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Hey, parents.
Just a quick note before we jump into today's adventure.
Snaffles is nearly finished with his birthday guest list.
He's been checking it carefully, making sure everything is just right.
And there are only a few spots left.
We'll see you next time right here in the koala kingdom.
And to make it even more special, we're still offering 20 off our yearly koala shine plus and koala kids bundle, but for only a little while longer.
With the bundle, you'll be able to unlock over 800 episodes of ad-free listening, including all your favorite koala shine episodes, plus koala moon, koala tots and koala sleep sounds.
So you've got everything you need for bright, adventurous days and calm, settled nights.
And if you join as a yearly member, you can even request a personal shout-out from me in an upcoming episode.
But snaffles won't be able to wait much longer, so if you'd like to be part of the celebration, now is the time.
Just tap to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or head to the link in our show notes if you listen on Spotify or Yoto.
This is also where you'll find all the details on how to be added to Snaffle's birthday list.
And remember, keep on shining!
Hey Koala Kids!
I'm your host Kelly, and today's adventure is bursting with feathers, fun and one very surprising showdown.
When a mysterious boy named Marinos sails into the Koala Kingdom, he brings stories of ancient gladiators, brave warriors who trained hard, fought cleverly and amazed the crowds with their skills.
Coco and Kira are completely captivated.
And before long, they have an idea of their own.
Why not host a gladiator tournament in Sleepy Forest?
There's just one twist.
No swords.
No shields.
Only pillows.
As the great gladiator pillow fight begins, Marinos seems impossible to beat.
He's fast. clever and full of tricks.
But sometimes, when students listen closely, practice bravely and think a little differently, they might just surprise everyone.
So grab your pillow and let's get started.
Away we go.
One sunny afternoon, Coco and Kira sat on the pebbly beach at Harmony Cove when they spotted a boat out in the big blue sea.
Now, that wasn't so unusual.
When the weather was beautiful and they didn't have any school, they loved to come down to Harmony Cove and watch the sailing boats and the pirate ships and magical mermaid vessels bobbing on the bay.
But the boat they saw this afternoon was one they'd never seen before.
It was a tiny little fishing boat with only one man in it.
They covered their eyes with their paws and squinted.
Gradually, the boat came to shore and they saw that the sailor was no man at all, but just a young boy with suntan skin and a white and blue shirt that flapped in the breeze.
The boy hopped down from his fishing boat and began to tug it out of the water.
They wanted to help the boy, but they were also curious about unexpected visitors turning up in the Koala Kingdom.
Hey, let us help you, Coco called.
The boy looked at them, and his eyes went wide with surprise.
Clearly he had never come across a talking animal before, but he wasn't going to refuse a helping hand.
Oh, yes, please.
He said.
They took hold of the side of the boat and tugged it until it was safely on the stony beach.
Thank you, said the boy.
That was really kind of you both.
Teamwork is everything.
Coco and Kira introduced themselves and asked the boy's name.
He told them his name was Marinos and he was from a little island in Greece called Skyros.
And where's this?
Marinos asked them, looking all around.
Have I somehow arrived in Asia?
Or Australasia?
Nope, Kira told him.
This is Harmony Cove, in the Koala Kingdom.
Marinos furrowed his brow.
Harmony Cove?
Koala Kingdom?
Where's that?
I've never heard of anywhere in the world with those names, Kira giggled.
That's because you're not in the same world as Greece anymore.
You're in a different world altogether.
Marinos' jaw fell open.
He stared at them in silence.
Oh, said Coco.
You mean you've never been to the Koala Kingdom before?
Marinos shook his head.
I was just sailing my boat across the sea and then we went into some very thick mist and when we came out we were here.
He blinked around at the sun-soaked cove.
First I discover the old gods are real, he said to himself.
And now I find that there are other worlds.
Whatever next?
Well, if it's your first time here, Kira said, you'll need some guides, not to mention some friends.
Would you like us to show you around the kingdom?
Marinos gave her a smile as bright as the sun.
Oh, I love that, he said.
And so Coco and Kira took Marinos on a grand tour of the Koala Kingdom.
They showed him the rest of Harmony Cove, then traveled upriver to Wonder Jungle, where the trees grew dense and waxy.
