The Silly Potato

Welcome to Story Quest, a weekly podcast where we bring your stories to life!

In this episode we bring Auryn’s story, The Silly Potato – to life.

If you have a story idea, you could be like Auryn 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 Auryn did. You can listen to 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!

You can read along to The Silly Potato below!

Spud the Silly Potato 

“Potatoes are BORING!  I mean at least carrots have a bit of colour to make them interesting.” 

“Yeah and onions can make your eyes water.” 

“Potatoes don’t do anything!” 

Spud was a potato and couldn’t really argue with the other vegetables, he just had to wait until he was cooked up and chomped. If he was lucky maybe he’d end up as a lovely piping hot baked potato adorned with salty butter, baked beans and grated cheese… Well a potato could dream! That’s pretty much all he could do. 

He lived in Barbara Billiouses Boarding House, in Barking. It was an exciting time because the largest wizarding convention in the country was taking place in Barking and Mrs Billious was excited that a very grand wizard had arranged to stay with her. 

Spud was excited too!  Potatoes like magic as much as anyone else and he strained to catch a glimpse or to hear the tales of magic and wonder when the wizard sat down for his dinner. 

One day something caught his eye on the kitchen floor.  A very sparkly sock.  Wizard size.  Hmm!  It must have been dropped on the way to the washing machine.   

When no one was looking he hopped down onto the floor and hopped and hopped and hopped again towards the sock,  It was a woven with very glittery thread and was bright red.  He didn’t have any feet of course, but he just couldn’t resist.  Again checking that no one was looking he shimmied the sock onto his head.  Or the bit of the potato that was his head.  You’ll just have to imagine what that looked like. 

WHOOOSH!  Something strange was happening!  A glittery mist sprung up around Spud and he felt a rumbling in the air and the POW in a burst of star dust he found himself FLYING into the air.  It must have the wizards magical powers! 

WOOOOAHHH! He screamed as he swung this way and that and the WHEEEE! When he found he could do a loop the loop and SWOOP down past the fruit bowl.  The fruits were amazed and after trying their best to duck out of the way of the flying potato began to laugh and cheer! 

“Who’s boring now!”  He shouted as he did one last lap of honour of the kitchen and then swooped out of the window into the spring sunshine. 

“I’m SUPER SPUD!” he shouted and wondered what other super powers he had – well he was about to find out – he could hear distant cries – someone was in trouble. 

“Help!  I’m  slipping into the river!” – As he flew over the town he caught sight of a car, perilously hanging off a bridge, it was beginning to slide further towards the rushing water under the bridge and the owner seemed powerless to stop it! 

THIS IS A JOB FOR SUPER SPUD! He swished in front of the car and with SUPER STRENGTH he PUSHED and SHOVED the car back onto the road. 

TA DAAA! 

The lady was lets be honest quite perplexed at the sight of a potato doing a victory lap around her car but she was relieved to be safe and was grateful – “Thanks Super Spud!” 

Next – his super spudly senses detected a crackle and heat – it was a FIRE!  Quick as a flash he was on the scene and whirled and whooshed around until he’d made a hurricane and the flames were extinguished! 

TA DAA 

“Thanks Super Spud!” the people in the building cheered.   

And he got a special thank you from the town’s mayor after his cat Tiddles had got stuck up a tree.  Who was the superhero that carried him safely to the ground?  You’ve got it – Super Spud!  The cat was less impressed but that’s cats for you.  And you’ll just have to imagine how a magic potato carries a cat.  It doesn’t go into detail in this story. 

But Anyway TA DAA!  He’d saved the day once more.  

Trouble was that after a while well… he’d put everything right.  There were no more precariously balanced cars, or burning buildings or cats stuck up trees and Spud realised that he wasn’t the centre of attention any more. No one had called him a hero in WEEKS so he came up with a plan.  A really TERRIBLE plan.  If there were no disasters to fix, he’d just have to create some! 

Which like I say is a REALLY BAD idea but that magic sock had done something to any sort of common sense Spud had had, and to be honest potatoes don’t start with an abundance of common sense. 

First up – he changed the road signs on the busiest road and lo and behold there was a crash and a bang and a whole row of cars were launched towards the edge of the bridge. 

“Have no fear SUPER SPUD is here!” he shouted and quick as a flash with his super strength, pushed all of them back to safely.  People were grateful but there was a muttering voice in the crowd.  It was a child – a particularly observant and quite clearly brillian child who’s name was Auryn. 

“Here – that road sign’s been moved!” they said. 

Spud hadn’t heard.  He was off to set a building on fire so he could heroically rescue everyone inside.  Again.  TERRIBLE idea.  Even with superpowers.  He quietly hid the fire extinguishers that had been newly installed after the last fire and although he only meant to start a small one with a bit of smoke – just for the effect  fires are unpredictable and before he knew it the whole place was raging with flames.  Quick as a flash he flew around in circles creating an immense wind to blow out the flames. 

TA DA!  The fire was out and thankfully no one had been hurt.  Again people were grateful but someone else had noticed things weren’t quite as they should be.  It was Auryn. 

“Where are our fire extinguishers?” they said  And people began to look at Spud a bit suspiciously and didn’t cheer as much. 

He should have known to stop right there but Ohh nooo he was determined to be the town hero once again and so rounded up not one not two but ALL the cats in the town and shove them all up trees and then in a dramatic finale safely carry them all down to the ground.  Again, you’ll just have to imagine how a potato carries a cat, I can’t do all the work here. 

Now if you’ve had a cat you’ll know that trying to get it to do ANYTHING is… well, about as likely as a dog playing the banjo or a horse doing Tai Kwon Do.  I mean they won’t even move off the sofa unless there’s food involved. 

But Spud didn’t know this.  He soon found out. What was meant to be a stealth operation under cover of dark turned into.. Well. YOWLS and MIAOWS and HSSSSSSSSES and scratches and swipes and more YOWLS.  Not one cat was going to be placed up a tree like a Christmas fairy and superpowers or not they were making their feelings very clear.  OUCH!  OWWW GERROFF! 

All the noise attracted the towns people – lights were switched on and curtains pulled back and… the game was UP. 

Spud sighed, defeated to the angry faces of a LOT of cat owners. And annoyingly for Spud, Auryn the particularly observant and quite clearly brilliant child. 

“You wanted to be a hero so much you started CAUSING disasters?  Never mind SUPER Spud, you’re more  – more like SILLY Spud!” they said. And they all began to laugh and jeer. 

Spud felt awful and shoulders slumped began to sadly trudge away.  Auryn took pity on the poor potato and ran after Spud. 

“Hey don’t be sad! I know you won’t try to cause any more mischief!” 

“I just want to be a hero again.  Potatoes are RUBBISH!” 

“Potatoes are great just as they are!  I mean you can do so many things with a potato.  Chips – I mean who doesn’t like chips?  Oh my gosh and ROASTED potatoes – they’re amazing and what about a lovely hot baked potato with butter and cheese….  Spud felt a bit better and vowing to hang up his sock he swooped back into the kitchen and returned to the vegetable drawer.   

He left the sock on the kitchen table where it was reunited with the Wizard who had missed it very much.  He had had to substitute it with a striped green one and it really didn’t do for an important wizard to have odd socks. 

And it turned out he wasn’t all that boring now he had a few exciting tales to tell and the other vegetables crowded around to hear him tell his tales over and over again.  Well until it was his turn to be cooked into something delicious.  I wonder if he did end up as a delicious jacket potato?  Or maybe some yummy chips.  What do you think?