Alfred and the Broken Cup/Princess Lemon and the Tennis Tournament (feat. Kate Micucci)

Lemonada. That's part of the acclaimed elephant and piggy early reader series. It's called The Monster and Puppet Show. And I can tell you from experience, it is really, really funny. And not only did Kate write it, she did all the illustrations, which are so good. The Monster and Puppet Show is on sale February 24th, 2026 from Union Square Kids. And if you know anything about the book business, you know that pre-orders really make a difference and help authors. So if you're so inclined, let's help Kate out and pre-order her book. There really is no one more creative and more kind than Kate is, and the Monster and Puppet Show reflects that really, really well. And as if that wasn't enough Kate Micucci, she also has an amazing new album for kids that I can't recommend enough. It's called My Hat, and its heartfelt and just plain fun songs capture so much joy. So stream it wherever you get music. Okay, on to the episode including two brand new stories written by kids and more story love with Lee and Peter after a few more words for the grown-ups. Hey grown-ups, Lee here. See Story Pirates live! Our amazing touring cast, including Eric, will be visiting some East Coast cities this spring to perform some of your favorite songs from the podcast. And they'll take suggestions from kids in the audience to create a brand new story that will only be seen once. Best of all, all of our upcoming shows are on weekends, so no need to worry about school nights or bedtime routines. We'll see you soon in Munhall, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Ohio, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Medford, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, and Richfield, Connecticut. Tickets to all the shows are on sale now at storypirates.com slash live. Hey, Siegfried. Yes, baby with a mustache. You know what I was just thinking about? How dare you? You know that the gift of foresight was lost to me after my mother, the goddess Freya, angered the Midgard serpent, who in recompense thereof used its fangs to extract my magical power of satyr. So no, I don't know what you were just thinking about. Uh, okay. I'll just tell you then. Oh, great. I was wondering how long the rest of the story pirates are gonna be mad at us. Why on earth would they be mad at us? Because we were in charge of filling up the gas tank at the last stop, but instead we built swords from the cardboard we found in that dumpster, and now the ship is out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Oh, that. I forgot why I was carrying this empty gas can down a desert road. Fear not, baby with a mustache. The story pirate's inability to hold a grudge is legendary. I've been trying to start a rivalry with Lee for years, but he keeps forgetting he's mad at me. It's infuriated. I'm great at holding a grudge. Finally, someone I can relate to. Whom is it you begrudge? Sorry, I can't say their name. It would give them too much power. Petty. I love it. How about you? Take your pick. My brother, Sigmund the Blue. My great-grandnephew, Snorri Sturlson. Skol, the wolf who will devour the sun at Ragnarok. He thinks he's so big and important. Who eats the sun? Also Bjork. Why do you have grudges against all of them? I honestly can't remember But I'll never forget Look, a gas station With a bunch of beautiful motorcycles lined up out front Bikers! How exciting! They really are the closest thing we have left to Vikings But wait a minute Those are the smallest motorcycles I've ever seen Oh no, I know those trikes You've seen them before? Huh, no offense, baby with a mustache, but I don't really think of you as a character with a backstory Oh, she's got a backstory, all right Huh, you Well, well, well, if it isn't baby with a mustache My baby sister That's your sister? But she's, she's That's right, a toddler with a goatee I love story pirates It just filled me up with joy My mom loves the jokes Yo, yo, my jokes It made me very proud about my sighting I got a crab claw in there, but it tasted good I definitely think I can be more creative now I'm the champion The story pirates Welcome back to the Story Pirates podcast, everyone Where we take stories written by kids And turn them into sketch comedy and songs And sometimes we accidentally run into our long-lost sister And have no choice but to turn around and walk back the way we came You're running away? I guess that's what you're best at, you baby Let's go, Siegfried No, baby with a mustache We can't go back to the ship without completing our mighty quest of refilling this gas can. Also, the tension between the two of you is electric. I can't look away. You're not going anywhere until we settle this. And who's gonna stop me? I'll tell you