Hey there, creature catchers! Need a quick treat to keep you entertained between episodes? Welcome to PODSNACK!, your bite-sized adventure that’s full of fun!

In this special WORLD Edition series, we are setting off on a massive adventure across the entire world! We will meet the strangest, goofiest, and occasionally scary magical monsters, learn about world cultures, try out some of their language, and pick up interesting vocab along the way.

🇧🇷 Today's Snack: The Amazon Rainforest!

We are traveling deep into the Amazon in Brazil, a giant country in South America! It is home to the Amazon River, which is the biggest river in the whole world!

We even learned a greeting from the Tupi people: “Kwehe!” (Kway-hey!) which means “Hello!”

🌟 The Feature: The Caipora!

Today, we meet a small, fierce forest rider called the Caipora! He looks like a little boy with long, dark hair, and he is famous for riding on the back of a giant wild pig! He is a master of camouflage, which means he can hide by blending in with the trees and vines around him.

• The Goal: The Caipora is usually benevolent—which means he is kind and friendly to people who respect the forest. He is a protector who makes sure hunters aren't greedy.
• A Tasty Lesson: In one story, a greedy hunter got lost because the Caipora made the paths disappear! The hunter had to leave a piece of Cupuaçu (Coo-poo-ah-soo)—a fruit that tastes like chocolate and pineapple—as an offering to find his way home.
• Survival Tip: If you meet the Caipora, offer him a chocolate bar! Since cacao comes from Brazil, he loves chocolatey treats. If you also give his pig some fruit and snort three times, he might let you ride on the pig’s back all the way to safety!

⭐ Bonus Time! (Supporter's Club)

If you want to keep traveling with us and meet even more wacky and mysterious beasts, ask a grown-up about our secret bonus episodes! This week, we learn all about a scary monster from Peru that secretly steals fat, called the Pishtaco!

Amo nhana! (Ah-moo nah-nah!) That means, "Goodbye until later!"

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There was once a man who called himself an Astrologer. He spent all his time studying the night sky because he believed the stars could tell him exactly what would happen in the future.

One night, he was walking along a dark road outside his village. He was so busy looking up at the stars—trying to figure out when the world might end—that he didn't look where he was going.

• The Accident: Suddenly, he stepped right into a big, deep hole filled with mud and water!
• The Struggle: He was stuck up to his ears in the cold mud. He tried to climb out, but the sides were too slippery. He began to shout and cry for help.
• The Lesson: The villagers heard his cries and ran to help him. As they pulled him out of the muddy mess, one neighbor said:

The Moral of the Story

The lesson of this fable is: Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.

Key Lessons

• Be Mindful: It is important to pay attention to what is happening right now, not just what might happen later.
• Stay Grounded: While it is okay to have big dreams (like looking at the stars), you still have to watch where you are walking.
• Practicality: Don't ignore the real world because you are too busy thinking about imaginary things or the distant future.

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Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who had several sons. The sons were strong and hard-working, but they had one big problem: they were always fighting with each other. They argued about everything, from who should do the chores to who was the smartest.

The father was worried. He knew that if his sons didn't learn to get along, they would have a very hard time in life. One day, he called them all together and showed them a bundle of sticks tied tightly with a rope.

1. The Challenge: He handed the bundle to his oldest son and said, "Break this in half." The son tried with all his might, but the bundle wouldn't even bend.
2. The Others Try: One by one, the other sons tried to break the bundle. Even the strongest son couldn't snap the sticks while they were tied together.
3. The Lesson: The father untied the rope and gave each son just one single stick. "Now try," he said. With a quick snap, every son broke his stick easily.

The Moral of the Story

The father told his sons:"If you stay together and help each other, you will be like the bundle—strong and hard to break. But if you keep fighting and stay divided, you will be like the single sticks—easy for anyone to snap."

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Cleopatra and the Secret Carpet! 🏺✨

Today’s story takes us back to ancient Egypt, a land of giant pyramids and the mighty Nile River! 🌅 Meet Cleopatra, a young queen who was famous for being incredibly smart and very brave.

When Cleopatra was just 18, she became queen, but her brother Ptolemy wanted to rule all by himself! 😮 He had a huge army, and Cleopatra knew she couldn't win a fight against him. She had to hide away and wait for the perfect moment to make a plan.

That moment came when the powerful leader of Rome, Julius Caesar, arrived in Egypt! 🏛️ Cleopatra knew that if she could just talk to him, he might help her. But her brother’s soldiers were guarding the palace, and they wouldn't let her in!

Cleopatra came up with a trick that was rather clever:

1. She had her servants roll her up inside a giant, fancy carpet! 🧶
2. The servants carried the heavy rug right past the guards, telling them it was a special gift for Caesar. 🎁
3. When they unrolled the rug in front of the Roman leader, Cleopatra popped out! 😲

Caesar was so amazed by her courage that he agreed to help. Together, they defeated her brother’s army, and Cleopatra became the greatest Pharaoh Egypt had ever seen! 👑

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Hey there, creature catchers! Need a quick treat to keep you entertained between episodes? Welcome to PODSNACK!, your bite-sized adventure that’s full of fun!

In this special WORLD Edition series, we are setting off on a massive adventure across the entire world! We will meet the strangest, goofiest, and occasionally scary magical monsters, learn about world cultures, try out some of their language, and pick up interesting vocab along the way.

🇧🇴 Today's Snack: High in the Mountains!

We are traveling to Bolivia in South America, a country famous for being so high up in the mountains that your ears might pop!

We even learned a greeting from the Aymara people: “Kamisaki!” (Kah-mee-sah-kee!) which means “How are you?”

🌟 The Feature: The Ekeko!