They pointed out the white-tipped points of the pillowy peaks and at last they brought him to their favorite bit of the kingdom, their home in the sleepy forest.
They told him about their friends and the adventures they got up to, like camo the chameleon throwing his annual carnival of color, or that time coco received a crazy cart for his birthday, but the car kind of got out of control.
In exchange, marinos told them all about the place he came from, greece.
Oh, how they loved listening to his stories.
He told them how, at dusk, the trees in the olive grove seemed to come alive and walk around.
He told them about the rooftop cinema in his town how, when it rains, you have to just put up your umbrella or else get soaked.
And, of course, he told them all about the ancient Greek myths and how recently the gods that no one seemed to believe in anymore had been visiting him and getting him to all kinds of adventurous scrapes.
But do you want to know what Kira and Coco liked hearing about more than anything else?
More than magical trees and rooftop screens and pesky ancient gods?
Gladiators.
Yup.
Gladiators were ancient warriors.
They wore armor and fought each other in huge outdoor theaters, while the crowds cheered them on.
Gladiators could become very famous men indeed.
Practically celebrities.
And could women be gladiators too?
Kira asked, frowning.
Oh, yes, Marinos assured her.
They were called gladiatresses, and they were the most formidable of the lot.
Oh, gladiatresses, Kira repeated the word and smiled.
I like that.
The more Marinos told them about the ancient gladiators, the more Koko and Kira could picture it in their heads.
They could see the dust kicked up into the air.
They could hear the sound of wooden swords meeting shields with a clash.
They could taste the glory.
So vividly did they imagine the thrilling scenes that soon enough they felt as though they themselves were gladiators.
And that feeling gave Coco an idea.
Hey, I've got an idea.
We should have our own gladiator tournament, he announced just as they were reaching the cabin in the woods where he and Kira live, in Greece or Rome, Coco Kira said
And we don't have those big stone outdoor theaters.
Amphitheaters, Marinos reminded her of the name.
Yeah, right, Kira said.
We don't have those.
And we don't have swords or shields either.
So how can we have a gladiator competition?
Marinos nodded.
And being a gladiator is no joke, he said.
It can be very dangerous.
Well, we won't do it like they did in the ancient world, said Coco.
And we won't do it dangerously.
After all, we're in Sleepy Forest, aren't we?
So I have to do it the Sleepy Forest style.
Kira frowned.
But in her eyes, there was a glimmer of excitement.
Sleepy forest style?
She asked.
What does that mean?
Coco reached out and put a hand on the cabin's door handle.
But before turning it, he gave them a wink.
It means pillow fight.
And so it was decided.
Just a few days later, right in the middle of Sleepy Forest, the great gladiator pillow fight would take place.
Coco put up posters on all the trees.
The message was sent around the network of twittering birds who gossiped high in the treetops.
And everywhere you went you could hear Sleepy Foresters chattering about what their gladiator name would be, what they'd made their costume out of.
What specific type of pillow might be best for the fight?
Coco and Kira's parents invited Marinos to stay in their cabin with them for a few days.
After all, he didn't want to miss the fight.
Don't worry.
He let his mum and sisters know that he was safe by sending them a letter by the magical pigeon post.
And then to make sure that all the combatants knew everything they could about the history, skills and strategy of a gladiator fight, Marinos ran a boot camp in the couple of days before the tournament.
Everyone who wanted to participate in the pillar fight was invited.
I want to be the best gladiator in the kingdom.
Prickles the Hedgehog announced with excitement, his quills bristling.
Well, then you'll have to beat me, said Camo the chameleon.
Fenella the tiny unicorn flashed everyone a smile.
I'm going to bash you all with my pillow, she said.
The pillow she'd brought was three times her size.
Now, now, said Marinos, looking at his line of new untrained recruits.
Being a gladiator isn't just about bashing people.
There's more to it than sheer force.
There are strategies, tactics.
Ooh, Coco exclaimed.
Like what?
I'll show you, Marinos said.
Then, quick as a flash, he dropped to his knees, rolled between Coco's legs, sprung up and bopped him on the back.
Heh, that's agility, he told them.
Next, Marinos climbed a tree until he disappeared.
The trainees blinked at each other, wondering what was happening.