who. Me and my baby biker gang. A toddler with a goatee with a biker gang? This I simply must see. Can we please, please? Ugh, fine. Oh, but first, let's do a story. A story, eh? I guess that's something we can agree on. Hey, listeners, this first story is another one from an amazing kid at an amazing school in the Bronx that took part in StoryQuest, our digital creative writing program. Here's the author to introduce it. Hi, my name is Alfred. I'm Eat Your Souls. Then I left the New York. This is my story. Alfred and the Broken Chalk. Good morning, Alfred. Sorry I'm late, Gladys. The line at the coffee shop was out the door. You love your coffee. Can't start my day without it. Just like I can't start my day without a little piece of chocolate. Mmm. You want a piece? No, thank you. You keep the rest of that chocolate bar for yourself. I don't have time. Oh, that's right. Today's the big day. It sure is. It's my big presentation for the boss. Boy, am I nervous. I'm sure you'll do great. You always do. Thanks, Gladys. Well, I better get ready. I don't have much time. Huh. Looks like you spilled a little bit of your coffee. Oh, no. The cup broke. My coffee is dripping out. You want me to get you a mug from the break room? No time. I got this. I will fix the cup with, uh, this. You're going to tape the cup? And perfect. No more trips. Problem solved. You're always so clever, Alfred. Thank you, Gladys. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have even less time to prepare for my big presentation. Oh, no. The tape broke. The coffee is leaking again. Are you sure you don't want me to go to the break room? It's right. No, Gladys. I said I got this. Oh, okay. Uh, here. I'll use this. You're going to put it into a plastic shopping bag? And perfect. No more drips. That's a pretty unique solution. Well, I'm a pretty unique guy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have even less time to prepare for my big presentation. Ah, the bag broke. The coffee is still leaking. How is there still liquid in there? What do I do? What do I do? Alfred, please, if you let me go to the break room, I... No, I'm a big boy! Oh. I mean, I can figure this out. What do I have? Uh, ha! Here! You're going to put the coffee cup in that potted ficus plant? And perfect. See? No more drip! But your coffee is just going into the dirt! And I'll drink it out of the dirt! Good morning, Alfred! Oh! Miss Hendrickson, uh, good morning! I'm very excited for your big presentation today. Are you ready to get started? Yes, of course. Just give me one minute and I'll see you in the conference room. Fantastic. Say, nice ficus. Thank you. You don't have much time. Yes, Gladys, I'm aware. But it's okay. I just need a moment to collect my... Ah! The flower pot shattered. Coffee is spilling everywhere. I'll get the mug. No, you will not. I am a big, strong boy and I can take care of a tiny leak of my coffee. That is not tiny. How does it have so much liquid? It just does, Gladys. Alfred! I'm sorry I'm yelling! It's okay. You're under a lot of pressure. I appreciate you. Thank you. You, intern. My name's Todd. Here, hold this cup of coffee, then curl yourself into a ball around it. What? Uh, how do I... Just do it! Okay. Good. Now I'll just lift you up like this. Perfect. See? No more tricks. Alfred, you can't give your presentation carrying the intern. I really don't mind. It's fine! Now if you'll excuse me, I have no time left because it's time for my big presentation! Ah! The intern broke! I'm okay. Alfred, that coffee cup is possessed. It's shooting coffee like a garden hose. Please, I could have gotten 20 mugs by now if you've just like... I got that! No, you don't. Alfred, I hate to rush you, but I don't have all day. Of course, Miss Henriksen. Just a little intern mishap. I'll be right there. All righty. Alfred, be reasonable. I am being reasonable! In fact, I have an idea. An incredibly reasonable idea. Okay, good. Because I was starting to worry that... Hey, everyone in the office! Listen up! I need to plug the hole in this coffee cup and you're all going to help me. Bring me the following items. Bread, tangerines, your jackets, Travis's birthday cake, a bucket of mud, payroll records 2008 to 2016, hot glue, every desk in the office, the carpet, your cubicles, computers, and literally every other item except for the mud! Why? Gather them all and smash them into a gigantic ball of mush. You've got five seconds. Alfred, there's no way that... Go! Oh my gosh, they're doing it. I don't know how, but they're actually doing it. Hey, that's my desk. No, not my talking bar. I'm keeping that. Now to put my coffee cup on top. And... I did it! It stopped dripping! Alfred, I'm out of time. Either you give this presentation right now, or you're... Wait a minute Why is the office