Transcript for Parent Storytellers
Oni Pepperoni pulled his green cap tight and zipped his jacket. Today he was hiking back to the snowy mountains to visit his friend, the Friendly Yeti. The ranger helicopter touched down near a pine forest. Oni hopped out and waved to the pilot. “See you at sunset!” He followed a crunchy trail that led to a sparkling stream.
“Bumble?” Oni called. “Bumble the Friendly Yeti?” A big, gentle shape ducked from behind a boulder. “Hello, little friend,” said Bumble, fluff shaking like a warm blanket. “You made it!” Oni smiled. “I missed you. Ready for a new adventure?” Bumble nodded so hard a little puff of snow fell from his head. “I am. But I have a problem. Our village lights went out last night.”
“Lights?” Oni asked. “Alphabet Lanterns,” Bumble said. “They guide travelers home in the snow. Each lantern turns on with a letter sound. But the wind mixed them up. Now no one can remember which sound goes with which lantern.” Oni’s eyes went wide. “We can fix that! I’m learning letters in Kindergarten. Let’s go!”
At the first turn, they found a frosty arch with a sign: A. A small, sleepy arctic fox curled beside it like a white comma. Oni held his fists at his sides and pretended tiny ants were crawling on his arms. “‘A’ says ‘A’ like ant,” he said, doing quick little ant wiggles. The arch glowed orange, then bright gold. The fox yawned, stretched, and trotted away, tail high. Bumble clapped. “You did it!”
They hiked on until they reached a bent tree shaped like a giant hook. A wooden tag dangled from a branch: B. “‘B’ says ‘B’ like bounce,” Oni said, touching his lips together. He bent his knees and did three tiny hops. The tag chimed and a lantern hidden in the snow blinked on, blue and bright. Bumble grinned. “Two letters, two lights.”
They turned a corner and came to a wide log bridge over fast water. A small sign at the start read C. Oni made his hand into a crab claw. “‘C’ says ‘C’ like cat,” he said, snapping his fingers. A row of lights flickered along the bridge, leading them safely across. On the far bank, Oni spotted a familiar buzz. “Buzzy the Bee!” he called. Buzzy zipped in a zigzag. “Hi, Oni! Hi, Bumble! Are you fixing the Alphabet Lanterns?” “We are,” Oni said. “Want to help until the next flower field?” Buzzy saluted with a tiny leg. “I’ll hum the beat.”
They followed the river to a snow cave. Faint letters were carved at the door: D. Oni drummed on his knees. “‘D’ says ‘D’ like drum,” he said, tapping a rhythm. Buzzy hummed a beat. Bumble tapped his big toe. The cave door glowed and slid open. Inside, warm crystals lit a path. They didn’t go in—this was a lantern checkpoint, not a dungeon—but the door’s glow sent a beam up the mountain. “Four lights,” Bumble said. “The village will be so happy.”
A drift had buried the next sign, so only the top showed. Oni brushed snow away: E. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “‘E’ says ‘E’ like echo,” he shouted. Across the valley, a second echo bounced back. A lantern on a far cliff flicked on—green and steady. Buzzy twirled. “You’re on a roll.”
They reached a frozen meadow with a fence post shaped like a flag. Tied to it was a cloth tag: F. Oni blew softly through his teeth. “‘F’ says ‘F’ like feather,” he said, brushing snow with his glove like a feather swish. A hidden lantern under the post glowed warm white. Bumble pointed his fuzzy paw up the slope. “Next is the windy pass.”
The wind whooshed as they climbed. Snow swirled in curly loops. At a bend stood a stack of glacier rocks forming a tall neck with a round head. The little sign read G. Oni pretended to push a heavy gift. “‘G’ says ‘G’ like gift,” he said, giving a silly grunt. The rock stack shivered, then settled, and a deep golden lantern came alive beneath it.
Behind the rock stack, the trail narrowed and led to a tiny hut made of branches. A heart-shaped wreath hung crookedly. The tag said H. Oni breathed out like he was fogging a mirror. “‘H’ says ‘H’ like hot,” he said, puffing warm air. A lantern in the hut window glowed cozy and calm. Inside the wreath, someone had tucked a note: “Thank you.” Bumble blinked away happy ice-tears.
The next sign was planted beside a quiet, icy pond. Letters floated on the surface like lily pads: I. Oni pointed a finger straight up like a tall stick. “‘I’ says ‘I’ like igloo,” he said with a quick smile. The ice rang like a bell. Light rose from beneath the pond and formed a soft silver lantern on the shore.
They stopped for snacks—granola for Oni, a big snowberry for Bumble, one drop of wildflower honey for Buzzy. Then they marched on. The trail led to a cluster of trees shaped like a jigsaw piece. A sign by the roots read J. Oni pretended to jump rope. “‘J’ says ‘J’ like jump,” he said, hopping three quick hops. A lantern in the branches blinked on and swayed gently like it was cheering.
