Welcome to Disney's Magic of Storytelling podcast, brought to you by Wake Med Children's, because inside every child is a story waiting to be told.
Our storyteller is ABC 11 traffic reporter Kim Diener.
I will be reading Alice in Wonderland, A Snack for the Queen.
It was a lovely day in Wonderland.
Alice was sitting in a garden watching the bread and butterflies flitter from flower to flower.
Why, their wings look just like buttered bread.
Everything here in Wonderland is so curious.
As Alice looked around, she heard a voice behind her.
Oh dear, oh dear.
Alice turned to see the white rabbit running through the garden.
Is everything all right, she asked.
The White Rabbit stopped.
The Queen of Hearts is hungry, but nothing in the palace seems to satisfy her.
If I don't find her a tasty treat soon, she'll have my head.
Perhaps I can help, Alice said.
I've never had any trouble finding something to eat in Wonderland.
If we work together, I'm sure we will find something that makes the Queen happy.
The White Rabbit sighed.
I do hope you're right, he said.
Have you tried asking the Mad Hatter?
Alice asked.
His tea table is always filled with treats.
Oh no, I try to stay clear of the Hatter, the White Rabbit replied.
He's always causing trouble.
Well, that's true, Alice said, but it's still worth a try.
Alice started down the path to the Mad Hatter's house and suddenly she stopped short.
Perhaps we don't have to visit the Mad Hatter after all, she said, studying a bush.
Look at these cupcakes.
Don't they look tasty?
Alice plucked a cupcake from the bush and she and the White Rabbit hurried to the palace.
There you are, the Queen of Hearts yelled when she spied the rabbit.
Then she saw Alice.
You, she shouted, off with your... Alice didn't give the Queen a chance to finish.
We brought you a cupcake, Your Majesty, she said, handing the Queen the treat.
The queen actually smiled.
Why, thank you, she said, reaching for it.
Before the queen could take a bite, the cupcake began to move.
Two wings opened up and it just flew away.
It wasn't a cupcake after all.
It was a bird.
Alice's eyes grew wide.
The queen would surely have her head now.
Alice and the white rabbit quickly ran from the palace.
They hadn't gone far when the Cheshire Cat appeared on the path in front of them.
What's the hurry, he asked.
We need to find a snack for the queen, Alice replied.
The Cheshire Cat looked down at the berries on the bush beneath him.
Take her some of these blue berries, he suggested.
But these aren't blueberries, Alice said.
They're red.
Blue berries.
Or red.
They're quite tasty, the Cheshire Cat said.
The queen is very impatient, the white rabbit said, and we don't have anything else to bring her.
Alice agreed.
It seemed like they didn't have any choice.
She and the white rabbit picked the berries and brought them down to the queen, and she promptly gobbled them all down.
Delicious, she cried.
I suppose you may keep your head after all.
But then the queen noticed something.
Her fingers were blue.
So were her hands and her arms.
What have you done, she shrieked.
Oh, dear, Alice said.
That must be why the Cheshire Cat called them blueberries.
They look red, but they turn you blue when you eat them.
Fix me, the queen yelled.
The white rabbit nervously tapped his paws together.
Whatever will we do?
Well, I have an idea, Alice said.
She ran back to the bush where she had seen the Cheshire Cat.
Next to it was a bush with blueberries.
She quickly picked some and hurried back to the queen.
Eat these, Alice urged.
The queen scowled.
Why should I trust you?
Well, I'm just guessing, Alice replied, but if you don't try, you'll stay blue.
The queen frowned and ate some of the blueberries.
Slowly, the blue faded from her skin.
Well, I suppose that worked, the queen said, but I am still very hungry.
Alice and the White Rabbit hurried off to find another snack for the queen.
Soon they bumped into Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
The twins were dancing and singing a silly song.
When it comes to treats, we are not picky.
We love a treat that's sweet and sticky.
A snack you can eat when you need something quickie.
It's a lollipop for us.
Alice noticed that each one was clutching two handfuls of yummy looking lollipops.
Excuse me, she said.
We just happened to be looking for a tasty treat for the queen.
May we have a lollipop?
It's for the queen.
We can't say no, said Tweedledum.
So take a lollipop and go, said Tweedledee, handing Alice a bright red lollipop.
Alice and the White Rabbit quickly brought the red lollipop to the queen of hearts.
Hmm, said the queen.
I do like lollipops, and it is the perfect color.
Let me give it a try.
She licked the lollipop and smiled.
Then her face turned bright red with heat.
Spicy!
Spicy, she yelled.
Someone bring me some water.
While the guards rushed to help the queen, Alice and the white rabbit slipped away from the palace again.
That's it.
I'm going to the Mad Hatter's house, Alice said.
I'm sure he will have a good snack for the queen.
I'll wait here, the white rabbit said.
Alice quickly made her way to the Mad Hatter's house.
She found him serving tea to the March Hare.
Excuse me, she said, but I was wondering if you could help.
The White Rabbit and I need to bring the Queen of Hearts a snack in a hurry.
She's very hungry.
The March Hare's ears perked right up.
The Queen, you say?
He looked at the Mad Hatter.
Yes, I did, replied Alice.
The Mad Hatter grinned.
He handed a cookie to Alice.
This is exactly what she needs, he promised.
So Alice and the White Rabbit brought the cookie to the Queen of Hearts.
She sniffed it.
It smells good, she said, frowning suspiciously.
And it looks tasty.
The Queen bit into the cookie.
It is tasty, she said.
Suddenly, something very strange happened.
The Queen began to shrink.
She got smaller and smaller until she was no bigger than the cookie.
Guards, guards, off with their heads, she yelled.
But her voice was so tiny and squeaky that the guards didn't hear her.
Alice and the White Rabbit hurried away.
The Mad Hatter was right, Alice said with a giggle.
That cookie is exactly what the queen needed.
Wake Med Children's is proud to support the ongoing enrichment of children in our community and beyond through our sponsorship of the Disney Magic of Storytelling podcast.
To learn more about Wake Med Children's, please visit kids.wakemed.org.
