Regenerating Wonder

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:14)

Bro, can you imagine if like, you're mastering Spinjitsu to battle an ancient dragon, but then suddenly, you're in a breakdancing battle against a giant ninja mech? LEGO Ninjago, what's your hero story?

SPEAKER_3 (0:37)

Welcome to The Upside Down Story. With most stories, the storyteller introduces themselves at the beginning of the tale. But here at The Upside Down Story, we turn everything flipsy-flopsy upside downsy. You aren't going to know who is telling you this story until the very end, unless you guess sooner, that is.

Today, you're going to hear a wonderful tale with lots of little hints, and your job is to guess who I am by the end of the story. A mystery narrator? What could be more fun? At the beginning of every Upside Down Story episode, you get one hint to start with.

Today's hint is that the storyteller is an animal. That means you're going to be guessing what kind of creature I am. Am I an eel, a wolf, or perhaps a mouse?

Let's start today's story and see how quickly you can guess who the Upside Down Storyteller is.

Oh, hello there. Admit it, you thought I was a funny looking little statue for a moment, didn't you? That's probably because I'm very good at staying still, extremely still.

I can wait patiently for a very long time without moving at all. And when you live underwater like I do, patience is a powerful skill. Not that I stay underwater all the time. I can survive out of the water for a short time without a problem, 60 minutes maximum. When I do come on to land, I use my four stubby legs to explore my surroundings and search for food. My front feet have four toes each, while my back feet have five toes each. That may sound funny to you, but this unique structure allows me to swim effectively once I'm back in the water. My native habitat is Lake Sochimilco, an ancient network of lakes and canals in southern Mexico City. This is probably why I'm often called the Mexican walking fish, even though I'm not technically a fish at all. I'm a salamander, which is a type of amphibian. I'm quite cute in a funny way, which has made me very popular recently with children who collect stuffed animals.

Jelly Cat in particular has two very cute versions of me named Alice and Andy. And let's not forget that I'm in Minecraft as a neutral mob animal. That's pretty cool. My smile is always on and always adorable, but don't let that fool you. Do you want to know why I stay so still? Well, that's because that's a key hunting tactic for me. You see, I'm not much of a runner or a jumper, and I definitely don't chase things. Instead, I wait and wait and then, snap, dinner is served. I am a carnivore, which means I only eat meat. My favorite prey are earthworms, small shrimp, and small fish. Right now, an unexpected fish is coming closer and closer, and it's go time.

It may be go time for the mystery narrator, but for all of you listening, it's time to take a 30-second break from the story so you can think about the clues you've heard so far. The narrator is a small amphibian that lives underwater, but which can survive on land for up to 60 minutes. Its natural habitat is in Mexico. It looks like it is always smiling and is a popular stuffed animal and Minecraft character for kids, and it is a carnivore.

SPEAKER_1 (4:19)

Hmm.

SPEAKER_3 (4:21)

Your 30 seconds to think starts now.

Ah, welcome back. I feel quite full now, so let's pick up where we left off. You might be surprised to learn that even though I look a bit like a baby, I never grow out of this form. I stay just the way I am my whole life. That's quite unusual in the animal world. Most creatures change as they grow up, but not me.

I keep my feathery gills, my tail, and my youthful appearance forever. But I'm not all about looks. There is also something scientifically incredible about me. If I get injured, say I lose a part of a leg, a tail, or even something more important like my lungs, heart, spinal cord, or part of my brain, my body knows exactly how to fix it. I regenerate, which means I can grow a damaged body part back perfectly. I am also 1000 times more resistant to cancer than mammals, which is pretty incredible. Scientists all over the world are fascinated by my abilities, and they visit my home just to learn from me. Because I'm so unique, humans sometimes want to keep me as a pet or study me in laboratories. While learning is important, it's also important to protect creatures like me and the special place I come from in Mexico. You see, I am a critically endangered species, and if I become extinct, you won't be able to simply grow me back, no matter how good I am at regenerating. Hmm, let's see. What else can I tell you? Oh, the Pokemon character, Whooper, was inspired by me. Now, that's enough. I'm quite tired. I rest for 12 to 16 hours a day, even if it's hard to tell when I'm sleeping, since I don't have any eyelids. For now, I have to say bye-bye for my sleepy time.