Transcript for Parent Storytellers
Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Oni Pepperoni who loved adventures more than anything else. One morning, as he was eating breakfast, he heard a knock at his door.
It was his friend Sparkle the Unicorn, with her rainbow-colored mane flowing in the breeze.
“Oni! I just heard the most exciting news,” Sparkle said, her eyes wide with excitement. “A friendly Yeti told me about a magical lake beyond the tall mountains. Legend says there’s a buried treasure at the bottom!”
Oni’s eyes grew big. “A buried treasure? What kind of treasure?”
“The Yeti said an entire city was flooded long ago, and now it sits at the bottom of the lake. There are supposed to be hundreds of Yetis and even dinosaurs living there! And the treasure has amazing toys like marble runs and colorful clay for making things,” explained Sparkle.
“That sounds like the best adventure ever!” Oni exclaimed, jumping up from his chair. “Let’s go find it!”
Oni packed his backpack with snacks, a water bottle, and his lucky green cap. Sparkle suggested they invite some friends, so Oni called Captain Milky Way, the astronaut cow from Mars who was visiting Earth (“Urf,” as Oni called it).
“I’d love to come!” mooed Captain Milky Way. “My space helmet can work as a diving helmet too!”
They also invited Ava Avocado and Benny Banana, who were always up for an adventure.
Soon, the five friends set off toward the tall mountains. The path took them through a dense forest with trees that seemed to touch the clouds.
“These trees are taller than the buildings on Mars,” said Captain Milky Way, looking up in wonder.
As they hiked deeper into the forest, they heard a familiar voice.
“Hello there, friends!” called a deep, gentle voice. It was the Black Yeti, the shy forest friend who had helped fix the spaceship in their last adventure.
“Yeti! Are you the one who knows about the magical lake?” asked Oni.
The Yeti nodded his furry head. “Yes, my grandfather told me stories about it. The lake is crystal clear, and if you’re brave enough to dive down, you’ll find wonders beyond imagination.”
“Will you come with us?” asked Sparkle.
“I’ll lead you there,” said the Yeti with a smile. “But I don’t swim very well. All this fur gets too heavy when wet!”
The friends laughed and continued their journey, now with the Yeti guiding them. They climbed over fallen logs, crossed a bubbling stream, and finally began ascending the mountain path.
The climb was steep, and Benny Banana had to stop several times to catch his breath. “Mountains are much bigger when you’re climbing them than when you’re looking at them!” he puffed.
Finally, after hours of hiking, they reached the top of the mountain pass. The view took their breath away.
“Look!” gasped Ava Avocado, pointing ahead.
Below them, nestled between the mountains, was the most beautiful lake they had ever seen. The water was so clear they could see colorful rocks at the bottom near the shore.
“It’s just like the legend said,” whispered the Yeti.
They carefully made their way down to the lake’s edge. The water sparkled in the sunlight like thousands of tiny diamonds.
“How will we get to the bottom to find the treasure?” asked Ava, who couldn’t swim very well.
Oni thought for a moment. “We need diving gear!”
Just then, they spotted a small wooden cabin near the lake. Inside, they found old diving equipment: masks, flippers, and air tanks that were just their size.
“It’s like someone knew we were coming,” said Captain Milky Way, trying on a diving mask that fit perfectly over her cow face.
Oni put on a complete scuba outfit that was exactly his size. The others found gear that fit them too – even special fruit-shaped tanks for Ava and Benny.
“I’ll wait here and keep watch,” said the Yeti, settling comfortably on a rock. “When you find the treasure, I’ll help you carry it back down the mountain.”
One by one, they waded into the lake. The water was cool but not cold.
“Remember,” said Oni, “we need to stay together underwater.”
Then they all took deep breaths and dove beneath the surface.
What they saw amazed them. The lake water was crystal clear, and as they swam deeper, they could see the outlines of an ancient city below. There were small stone buildings, pathways, and even a town square.
Swimming between the buildings were friendly underwater Yetis with blue fur instead of black. They waved at Oni and his friends.
And there, playing hide-and-seek among the ruins, were baby dinosaurs no bigger than dogs! They weren’t scary at all – they seemed playful and gentle.
Oni pointed excitedly toward the center of the underwater city. There, in the middle of the town square, was a large treasure chest.
They swam toward it, with the underwater Yetis and baby dinosaurs watching curiously.
When they reached the chest, Oni tried to lift the lid, but it was too heavy.
Captain Milky Way, Sparkle, Ava, and Benny all helped, and together they managed to open it.
Inside was exactly what the legend promised – wonderful toys like marble runs in all colors of the rainbow, tubs of colorful clay for making things, and games of all kinds.
As they were admiring the treasure, Oni suddenly felt a rumble in his tummy. Oh no! Sometimes when he got too excited, his tummy would act up.
There was a small accident in his diving suit, but before he could feel embarrassed, some friendly cleaner fish swam up. These helpful fish loved to clean things, and in just seconds, everything was spotless again.
“Wow!” said Oni. “Those are the most helpful fish I’ve ever seen!”
With their arms full of treasure, the friends began swimming back to the surface. The underwater Yetis and baby dinosaurs waved goodbye.
When they broke through to the surface, the Black Yeti was waiting for them with a big smile.
“You found it!” he exclaimed, helping them out of the water.
“It was amazing,” said Oni, taking off his diving mask. “There really are Yetis and dinosaurs down there! And we found the treasure!”
They showed the Yeti all the wonderful toys they had found. There were enough to share with everyone they knew.
“What should we do with all of this?” asked Ava.
Oni thought for a moment. “I know! Let’s take it back to the village and share it with all the children there. Everyone should get to enjoy this treasure.”
His friends agreed that was the perfect idea.
After drying off and changing back into their regular clothes, they packed the treasure into their backpacks. It was easier going down the mountain than it had been climbing up.
By sunset, they reached the village at the base of the forest. Children came running when they heard about the treasure from the magical lake.
Oni and his friends shared everything they had found. They set up marble runs in the village square, handed out clay for creating, and told exciting stories about the underwater city with its friendly Yetis and baby dinosaurs.
“This is the best treasure of all,” said Oni as he watched the village children playing happily together, “sharing adventures and making new friends.”
That night, as Oni snuggled into bed, he thought about all the wonderful things he had seen that day. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends about the magical lake and its underwater secrets when they met in their dreams.
And as he drifted off to sleep, he was already planning their next big adventure.