Then Marinos suddenly dropped out of the tree, surprising them and bopped them on the shoulder.
That's stealth, he said.
Then he pointed across the forest glade and shouted, Look!
And when they were all looking the other way, he bopped them each on the back again.
And that, he told them, is called misdirection.
They all erupted into giggles.
And then they clapped and cheered for Marinos' demonstration of his awesome gladiator skills.
They couldn't wait to try them out themselves.
But when Coco tried to agility roll under Marinos' legs, he got all tangled up in his own limbs and couldn't get back up onto his feet.
And when Kira climbed the tree and attempted a stealth attack on Marinos, she missed him entirely and went splat on the soft forest floor where she lay there like a starfish.
And when they pointed across the glade in an attempt to misdirect him well, you don't want to know what happened that time?
Oh, Marinos is too good at being a gladiator.
Coco said.
Yeah, he's had too much practice.
Kira agreed.
Plus, he already knows the gladiator tactics.
We're never going to be able to beat him.
The gladiator students looked at their teacher as though he were not a human boy at all, but a real-life Greek god.
Marinos shook his head and gave them a smile.
I'm not unbeatable, he told them.
You just have to come up with your own strategies.
Along with our own names and our own costumes?
Prickles asked.
Marinos nodded.
That's what being a gladiator is all about.
He looked up at the sky, which was now darkening with the approaching evening.
But for now, you all need to get home and go to bed.
You need a good rest tonight, because tomorrow is the great gladiator pillow fight.
Surprisingly enough, Coco and Kira slept well that night.
They woke up the next day feeling refreshed and full of energy.
Their mum made them a huge breakfast fit for a couple of gladiators pancakes and blueberries and maple syrup.
Then they ran upstairs, and a few minutes later, they returned back downstairs, utterly transformed.
Their mom clapped her hands together.
Oh, wow.
Oh, you two look terrific.
A pair of real-life sleepy forest gladiators there.
Koko had turned a bright blue pillowcase into a gladiator's toga and wrapped his dad's brown belt around it to secure it tightly.
In his paws, he gripped his pillow of choice.
Lightweight, for speed's sake, and full of feathers.
Kira had woven a crown out of purple flowers, irises and crocuses and balanced it on top of her head.
And the pillow she carried had her gladiator name sewn onto it.
Gladiatress.
She had been up all night stitching it on.
Now, off you go, you two, said their mum.
And good luck.
I hope you win.
The Great Gladiator Pillow Fight was taking place in the series of glades surrounding Sleepy Forest Elementary School.
When Coco and Kira arrived, there was already a crowd of ready gladiators waiting.
Prickles carried a shield made out of a cardboard box and held one of his mum's sofa cushions in his paw.
I'm called Bruisia, he told them.
Camo said you guys can call me Ghost and changed the colour of his skin, so he blended right in with the pillow.
It made it seem as though the pillow were levitating all by itself.
Since I float, he explained.
Snaffles, whose favorite items in the whole world were socks, had stuffed two huge ones with loads of feathers in it.
And now he swung them around his head.
And I'm socket, he said.
Everyone was ready.
And here was Marinos himself, armed with a pillow Coco's mum had fished out of the cupboard for him.
Young gladiators, he called out.
Your training has come to an end, and now is the time to fight.
Prepare for a pillow showdown.
Marinos' voice echoed and boomed around the forest glade and made everyone quiver with excitement.
Coco and Kira exchanged a wide-eyed look.
Would they triumph or would they be defeated?
The winner is the last creature standing, Marinos called out.
So, are we ready?
The great gladiator pillow fight is about to begin.
Three, two...
Marinos put his fingers to his lips and, instead of shouting out one, he let out a piercing whistle.
It seemed as if the whole world burst suddenly into action.
Some gladiators ran straight for the trees.
Their plan was to get to safety first and think about battling later.
Others thought about battling straight away.
A young rhino jumped into the air, aiming for Prickles.
But Prickles was too quick.
He raised his shield over his head, and the rhino's pillow landed straight on it.
And the pillow burst.
Feathers shot into the air like flurries of snow.
And in the confusion, Prickles rose up through the falling feathers and bopped the rhino on the horn with his cushion.