Today, we meet a cheerful little spirit called the Ekeko! He is a small, pot-bellied man with a big smile who wears traditional clothes. He is weighed down by a huge burden—that’s just a fancy word for a heavy load—which is an overflowing sack filled with tiny copies of money and lucky things!

• The Goal: The Ekeko is a spirit of abundance, which means having a huge amount of something! People give him miniature versions of things they want, like tiny cars or houses, hoping he will make them come true in real life.
• A Bit of History: The Ekeko story is a legend—a traditional story passed down for a long time. During a hard time called a siege (when an enemy army surrounds a city), one man stayed full of optimism, which is a feeling of hope that things will turn out well. His belief in the Ekeko helped keep his family fed!
• Survival Tip: If you meet the Ekeko, offer him a tiny gift with a smile. For bonus points, give him some dental floss! With all the tiny plastic and metal things he eats, he’ll be so happy to clean his teeth that he might grant you a wish!

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Hi Kids. We’re taking a little break over the festive season. Today’s story is one of our personalized tales. This one is about a regular BKFK listerner from Ireland named Jude! Happy Holidays!

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The League of the Glimmering Beards! 🧔✨

Based on the Sherlock Holmes story, The Red-Headed League!

Sunlight streams into Wizzlethorp the Wizard's tower, but the peace is broken when Fergus O’Gold the leprechaun bursts in, absolutely heartbroken! 😭 He has lost his "shiny future"—or rather, his very strange job!

For three weeks, Fergus was a member of the "League of the Glimmering Beards," a club for people with magnificent facial hair. His job? Sitting in a room for four hours a day polishing a single brass button for five gold coins a week! 🪙 But suddenly, the office is closed, the league has vanished, and Fergus is out of work!

Wizzlethorp (our Sherlock!) and the patchwork creature Stanky (our Watson!) realize this "job" was a ridiculous trick. Why would someone pay a leprechaun to polish a button? 🤔

The game is afoot! The team discovers a secret tunnel being dug from Fergus's basement straight into Sparky Flarkbottom's workshop! Two jealous rival inventors, Fizzlewhip and Cogsworth, have been tunneling in secret to steal Sparky's greatest invention: the Autonomaton 9000! 🤖

Will Wizzlethorp’s magic and Sparky's "Tangle Slime Net" catch the thieves before they disappear with the clockwork prize? And will Sir Chucklenugget arrive in time to save the day? Join the mystery and see how the smartest beard in Snaggleton solved the crime!

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Hey there, creature catchers! Need a quick treat to keep you entertained between episodes? Welcome to PODSNACK!, your bite-sized adventure that’s full of fun!

In this special WORLD Edition series, we are going on a giant trip around the globe! We will meet amazing, unbelievable creatures, learn a little bit about world cultures, try out some of their language, and pick up interesting vocab along the way.

🇺🇾 Today's Snack: The Rolling Hills of Uruguay!

We are traveling to the beautiful country of Uruguay in South America, a place famous for its green hills and brave cowboys called gauchos!

We even learned a greeting from the Charrúa people: “Mîa!” (Mee-ah!) which means “Hello!”

🌟 The Feature: The Lobizón!

Today, we meet a howling hairball known as the Lobizón! This creature is a bit like a werewolf—it’s a human who transforms into a giant, scruffy black dog when the moon is full.

• The Goal: These stories are cautionary tales—which is just a fancy way of saying they are stories meant to warn people about dangers or bad behaviors! The legend of the Lobizón kept people safely indoors at night.
• Survival Tip: If you ever run into a Lobizón, don't panic! Deep down, he’s still a doggy. Pull out a squeaky rubber bone, throw it as far as you can, and yell "FETCH!" While he’s chasing the toy, you’ll have plenty of time to climb a tree!

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Lexi, Grumblegut, Jinx, and Scary Fairy face their final, most dangerous Elemental! They must race across hot volcanic earth and leap over streams of glowing lava to reach the angry creature! 🤯 Grumblegut bravely shields his friends from a falling boulder, hurting his back, but they press on! 🛡️

They are trapped behind a deadly curtain of liquid rock—a lava-fall! Their only escape is a smoky tunnel leading deeper into the mountain! Inside, they find the terrifying Fire Elemental, who is hurling fiery whips from its body up the volcano's throat!

Lexi Lightdancer must use a dangerous, forgotten ninja technique to save them! He focuses his mind to run right through the heat and dodge the Elemental's fiery attacks! Can he use a tiny smoke bomb to trick the furious creature and rip the final shard from its head?

They succeed and save Snaggleton from the eruptions! But Ninja Master Yasashi Oni recognizes the dark magic: the four evil crystals are the work of the villainous necromancer, Morgaff Doomweaver! 😱 The battle is over, but the war is just beginning!

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Hey there, creature catchers! Need a quick treat to keep you entertained between episodes? How about a PODSNACK?

In this special WORLD Edition series, we are going on a giant trip around the globe! We will meet amazing, unbelievable creatures, learn a little bit about world cultures, try out some of their language, and pick up interesting vocab along the way.

🇦🇷 Today's Snack: The Golden-Haired Trickster!

We are starting our journey way down in Argentina, a huge country in South America!

We even learned a greeting in the language of the Guaraní people: “Mba'éichapa!” (Mbay-ay-cha-pah!) which means “How are you?”

🌟 The Feature: The Yasy-Yateré!

Today, we meet the wackiest, silliest, and sometimes a little bit spooky mythical monster from Argentina: The Yasy-Yateré! This is a golden-haired mischief-maker who loves to wander during the quiet siesta hour.

Tune in to find out what this creature looks like, what he protects, and the important lesson parents use his story to teach their kids!

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