Welcome to Story Quest, a weekly podcast where we bring your stories to life!
In this episode we bring Penelope’s story, The Sign That Pointed The Wrong Way – to life.
If you have a story idea, you could be like Penelope and have it turned into a Story Quest. All you have to do is send us your story idea here. We know you have the best imaginations and together we can create the most brilliant stories!
That’s just what Penelope did. You can watch the story they suggested come to life below, plus they tell us all about the inspiration behind the story at the end.
Listen out for brand new Story Quest episodes every Thursday!
Thank you to Florence who created the character GALLOP THE HORSE using the Story quest character creator! Well done Florence for providing the king with such a noble steed! Great work! You can create YOUR own Stroyquest characters on the Funkids website! Just go to funkidslive.com/storyquest – and use our special Storyquest Character Creator – and your character could appear in someone’s story!
Why not read along to The Sign that Pointed The Wrong Way here?
The Sign that Pointed the Wrong Way
The ancient Mage of Magellan was a very powerful wizard – or he had been in his day. Now at over four hundred years old he wasn’t that bothered about fighting dragons or saving realms from invasion and instead lived in a peaceful cottage, in a peaceful hamlet by the side of a peaceful babbling brook. He liked to spend his days being peaceful and and reading peaceful books, quietly, and NOT being bothered. The trouble was that so great were his powers that people would come from far and wide to seek his advice. Queues of acolytes would stretch from his door to the river and beyond and basically he never had a moment to himself.
One night it all became far too much.
“I just want to be left in peace!”
And in a hasty rage he conjured up the bewitched sign post…
“Now I’ll never be bothered again!”
Anyone seeing out the grandwizard himself would look at the sign and think – lovely! Just one mile to go! But the sign would always point the wrong way and somehow they’d find themselves going back the way they came or going in a circle and getting wvery dizzy indeed.
So the Mage of Magellan finally got some peace and quiet and lived out his last days in blissful PEACE.
The trouble was that the signpost kind of began to get a life of its own and started to point the wrong way for EVEYTHING. The writing on the bewitched sign would change and it would point in different directions depending who was passing. All sorts of people travelled through the Nexious realm although they did have something in common. And that was that they all ended up well and truly LOST thanks to the mischievous sign.
If the travellers wanted to go to the Darkest Wood the sign would say “darkest wood – 3 miles over there!” but three miles over there would be the Soggy swamp instead.
People on their way to the market would find the sign cheerfully and helpfuilly pointing to the west of the hamlet… which was were the bog goblins lived and was no where near a market or anything remotely civilized to be honest. I mean have you MET a bog goblin?
And don’t even get me started on those looking for a lovely dip in the Dragon Pool – famed for it’s tranquil turquoise waters… They’d follow the naughty sign and end up… in Dragon POO – a stinky smelly part of the wilds where the dragons lived. Not tranquil at ALL. And VERY smelly.
Word began to get out that taking any notice of the sign was at BEST a waste of time, and worst DANGEROUS because bog goblins LOVED taunting their unexpected visitors with pointy sticks.
More serious trouble was brewing in the realm than getting poked with a pointy stick however. After years of simmering conflict marauding masses from the Dark Realm were on their way to invade the Nexious Realm – they’d been sighted on the Black Borders – thousands of them – too many to face in combat! The people flocked to the Royal Castle in TERROR!
“What can we do!”
“There’s too many of them! We will be overpowered within an hour!”
The King tried to calm the people but it was no good – I know we think people in charge know what they’re doing but here’s a little secret. Sometimes, well they they haven’t got a CLUE what they’re doing.
Fortunately a very bright villager had an idea. He piped up
“The sign – that pesky mischeivious sign! We could get it to help us for once!“
“What do you mean?” asked the King.
“They don’t know their way around this realm. The sign can send them round in circles – or better still in the direction of the Bog Goblins!”
A cheer went up!
Gallop was the Kings horse the fastest horse in the kingdom – The King leapt on his trusty steed – there was no time to loose!
Approaching the sign he threw a rope around the post and PULLED and PULLED and with a creak of wood and a POP it was out and quickly strapping it to his back he spurred Gallop away – to the Black Borders. He could just about hear the battle cries of the evil Vanquishers… Thousands of them on fire ponies which are like horses but can blow fire out of their noses which sounds cool but is actually incredibly intimidating. The King and Gallop sped back to the fort where the townsfolk cowered.
And waited and waited…
The marauders approached the sign which was helpfully showing “Nexious Realm – 3 MILES THAT WAY”
“We’re nearly there – follow the sign!” roared the head Vanquisher.
Annnnd yes you guessed it they ended up going around in a circle, puzzled as they ended up back in front of the sign.
“No SORRY…. I must have misread.. nOw it says bear south! SOUTH I SAY!”
Annnnd before they knew it they were knee deep in, can you guess? Dragon Poo. Yup.
“Back to the sign! We must have been mistaken!”
Yeah, like that was going to help in any way whatsoever.
“NORTH…. NORTH BY NORTHWEST, JUST A COUPLE OF MILES”
Which was of course where you’d find a particular type of nasty goblin who liked poking people with sticks. OUCH!
The Vexatious Vanquishers Howled and squealed as the bog gobins chased them around and in the end they got so fed up of being poked that they packed up their fire ponies and ran all the way home.
Watching the# hoardes depart the towns folk burst into cheers – the sign had saved the day!
And the sign stayed there in the Black Borders, protecting the realm from attacks whilst having a lovely time sending invaders to visit the goblins and poo pits in the murky wilds. No one missed it much, and in time a new one – and ORDINARY one was placed to help travellers find the markets and the tranquil turquoise waters of the Dragon Pools and all the other nice places – where no one would be poking ANYONE with a pointy stick!
And that’s’ the story of the Sign that Pointed the Wrong Way!
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