Coco and Kira, meanwhile, were dashing through the forest.
All around them, sleepy foresters were laughing and landing soft pillowy blows on each other.
Camo's floating pillow appeared.
Kira tried to do a stealth roll around him, but all his chameleon legs were invisible and she tripped up on one of them.
Coco, watching tensely, almost got swallowed up by a huge duvet.
The two of them only narrowly escaped, darting between the trees.
Oh boy, that was close, Kira said to her brother.
I know, Coco agreed.
He was panting.
At this rate, we'll be out of the pillow fight in no time.
What was it that Mariner said?
We have to come up with our own strategies.
Yes, said Kira.
But what could our strategy be?
We're no good at agility or stealth or sheer strength.
What do we have?
Coco thought about it hard.
Branches and leaves and berries on bushes whizzed past them as they ran.
Then he had an idea.
Well, he said, we do have one thing.
What's that?
Kira asked.
We're brother and sister, aren't we?
They looked at each other.
Both of their eyes started gleaming.
They'd had the same idea.
Kira grinned.
That just might work, she said.
Sometime later, Coco stalked through Sleepy Forest.
Everywhere he went he saw defeated competitors.
Prickles and Camo and Snaffles and all the others, lying in huge piles of white feathers.
Oh no, we're out.
They told him when they saw him smiling and throwing handfuls of feathers in the air or lying back with a sigh, exhausted from the fight.
Solitary feathers floated through the air.
Was Coco the last gladiator standing?
Had he won?
No, not yet.
For just then, from behind the broad trunk of a huge oak tree, stepped Marinos himself.
There were white feathers caught in his hair, tangled in the messy strands from the pillow fight.
They clung to him like bits of snow.
Aha!
Coco! he said.
My final and greatest foal!
It seems we finally meet!
They paused in the glade, just meters apart.
Both of their chests were heaving with heavy breaths.
It had been a long battle.
Around and around his head, Marinos swung his weapon, a bright pink pillow.
Now, when I defeat you, he said, I will be the victor of the great gladiator pillow fight.
Coco smiled softly.
But can you be so sure you will defeat me?
That made Marinos chuckle.
Oh, Coco, you might be good, but you haven't been a gladiator long enough to beat your teacher.
I'm stealthier than you, more agile than you, and stronger than you too.
I have my own strategy.
Marinos' eyes flashed.
Could it be with doubt?
But you haven't had time to come up with your own strategy.
I did have to come up with it all by myself, Coco said.
In fact, you gave me the clue.
Marinos frowned.
I did?
Coco nodded.
Took a step forward.
Yup.
Don't you remember the first thing you said to me when we met on the beach at Harmony Cove?
Now Marinos was beginning to look worried.
What did I say?
He stuttered.
What do you mean, what I said?
What did I say?
We helped you drag your boat out of the water, Coco said, and you thanked us.
And you said, teamwork is everything.
Teamwork?
Marinos repeated.
Coco nodded, and he reached out a paw.
Marinos looked at it, worried.
He didn't know what Coco was doing.
He took a step back, and fell, splat, on the ground.
Poor Marinos.
What he hadn't seen all along was Kira sneaking up behind him and crouching down behind his legs.
So when he stepped back, he took a tumble straight to the forest floor.
In a second, Kira and Coco were upon him.
Bop, bop, bop went their pillows, feathers erupting into the sky.
All right, all right, Marinos laughed.
I surrender!
You guys win!
And then they were all laughing and rolling around in piles of feathers.
Marinos, the teacher, and Coco and Kira, winners of the great gladiator pillow fight.
Well, that was one epic pillow-powered showdown.
From gladiator training to feathers flying everywhere, Coco and Kira discovered that sometimes the strongest move of all is working together.
Now, I want to know, if you stepped into the arena, what would your gladiator name be?
Take a moment to think about it.
And what would your gladiator outfit look like?
I'd love to hear all about your mighty creations in the comments below.
But before we go, here's a joke.
Why would a pillow be great at boxing?
Because it's a natural featherweight!
All right, that's all for today, koala kids.
Thanks for spending part of your day with me here on Koala Shine.
I'll see you for another adventure soon.
But until next time, keep on shining!
PoliShine.