completely empty And what is this giant amorphous ball Oh this Just my coffee Oh Hmm Miss Henriksen I deeply apologize for the delay Head on into the conference room. I am right behind you. Last chance, Alfred. Whew. That was a close one. But I did it. Now, if you'll excuse me, Gladys, I and my coffee cup have a presentation to give. You can't actually carry that. That's literally everything in the office. Of course I can. See? You know what? Maybe I'll just leave my coffee out here. You mind if I put it down on top of your chocolate bar? It's the only thing, Gladys. I guess. Thank you, Gladys. Huh, it stopped. The chocolate bar plugged the leak. Whoa, how about that? Thanks for all your help, Gladys. You're a real friend. Of course. I guess you're finally ready to give that presentation. But not before I've had my coffee. Hey, wait a minute. This is not coffee anymore. It is hot chocolate. Delicious! Oh, Alfred. Hey, Alfred. Yes, boss? You're fired. Oh, thank goodness. I had nothing planned for this presentation. What? The end. Oh, that was great. A real classic. All right, enough playtime. Here comes the rest of my biker gang. Here we go. You remember Toddler with a soul patch? I'm one cool little man. Heh heh, sunglasses. This is Toddler with some sideburns. I must have missed my nap, because I'm feeling cranky. And finally, our newest member, Bald Adult. Hi, I'm Rick. Quiet, Bald Adult. Sorry, I'm just glad to be here. You replaced me with a bald adult? Replaced? Baby with a mustache. You used to be part of this crew? That was a lifetime ago. When you abandoned us, we thought, what's the opposite of a baby with a mustache? The answer, a bald adult. Oh, it's been great for me. My wife is always saying I need to get out more. Quiet, bald adult. So sorry. I didn't abandon you. I got an opportunity to make something of myself on my own. And so you left without even leaving a note. First of all, I'm a baby. I can't spell. Second, when the story pirates call, you answer. Ha, all I heard is that you think you're better than us. Is that what you all heard? That's what I heard. Definitely what she said. Yes, I also heard that. Quiet, bald adult! Oh, my fault. What do you want from me, toddler with a goatee? I told you to settle this once and for all. I challenge you to a baby brawl! All right, young people, I want a nice, clean brawl. Smitty, where did you come from? The referee code. Whenever a challenge this big is thrown down, I simply appear. How? I cannot reveal the secret arts of the referee Okay, but what is a baby brawl? Don't get me wrong, I love a good battle But I'm not sure how I feel about supporting a baby battle Oh, it's not a physical fight, Siegfried Good It's much more intense than that Explain! The baby brawl is an ancient tradition Over the centuries, there have been a special few very young people blessed with beautiful facial hair. We fuzzy tots have been shunned by society, forced to live by our own rules and traditions. But our lineage is long and proud and includes such luminaries as the Dutch philosopher Tyke with a van dyke and the medieval muralist Cherub with a chin strap. Some say our origins are even older, dating all the way back to the mythical cave baby with a big bushy beard. Save us the history lesson, toddler with a goatee. Are we doing this or what? Baby brawl round one. Milk drinking. Whoa! Where did this table covered with dozens of baby bottles come from? I can't say. Referee code. I think I've been underestimating referees. Babies, on your marks, get set, feed! Go, baby with a mustache! For the glory of Valhalla! That is so much dairy. Quiet, old adult! Yes, of course. And three, two, one. Time! Where did that buzzer come from? Baby with a mustache finished two and a half bottles of milk. And toddler with a goatee, three. Ha-ha! No one can beat my appetite for victory! Round one goes to toddler with a goatee. Let's put it on the board. Where did that scoreboard come from? Let me guess. Referee code? That was actually already there Baby brawl round two Sleeping through the night You're going down Oh, I'm going down all right Down for the night Ready, set, rockabye babies So, we're just gonna wait here All night? Shh, don't wake the babies But yes This part is less exciting. We'll be right back after a few words for the grown-ups. Hey, grown-ups! Today's episode is sponsored by DoorDash. When the chaos of life hits, DoorDash will be there. As a parent, DoorDash has always been there for me when I needed them most. Like that time on February 12th, 2023, when I ordered one pack of size two diapers and a 9.25 ounce bag of corn chips. Because I was desperate for diapers for a baby. And also desperate for corn chips. Sure, the diapers were more urgent and luckily DoorDash was ready to help. I got the diapers