Lee, Rolo and Meghan visit one of the most famous places in New York City: Wall Street! Featuring two new stories: “The Flavour Thief,” a mystery about a culinary bandit and the two kids who hunt him down, written by Lailah, a 10 year old from Ontario, and “Too Many Buttons,” a story about absurd automotive technology, written by an 8 year old from Washington named Aidan.
Scroll down for the original stories behind the episode!
Illustration by Camila Franklin
The Flavour Thief
by Lailah, age 10. Ontario
Dad: Hey Jessica, I’m home from work!
Jessica: Hi Dad! Did you finally remember to get me a pair of spy goggles just like Emily’s.
Dad: Yes. I picked them up just for you after work because I knew you wanted one just like your best
friend Emily’s.
Dad’s thoughts: (I don’t know why Jessica wanted that pair; she could have had one of the other ones at
the store. The one she wanted was 1,000 dollars! Eh, I have bought her so many things that I don’t really
care anymore.)
Dad: Anyways, how about you put those spy goggles up in your room. It smells like dinner is almost
ready!
***
Mom: Okay, dinners ready! Let’s all go sit at the table.
Jessica: Mmm. Homemade pizza, my favorite!
Mom: Dig in!
Dad: Hold on. Is it just me or can I not taste the gooeyness of the cheese or the deliciousness of the
tomato sauce!
Jessica: Nope. I can’t.
Mom: Me neither. Did I forget to add the flavor?
Dad: Oh no. It’s my worst fear come to life… It’s the flavor thief!
Mom: A WHAT!
Dad: A flavor thief. He takes away flavors from every food in the world. He has only started with pizza,
but soon all food will have no flavor…FOREVER! Oh, and I read about all of this in his attempt to do the
exact same thing he is doing now in 1999 and that his name is Bernard.
Mom: Okay? So, are you saying that when the flavor thief touches pizza, we can’t taste tomatoes or
cheese or pizza anymore?
Dad: Yes. At least that is what the newspaper said.
Jessica: Don’t worry dad, me and Emily will stop Bernard the flavor thief. Can I. Please!
Mom: Well, you are 8, okay. But on one condition, you must come back before your bedtime.
Jessica: Fine. I am going to call Emily and see if it’s just us or if other people can’t taste pizza too.
Jessica (on the phone): Hi Emily, I was Just wondering if you can’t taste pizza or any other food.
Emily (on the phone): Hi Jessica, that’s so funny you ask. I can’t taste any food and my neighbors can’t
either. I don’t think anyone can taste any food to be honest!
Jessica (on the phone): Oh no! The problem has gotten bigger! Meet me at the strange alleyway down
the street. And I will explain the problem later.
Emily (on the phone): Um… Okay? Bye.
***
Jessica: ………… and that’s what’s happening.
Emily: Okay. I think I have a plan, but we need all of the spy gear our parents bought us. I have mine, do
you have yours?
Jessica: Yep, I do. I’ll follow your lead with the plan.
Emily: Good. Now let’s take out our spy goggles and scan the alleyway. If my spy senses are right, I am
pretty sure Bernards secret hideout is here.
Spy Goggles: Scanning…Scanning…Scanning…Complete
Jessica: Hey, I think that pickle is the secret button to getting in the hideout.
Emily: That’s kind of weird, but okay. I will give it a push.
Pickle: What’s the password…
Jessica: Um…Pickle-o-Rama?
Pickle: Beep! Sadly yes. But wait till I tell Bernard about this; he will be so angry!
Emily: Okay, a talking pickle, very strange. Anyways, let’s go inside!
Jessica: Whoa! There are so many foods in here, that means so many flavors have been taken away! We
need to get these flavors back and capture the thief fast! Emily, you use your special spy bag to collect all
the stolen flavors fast! I will catch the thief.
Emily: Okay, on it! And remember that the spy goggles have lasers, you can use that to catch the thief.
Jessica: Hey, there’s the thief! Time to use those lasers.
Spy Goggles: Pew! Pew! Pew!
Jessica: Yes! Got him!
Emily: Good job! I finished collecting the flavors.
Jessica: Now all I have to do is call my dad so that he can come here and get Bernard the flavor thief. I
don’t really know my dad’s phone number, it’s okay. 416… UGH! I don’t know the rest of his phone
number. I’ll just call the police instead. 911. Great now that that’s handled with and now everyone can
taste food again because the flavors are out of Bernards grasp, I can finally go home!
Emily: Yay! I’ll see you later Jessica.
Jessica: Okay. Bye!
***
Dad and Mom: Great job honey!
Mom: As a thank you gift, you and Emily can get any spy gear you want for a month!
Dad: I’ll get you in the newspaper!