Farther on, they met a little goat kid standing in the path, staring at a sign shaped like two long sticks. The painted letter read K. The goat’s ears twitched. “Stuck?” Oni asked. The goat nodded. Oni tapped the sign gently. “‘K’ says ‘K’ like kite,” he said. The goat tried a tiny tap-tap. A lantern on the sign popped to life, and the goat bleated happily and trotted away.
They rounded a wide curve and reached a flat snowfield. A single sign stood tall: L. Oni licked his lips and smiled. “‘L’ says ‘L’ like lollipop,” he said. A lantern at the sign’s base lit up lemon-yellow.
The wind grew softer as they entered a shallow canyon. A small wooden bridge crossed a crack in the ice, and the post at the start read M. Oni pressed his lips closed and hummed. “‘M’ says ‘M’ like muffin,” he said, pretending to take a big bite. The bridge rail twinkled with tiny lights, then a full lantern glowed mint-green.
Soon they reached a giant stone shaped like a circle with a bite taken out. Engraved on it was N. Oni touched his nose. “‘N’ says ‘N’ like nose,” he said. A pale lantern flickered on top of the stone and held steady.
At the ridge sat a snow hut with a round hole for a window and a sign that read O. Oni made a round mouth. “‘O’ says ‘O’ like octopus,” he said. A circle of light spun around the window and became a bright lantern.
They crossed into the high meadow. A wooden post ahead leaned like it was trying to run, and the sign on it read P. Oni made a tiny popping sound. “‘P’ says ‘P’ like pop,” he said. Tiny snowflakes puffed off the sign, and a pinkish lantern blinked on.
The path wound into a stand of spruce trees. On the middle tree, a square sign read Q. Oni puckered his lips. “‘Q’ says ‘Q’ like queen,” he said. A lantern with a little crown shape lit up.
They reached a rock that looked like a chair. A hanging tag swung from a hook: R. Oni growled softly. “‘R’ says ‘R’ like rain,” he said. A ruby lantern under the seat clicked on.
The next sign was fixed to a tree stump. It read S. The stump looked like a coiled snake. Oni hissed. “‘S’ says ‘S’ like snake,” he said. A slim lantern uncurled from the stump like a shiny ribbon.
They were nearing the village now. One last turn brought them to a wooden gate. Its sign read T. Oni tapped his tongue behind his teeth. “‘T’ says ‘T’ like tap,” he said. A crisp white lantern blinked on above the gate.
They stepped through and found a small clearing with three more signs arranged in a circle: U, V, W. “Teamwork time,” Oni said. For U, he cupped his hands like a little cup. “‘U’ says ‘U’ like umbrella,” he said. For V, Buzzy buzzed low and steady. “‘V’ says ‘V’ like vacuum,” Oni said. For W, Oni blew gently. “‘W’ says ‘W’ like wind,” he said. Three lanterns spun awake, bright and cheerful.
They crossed the final footbridge into Bumble’s village. Three unlit posts waited by the meeting hall. Each had a sign: X, Y, Z. Snow began to fall in soft flakes. Oni rubbed his hands together. “We can do this.” He drew an X in the air with his finger. “‘X’ says ‘X’ like X-ray,” he said. The lantern clicked on with a sharp, sparkly sound. For Y, he stretched his arms wide. “‘Y’ says ‘Y’ like yellow,” Oni said. The lantern glowed sunny and bright. For Z, Oni made a zigzag in the snow. “‘Z’ says ‘Z’ like zipper,” he said. The final lantern burst into light—gold and lively.
All around the square, doors opened. Friendly Yetis peeked out, eyes warm and grateful. The chief Yeti stepped forward with a knitted scarf in both hands. “For our small friend,” she said, placing it around Oni’s neck. “You brought the letters back to life.” Buzzy hovered near Oni’s ear. “You did it, letter hero.”
Oni looked up the mountain. From the trail to the village square, Alphabet Lanterns shone in order, A to Z, like a glowing path home. Bumble reached down a huge hand. “Thank you,” he said softly. “You helped more than you know.” They spent the afternoon sipping cocoa in the meeting hall. Oni taught the villagers the simple moves and sounds for each letter. The Yetis tried the actions with giant, careful hands.
By sunset, the helicopter thumped overhead. It was time for Oni to head home. On the snowy field, Bumble bent down so Oni could pat his furry cheek. “See you soon?” Oni asked. “Soon,” Bumble promised. “The mountains are brighter now.” Oni climbed into the helicopter and pressed his hand to the window. Bumble waved until the chopper was a dot in the orange sky. Below, in the growing dusk, the Alphabet Lanterns glowed like a necklace of stars.