minutes later and my baby was all set. And I got the corn chips I was craving too. The baby did not get any corn chips. Tiny babies shouldn't eat corn chips because, for starters, they don't have any teeth. Real life needs real relief. That's why DoorDash is there for whatever you need, whenever you need it. Hey, grownups. Lee here. See Story Pirates Live! Our amazing touring cast, including Eric, will be visiting some East Coast cities this spring to perform some of your favorite songs from the podcast. And they'll take suggestions from kids in the audience to create a brand new story that will only be seen once. Best of all, all of our upcoming shows are on weekends, so no need to worry about school nights or bedtime routines. We'll see you soon in Munhall, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Ohio, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Medford, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, and Richfield, Connecticut. Tickets to all the shows are on sale now at storypirates.com slash live. Good morning. What time is it? Did I do it? Did I sleep through the night? Oh, no, I'm sorry. It's 2.30 a.m. You did not sleep through the night. Round two of the baby brawl goes to baby with a mustache. Huh? What happened? Did I win? You did it, baby with a mustache. The score is one to one. Don't get comfortable. You don't stand a chance. All right, this is the dreaded final round of the baby brawl, the diabolical game of peekaboo. Whoever resists the urge to laugh wins. Oh, this is a tough one. Baby with the mustache, you're first. You've got this. Remember, just don't laugh. No problem. I mean, no problem. Ready, set. Where'd I go? Ah, where did he go? I can't see him He was here just now, but now all I see are hands Oh, Schmitty, my dear friend, where did you go? Come back, come back Maybe you never existed Permanence is an illusion Peek-a-boo Oh, he's right here You got me Wow, Schmitty, that was good That was very good. Oh, I'm afraid that is a miss. Okay, toddler with a goatee, this is your chance to take the win. You got this, twag. I believe in you as well. Quiet, bald adult. Oh, hey, I'm not even here. Here we go. Ready, set, where'd I go? Oh, no, he's gone. Where did he go? Oh, I don't like this. Why'd he leave? Why does everyone leave? First, my sweet baby sister with a mustache runs away to join a bunch of story pirates. And now the funny referee is gone. Why? Why? Come back. I want my sister. I want my sister. Peek-a-boo. Oh! He's right there. Oh, he didn't leave. He was just behind those hands. Incredible. Oh, I did not see that coming. Wow, is my face red? Oh, I thought he was gone, like for good. But look, he's back! Wow, wild stuff. Toddler with a goatee. You miss me? Of course I do. You're my sister. But you were always so mean to me. You'd take my toys without asking, drink my bottle, steal my mustache wax? Of course I did. I'm a toddler. I barely have any impulse control. But you always seemed so poised, so mature, and not just for a baby. I guess I was jealous of how sophisticated you are. Jealous of me? But I've always been jealous of you. You can walk across a room and hardly ever fall on your butt. You can eat solid food and grow incredible facial hair, not just on your upper lip, but also on your chin. Toddler with a goatee, I've always looked up to you. But Baby with a Mustache, what about your grudge? I think I'm ready to let it go. Hmm, I guess you truly are a story pirate. What do you say, sis? Yeah, that sounds all right. Bring it in, you big baby. Aww. Toddler with a Goatee and Baby with a Mustache have done the unthinkable. They have both won the baby brawl. It's a tie. A tie? What on earth is a tie? They both win. I have literally never heard of that. You know, Siegfried, this whole letting go of grudges thing is actually pretty nice. You should try it. Oh, baby with a mustache. Never. Eh, that was worth a shot. Instead let do another story Yes please Yeah Yeah And here to introduce it is the author Hi my name is Nora and I eight years old and I live in Arizona Now this is my story, Princess Lemon and the Tennis Tournament. Ah, what a refreshing morning here in the Lemon Kingdom. For me, Princess Lemon, I think I'll open the window and greet the day. Good morning, my sour subjects Stop being so loud I don't want to go to work, it's too early The sun's too bright, I'm going back to bed Boy, the townsfolk truly are sour Good morning, Princess Lemon, I have your breakfast Lemon cereal with a side of lemon toast A lemon waffle with fried lemon bacon And a glass of fresh squeezed lemon juice with extra lemon Wonderful So delicious! I'll be sure to pass your compliments along to the lemon chef. Oh, lemon butler, I've had it! I love the lemon kingdom, but every day is just sour, sour, sour. I