Jessica: Thank you Bernard the flavor thief. If you hadn’t shown up, I wouldn’t have had such a great
adventure! – But that doesn’t mean I want you coming back and stealing flavors again
The End
The Invisible Shop
by Aidan, age 8, Washington
Bye honey! I am going to work. Getting in the car. Oh no I forgot there are sooooooooooooooooooo many buttons! Which one is the start button? I am going to press this one. BLAST OFF in 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 Blast Off! Oh no I must have pressed the wrong button. I am going to press this button. Falling in 3...2...1... ahhhhhhhhhh! Now I am in the sky. I must of pressed the wrong button again! I shall press this button! Falling in 3...2...1...ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Wrong button for the 3rd time! I am sailing on the ocean. Hopefully this will take me home. Beep. Sinking now. Blub. I am going to press this button. But I am under the ocean. Oh well. Here I go! Digging now. Aw man now I am under Earth's crust. :( There is one button left I shall press it. Press. Shoom! I am finally at work! Hooray! The End
Roll Call Stories
The Cagons
by Kurt, age 8, Pennsylvania
One day in Cagonopolis, the Cagons were getting ready to create a portal to boring human place. Meanwhile, in boring human place, they we are heaving a boring day.
The Teacher was teaching the boring kids.
The Baker was baking some boring bread and deserts.
The Builder was building some boring building, and the Kid was having the most fun ever.
Suddenly, there was a huge Bang!!
Everyone rushed outside.
A huge portal opened above the city.
Suddenly, giant creatures came out of the portal.
They were furry, and had sharp claws and long tails.they had big wings, and they were every color imaginable.
They each had a special magic in their mouths, glimmering horns that seemed to be made out of pure magic.
They made bubbles around themselves, each from the special material that they breathed out of their mouths.
Suddenly, the Kid jumped up. He shouted “I know what they are! They are Cagons!”
Everyone gasped.
Somebody shouted “ what are those? They are half dragons-half cats.”
Somebody else shouted “ there are 5863 of them! The same amount as the buildings in this city.
Each one of the Cagons went to a building, and breathed on them, and each building turned into a crazy material and also turned rainbow.
Then they went back through the portal never to be seen again, and the portal closed behind them.
“That’s the story of the Cagons”, said the old-old man.
I was the Kid.
My name actually is ..
“THE END!” shouted a kid, listening to the story.
“Hey!” shouted the old-old man.
Australia
by Emerson, age 10. Massachusetts
Kangaroo: Hello, I’m Kangaroo and welcome to Australia!
Random Penguin: Hey Bro, I’m just a random penguin floating around in
the sky with a bunch of balloons. Can I borrow y–
Kangaroo (interrupting): Hey, Go back to Antarctica.
Anyway, I would like to introduce you to some of the
animals he–
Emu (interrupting): Heeeey, dude! Check it out! I’m surfing on a giant pile of
whipped cream I found in the middle of nowhere. Want
to join?
Kangaroo: No thank you, Emu. I’m giving a tour of Australia.
Emu: Ooh! Can I help? [Emu grabs phone.] How do you use
this thing?!
Kangaroo: Hey! [Kangaroo grabs phone back.]
Emu trips and flies “backstage.” Crash boom smash clang sounds heard from
backstage.
Emu (from backstage, in a wheezy voice): I’m ok!
Kangaroo: I’m SO sorry ladies and gentlemen. Now, where was I?
Ah, yes! The tour!
“Later” sound and visual effect.
And this is the watering hole which wombat and echidna
are currently filling with rainbow sprinkles… Wait,
what?!
Hey, stop that right now! [Kangaroo trips.] Oh no! I just
tripped on a rock! Double oh no!! Now I’m falling right
toward the hole full of rainbow sprinkles!!! Aaaaahhh!
Oof! [Sound of falling into sprinkles.]
Kangaroo (in amazement): Wait… these sprinkles are delicious!
Wombat: Exactly!
Echidna: That’s why we are going to fill all the oceans in
the world with rainbow sprinkles!
Kangaroo: Wait, what?!
Penguin: The End!
The Puddle Pop
by Penelope, age 9. Michigan
Once upon a time there was a popsicle named Jeffrey. Jeffrey wanted to know what it was like outside the freezer. But his mom told him not to and that the world outside the freezer was a dangerous place. When she said this, he felt more determined than ever to figure it out. One night while the other popsicles were sleeping, Jeffrey quietly crept to the freezer door. He pushed it open and hopped out. At first life outside the freezer was nice, but then a giant ball of fire rose into the air and it started to get hot! But Jeffrey decided he could take “a little heat” and continued down the sidewalk. A few minutes later, he saw a humongous looming figure. The humongous creature stopped and watched Jeffrey pass. “Come on, Curry,” a giant figure said, tugging on a rope connecting the creature and giant. “Ruff, Ruff, Grrr!” the creature said. Jeffrey started to run with the creature on his tail, then suddenly Jeffrey started to melt! “Help! I’m melting, I’m melting!” he cried. The creature sniffed and then trotted away. The next winter Jeffrey’s puddle froze and was covered with snow. Jeffrey patched himself up and became a PUDDLE POP.
The end
