Transcript for Parent Storytellers
Chicken and Banana were walking to school together, singing their favorite morning song as they went.
Chicken took big, bouncy steps. “Chicken, Banana,” he sang.
Banana swung his peel like an arm and added, “Chicken, Banana,”
They laughed so hard Chicken nearly tripped over his own feet and Banana almost slipped on his peel.
As they approached the elementary school, they slowed down. Something strange hovered over the playground — a huge cloud of green mist, floating in swirly loops above the monkey bars. It drifted around like slime-colored cotton candy.
Banana sniffed the air. “Chicken… do you smell that?”
Chicken pinched his beak. “It smells like farts.”
Banana nodded. “But also like snow and crystals. Snow-crystal farts.”
Chicken squinted suspiciously at Banana. “Banana… did you fart?”
Banana gasped. “No! I was going to ask you the same thing!”
Before they could argue about it, they heard the quick patter of paws behind them, followed by a long, loud fart that made the leaves on the trees shake.
They spun around.
It was Bodie, Oni Pepperoni’s yellow dog, sprinting down the sidewalk with his ears flapping and his tongue hanging out. Every step he took released another small puff of glowing green mist.
Chicken pointed. “Bodie! Why are you farting green?”
Bodie skidded to a stop in front of them. “I’m glad I caught you,” he panted. “My tummy hurts so much.”
Another small fart slipped out, and a new puff of green mist floated into the air.
Banana waved frantically in front of his face. “What did you eat?”
Bodie looked embarrassed. “I ate a lot of avocados yesterday. And some garlic from the counter. And the leftover taco that nobody wanted. And maybe a slice of banana bread I found on a plate.”
Banana stared at him. “You ate banana bread without asking me?”
Bodie shrugged miserably. “I was hungry. But now my tummy feels terrible and I can’t stop farting.”
Chicken put a wing on his hip. “Well, that explains the green mist.”
Banana looked toward the school. “If we do not fix this, the teachers will think a stink monster is attacking the playground.”
Chicken nodded. “There is only one place that can help a tummy disaster like this.”
Together they said, “The school garden.”
Bodie trotted behind them, still leaving little clouds of green mist. Banana pinched his nose and spoke in a sing-song voice.
“Chicken choo, Banana choo, Bodie choo-choo-choo.”
They reached the garden gate and slipped inside. Raised beds full of vegetables lined the space — leafy greens, carrots, pumpkins, and herbs. The air smelled fresh and earthy, a lot better than the mist on the playground.
Chicken pointed to a cluster of small orange pumpkins. “Those will help. Pumpkin is good for upset dog tummies.”
Banana nodded. “And a little soft carrot too. But no more garlic. Ever.”
As they gathered vegetables, they heard footsteps behind them. When they turned, Avery the cheetah was kneeling beside a plant bed, wearing gardening gloves and a bandana with tiny paw prints on it. She was carefully pulling weeds away from a row of lettuce.
Avery looked up. “Oh hey, Chicken. Hey, Banana. Hi, Bodie.” She sniffed and raised an eyebrow. “Why does it smell like glowing farts?”
Banana pointed at Bodie. “We have a tummy emergency.”
Chicken added, “He ate avocados, garlic, tacos, and banana bread. Now his tummy is very unhappy.”
Avery placed a paw over her heart. “Bodie, you know dogs are not supposed to eat garlic.”
Bodie lowered his ears. “I know. I did not think about it. I just grabbed whatever smelled good. Now my stomach hurts and I feel awful.”
Avery stood and walked over to a small gardening cart. “The good news is that pumpkin and carrots can help soothe a dog’s belly. Let’s make you a simple veggie snack.”
Chicken and Banana helped scoop the soft inside of a small ripe pumpkin into a bowl. Avery added pieces of cooked carrot from a container she had packed for her lunch. She gently mixed them together.
“Eat this slowly,” Avery said, setting the bowl in front of Bodie. “Chew well and give your tummy a chance to calm down.”
Bodie sniffed the mixture. It smelled mild and a little sweet. He took a careful bite. Then another. Then a bigger one.
He paused, ears twitching and tail lifting just a little. Chicken and Banana watched him nervously.
Bodie’s stomach rumbled once, and a small, quiet fart slipped out. A tiny puff of green mist floated up… and disappeared.
They waited.
Nothing else happened.
Bodie blinked. He wiggled his hips a little. Then he bounced on his paws.
“My tummy does not hurt anymore,” he said. “I feel so much better.”
He did a little circle, tail wagging. “The vegetables helped. I actually feel light again.”
Chicken raised both wings. “Vegetables for the win.”
Banana clapped his peel ends together. “Thank you, pumpkin. Thank you, carrots.”
Avery smiled. “Next time, stick to dog food and dog treats. No garlic, no tacos, and definitely no secret banana bread.”
Banana crossed his arms. “Yes. Especially that last part.”
Just then the school bell rang. Kids spilled out into the yard, laughing and running. The green mist had faded away completely, leaving only the normal smell of morning and grass.
Chicken looked at Bodie. “How is your tummy now?”
“Much better,” Bodie said, wagging. “I am going to try to eat healthier from now on.”
Banana pointed a peel at him. “If you forget, we are bringing you straight back to Avery and the vegetable patrol.”
Avery chuckled. “I will always have a pumpkin ready.”
They all laughed.
As they walked toward the school entrance together, Bodie said quietly, “Healthy food really does help.”
Chicken grinned. “It helps your tummy. And it smells better for everyone around you.”
Banana nodded. “That is a very important lesson.”
Bodie tilted his head. “What lesson is that?”
Chicken answered, “When you eat better, you feel better.”
Banana added, “And your friends do not have to walk through green mist on the way to school.”
Bodie laughed. “Deal. More vegetables, fewer mystery farts.”
With that, the three friends headed into school together — Chicken marching proudly, Banana humming their chicken-and-banana song, and Bodie trotting beside them, completely mist-free and ready for the day.