need to find a way to balance things out. Well, princess, you have reached the age where one typically becomes betrothed. Perhaps a prince could be that change you're looking for. A prince? Yuck! Now don't you be sour, princess. How about this? We will hold a royal competition amongst all the princes, and the prince who wins gets the chance to ask for your hand. I suppose that tradition says I don't have a choice. That is correct. All right, but I will choose the competition. It shall be a tennis tournament. But you are the very best tennis player in the entire kingdom. Oh, just because I can do this with a tennis ball and racket? Serving! Oh, ow! Whoa, that tennis ball hit me in the exact place necessary to fix my lifelong chronic back issues. Thank you, Princess Lemon. Bell kick! Then it's settled, Lemon Butler. Assemble the princes at once. It's time for a royal tennis tournament! Hello, everyone, and welcome to the first ever Lemon Kingdom Tennis Championship. I'm Lamon McEnroe. And I'm Martina Navrita Lemon. It's an exciting day for tennis. Just listen to that crowd. Tennis is so noisy. Why are everyone's shoes so squeaky? The courts are too green. I'm going back to bed. Boy, those Lemon Kingdom townsfolk sure are sour. You said it, Lamon. Here comes the Lemon Butler to kick things off. Princess Lemon, before we begin the tournament, please allow me to present the princes competing today. Let's get this over with. Prince Potato. Good morning, princess. Put her there. Oops, sorry. My hand's a little dirty. I sleep underground. Too dirty. Next, Prince Onion. Oh, boo. How am I ever going to win? I can't do anything right. Too teary. Are there any good princes in this kingdom? Next is Prince Sugar. I, Prince Sugar, have brought you this bouquet of sugar cane. May it sweeten your days as your presence has sweetened mine. Oh my, he's sweet. Perhaps too sweet. And finally, Prince Radish. I brought you this. Is that a pile of dirt? And there's more where that came from. I'm Prince Radish and I'm sharp and I'm spicy. I'm gonna beat everyone at this tournament, including sugary little Prince Syrup over here, and then I'm gonna marry you! Ugh, way too overpowering. Why thank you! Now that all the princes are here, let the Lemon Kingdom Tennis Championship begin! What a tournament has been so far, never to lemon! After several sets of play, Prince Sugar has captured the hearts of Lemon Kingdom with his sweet strokes and elegant sportsmanship. and a dainty drop shot winner. That's game set match to me. Good match, Prince Potato. It was an absolute joy to share the court with you. Did I be honest? I started rooting for you like halfway through our match. Rooting? Because I'm a root vegetable. I'm sorry, my hands are filthy. Not to be outdone, Prince Radish has also been dominating with his aggressive play style. I win! Prince Onion? More like Prince Nunion because you're nothing. Yeah! I don't even like tennis. I just wanted to get married. And with that decisive win, we move forward immediately to the final match. Prince Radish versus Prince Sugar. Bring him out. I'm here, Prince Radish. Ready to give it my all. May the best prince win. Aww. Well, I'm done with you. They'll have to change this kingdom's name to the Aspartame Kingdom. Because it'll be sugar-free. You're mean Alright princes On your marks Get set Tennis Topspin lob Gently kisses the baseline A powerful smash Right down the center of the court A perfectly placed Cross court topspin forehand I could do this all day Wow This match has lasted all day but it's finally match point for Prince Sugar here in the fifth set. Sugar sets up to serve. Prince Radish, you may be strong, but try and keep up with this. Sugar rush! A tremendous serve to finish it off. Prince Sugar is the winner of the Lemon Kingdom Championship. No, no! Oh, I despise you, Sugar! I hate this tournament! End this racket! Ah, snap! Oh, Prince Radish, don't break your racket. Here, take one of my rackets to break instead. Oh, Prince Radish. We like him. Everyone, stop looking at me. I'm going back underground. Congratulations, Prince Sugar. You have won the Lemon Kingdom Tennis Championship. And as your prize, you shall receive the hand of Prince... Not so fast. Prince Sugar, you haven't won the tournament. until you beat the very best player in the land. Me! Unheard of. There's no way the prince would accept such... I accept. What, what, what? Be warned, princess. I respect you too much to not give it my all. I expect no less. Serving! An ace for Princess Lemon. You're incredible. Serving! A behind-the-back-eyes-closed 360-back-flip-smash while doing her taxes. You're breathtaking. Serving! I'll say. Ow! That tennis ball aced Prince Sugar, bounced off the court, put out two house fires, knocked four cats off trees into their