice and pets never judge.
Talk to your grown-up about how you could incorporate more reading into your everyday life.
When my kids have trouble sleeping, I'll sometimes let them hang out outside of their bedroom for a little post-bedtime silent reading hour.
Or half hour because they usually get pretty sleepy.
And so do I.
Once again, I hope you enjoyed your story and you can help our shows grow and thrive by leaving a rating and review or telling a friend.
I'd like to thank Karen O'Keefe, my co-creator, my producer, Miss Lynn Craig Martinson for our theme song, and all you kids at home who know that reading is not a competition.
So take your time, be kind to yourself, and enjoy.
Until we meet again, keep wondering.