owner's arms, spun back around, and lightly hit me on the back of the head in the way that corrected my vision. Princess Lemon, I surrender. I'm no match for your grace, for your skill, and dare I say, your beauty. Prince Sugar, you're so sweet. And with that, Princess Lemon wins without losing a single point. I know when to humbly accept my defeat. I shall take my leave. Prince Sugar, before you go, will you do me one favor? Anything for you, Princess. Would you marry me? Now that would be sweet! I now pronounce you Princess Lemon and Prince Sugar. Yay! In honor of the newlyweds, lemon slices and sugar cubes for everyone. Hmm, these are sort of an odd combination. But so are we. I suppose, just like this cup of sugar and lemons, we will have to find a way to balance the sweet and sour for the good of the kingdom. Oh no! A rainstorm! It's going to ruin these treats! Oh look! The rainwater is mixing lemon and sugar in those cups. I wonder... Oh wow! This is delicious! Try this! This is incredible. The sugar has aided the lemon to make something better. As I vow to do for you, Princess Lemon, I shall be your lemonade. Ooh, good name. Get it? The end. Now, Lee speaks with the author. So, Nora, you wrote Princess Lemon and the Tennis Tournament. Yes. How did you get the idea for your story? Well, when I was younger, my dad used to tell me little bedtime stories, and he told me little Princess Lemon stories, and that's how I got the idea. Oh, that's amazing. So this is the character that you've been living with for a long time. Yeah. I love in your story how Prince Sugar has to play Princess Lemon at the end of the tournament. Have you ever been in a situation where you lost a game of some kind, and you had to decide whether to be, like, a good sport or a sore loser? Sometimes I play a game with my dad or brother, and when I lose against them, I just go, like, I wish I could win, but I'm still a good sport. And what kind of things does a good sport do? They say, like, good game, or, like, they help somebody out if they broke a tennis racket or something like that. That's cool. Do you have any advice for any listeners who are trying to be better sports when they lose? How do you handle that moment? What do you do? Well, I would say you should shake the other player's hand. Yeah. Are there any things about Princess Lemon that we wouldn't know from reading your story that you know about her? Yes. There's another story I'm thinking about writing where her kids, there's Princess Lemonade and Prince Lemonade. And they go up to the Fruity Kingdom and battle. Princess Lemonade battles against Prince Strawberry. And they make strawberry lemonade and prince lemonade. Battle of against raspberry lemonade. And they make raspberry lemonade. So there's a lot of battles and there's often a refreshing beverage at the end. Yeah. What about any like new kinds of lemonade that you could invent? Lime lemonade. Grape lemonade. Hot chocolate lemonade. Ooh, now we're talking. Okay, I have two lemonades for you to taste test. You need to choose one of them. One of them is a peanut butter and jelly lemonade, and the other one is a glass of salmon lemonade. Which lemonade would you like to drink? A peanut butter and jelly lemonade, because I just don't like salmon, but I like peanut butter and jelly. Take a drink and let me know what you think. I got some bread in there, but it tasted good. Okay, here's two more lemonades that I want you to taste test. Are you ready? Sure. The first one is a crab cake lemonade. And the next glass, it's like a Thanksgiving turkey mixed with the sweet lemonade. Which one would you like to try? Crab cake lemonade or turkey lemonade? Crab cake lemonade. All right, take a sip. Well, I got a crab claw in there, but it tasted good. Yeah, sorry about that. I thought I got all the crab claws out of there. Nora, thank you so much for letting us perform your story. I'm excited to hear the podcast. Bye. Bye. Welcome back to Story Love where we take stories written by kids and we read them and we talk about them My name Lee and I here with Peter That is your name Yep Peter let get started Would you read our first story for us Lee I would love nothing more Our first story comes to us today from a six-year-old from Canada named Beth. And Beth's story is called The Rolling Restaurant. Ooh. Once upon a time, there was a girl, and she liked to go to restaurants. Relatable. One time when she was in one of her many restaurants, she felt some bumping and then she felt some wobbling. But then she looked out the window and she saw that the restaurant had wheels. She went to the front of the restaurant where you order your food and saw that there was a steering wheel. He didn't even notice her. It was zooming through the town. And that's why you should never go to a restaurant Unattended That doesn't have an outside The end Okay, so when I read this the first time I was like Oh, I kind of asked Peter what that last sentence means But now hearing it out loud, I totally understand Oh, do you? Please tell Well, there is no patio on the restaurant Right? So if there was a patio on the restaurant It's a good indication that the restaurant can't just up and start moving Oh, that's brilliant Yeah, you put your chairs outside your rolling restaurant. You drive away. You lost all your chairs. That's right. That's right. Not to mention your little heaters. Oh, yeah. Or any covers that you have. Awnings. Awnings, tables, silverware, place settings. Yeah. I'm going to tell you the thing that I'm most intrigued about in this story is who he is. He is the steering wheel. The wheel itself? Yeah. I believe that the restaurant is owned and operated by the steering wheel. and that's where you get your the steering wheel takes your order too because the person goes up to where you order your food and that's where the steering wheel was and he didn't even notice her so do you think this girl walked into this restaurant and you order up front so maybe it's fast food or there's no waiters right, order at the counter and in this case you're saying she walked in and goes oh here's a steering wheel that I speak into or order from. She didn't notice it at first. First, she probably got her seat. You know, you want to get a good table first. Right. You go, you put your jacket on a chair, and then you're like... Oh, wait, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Lee. Are you the type of person that goes into an order at the counter place and claims a seat before you order and get your food? Yeah, 100%. I'm a reasonable person. That destroys the entire system. Oh, please. When a person gets their food, and there's no seats because your jacket's there, and you've thrown the whole system out of loot. Well, they shouldn't have ordered food if there weren't any seats. Well, you try to trust that by the time you get it, somebody has wrapped up. There is no trust in the restaurant business. I will die on this hill. The Rolling Restaurant is an amazing story. Beth, thank you so much for sending it in. I'm going to look out for restaurants without patios from now on. All right, let's get on to our next one. Yes, please. This is from a nine-year-old from Connecticut named Ronan, and it's called Three Broken Heroes. There were three weird birds. One had no wings. Another had a roller coaster hat. And the last one was a baby bird that created the world. They wanted to become knights, but they were untrained. To train, they battled the furniture god, Mr. Garlic Guy. They defeated him on the 732nd try Then a giant piano with wings came to the village Naturally He was also made by an evil scientist named Bob Who came from Piano Planet They used their new onion shredders To defeat the giant piano He was defeated Then all the birds had a pizza party P.S. The bird with a rollercoaster hat's name was Three The one with no feathers name is Broken And the baby bird that made the world's name is Heroes Three Broken Heroes Incredible That's the title of the story Oh, I didn't even catch that I didn't catch it until right now Wow Oh Amazing Three Broken Heroes Incredible Because they're saying That's her name The baby bird's name is H-E-R-O Apostrophe S So it's not even It wouldn't be grammatically correct If it was the way we originally read it That's I can't think of anyone else's name that has a possessive in it. My name is Heroes. Well, a lot of people, because if someone's name ends with an S and you want to make it possessive, you have to go S. It's true. So if Heroes owned a sandwich, would you say that's Heroes' sandwich? Yes. Heroes'. But there's still an apostrophe. Is it double? Could you go? It's a double. H-E-R-O apostrophe S. It's a double. Apostrophe S? Yes, it's a double. I love that. Never before seen in human history, Ronan. Incredible work. I gotta say, the thing that this really, to me, it doesn't feel like one story. This, to me, feels like a full comic book series. Okay. You know, where there's, like, multiple adventures, like the backstory, battling Mr. Garlic Guy 732 times is, like, their training montage. Like, that's how they became as good as they are. Oh, okay. And then they go on to other adventures, like the giant piano with wings. I could see this being a 12-part comic book series. There is a lot here. Ronan, I think what Peter's trying to say is you can flesh this out. Yeah. All right, we got one more. Peter, take it away. Lee, this next story comes to us from a eight-year-old from North Carolina named Margo. And Margo's story is entitled Skeleton Man Plus Key Lime Pie. There's a plus sign. Plus sign. Yeah. So it could be and also. Once there was an SM You can guess what that is He was made of yogurt It was made of key lime pie So key lime pie flavored yogurt I believe so In the shape of a skeleton man He had all the tech He had a watch that was so high tech You couldn't even blink when you saw it Wow Once he made a maid robot helper She does everything Even fly and barf out rainbows and shoot fire She does anything Even fly and barf out rainbows and shoot fire As a maid does One day he was spooked The maid was evil She got a big black castle and lived in it She became a vampire and eated only one thing Hairy yodels Oh no Then Moo Moo Man, the superhero Cow, defeated her Then the whole thing happened One I'm gonna round this to a gazillion More times Everyone now eats Low Lontinotas A.K.A. Potatoes The end This is an amazing story I love once there was an SM, you can guess what that is because we saw the title. But then it doesn't tell you. You can go ahead and guess. You can guess. In fact, the answers are right in front of your eyes. I love he had all the tech. That sounds to me like something that kids say. Oh, yeah. You know, Devin, he has all the tech. Do they say that? I don't know. I could imagine it. And what is all the tech? Well, apparently it's so... It includes a smartwatch that you can't blink when you see it. Couldn't even blink when you saw it. Is that because it's so shockingly awesome? The second time I read it, I realized it was the like... I can't even blink. It's so beautiful. Wow. I'm stuck in the shocked face. Or does it have some kind of strobe? That's like you look at it and you're like... And then you always tell the time correctly because you're never accidentally blinking in the middle of telling the time. That's always the problem. I want to check the time really fast, and then I'm like, let me look. Oh, I'm blinking. I'm wasting time that I could be using to process the time. Oh, well, I can tell you what time it is. It's 5, 4. I lost the last digit. I blinked. I'll use my magic. I'll use my tech watch. Ready? Go! 8, 15. Ugh, got to get that tech. You can't even blink when you saw it. Thanks to everyone for sending us in your stories. And to read today's stories, just head to storypirates.com. and guess what grown-ups you can find an even longer version of today's story love on youtube we drop a new video every week and here's something did you know that youtube will show it to more people and help story pirates grow if we get more views right away weird i know but true so by watching these videos as soon as you can you're not only hearing the hilarious stories from kids, but you're helping each kid's story to be celebrated by more people and contributing to our channel's growth, which means that we can create more videos and help fund the podcast. You've heard us talking about how severely impacted free forms of educational media like us have been, and this is one free step you can take to help. So find the link to today's video in the show notes. And while you're there, maybe subscribe to our channel and make sure to watch the new videos each week. and grown-ups story love isn't just the name of a segment on our show it's also the name of our incredible corporate volunteer program to find out more about story love our digital creative writing program story quest or our non-profit arm story pirates change makers check the show notes for links that's it for today's episode thanks to today's authors alfred and nora and guess what you can still send us your stories and we respond to every single story we receive. Grownups, your link to submit is in the show notes for today's episode. We'll be back next week with another brand new episode. Until then, stay creative and stay kind. Bye! The Story Pirates Podcast is a production of Story Pirates Studios, executive produced by Lee Overtree and Benjamin Salka. This episode was produced by Isabella Riccio, Sam Baer, Andrew Miller, Peter McNerney, Lee Overtree, and Brittany Stahl. Recording, sound design, and mixing by Sam Baer at the Relic Room in New York City. Additional production by Brett Tuvin. Theme song by Bobby Lord. Musical scoring by Eric Herson and Jack Mitchell. Our head writer is Peter McNerney. Staff writers are Megan O'Neill and Alexis Simpson. Contributing writers are Lee Overtree and Harry Wood. Episode artwork by Camilla Franklin. Special guest, Kate Micucci. This episode features performances by Ben Blackman, Matt Cox, Sasha Diamond, Alison Frasca, Christina Grospeach, Alexandria Iona, Quinton Johnson, Justin Linville, Peter McNerney, Joshua Nassar, Megan O'Neill, Leo Ritree, Tony Rodriguez, Jamie Watson, and Matt Zambrano. Ah, and now to sit down and relax with a tall, cold glass of crab cake lemonade. Hmm. Oh, that tastes really good. Oh, I got a crab claw.