The Tale of the Valiant Ninja Frog

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
Okay, our friends.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:03)
So today we are reading another story by Alastair Chisholm, another story that was illustrated by Giaz Tullia.
And we read another of their stories, gosh, I think last month or something, or maybe a few weeks ago. And it had a long name with like a prince.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:21)
And do you remember what it was?

**Lisa Bueno** (0:24)
The prince and the bandit and the, there was a whole bunch of different characters.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:30)
Well, the bear, was there a bear?

**Lisa Bueno** (0:32)
I think there was.

**SPEAKER_4** (0:33)
Pretty sure there was bears.

**SPEAKER_5** (0:35)
Pretty sure there were bears, me too.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:36)
Then let's read today's story and see what it's all about, shall we?

**SPEAKER_4** (0:40)
And the ninja witch dude?

**SPEAKER_6** (0:42)
A ninja, no, a bandit, she was a bandit.

**SPEAKER_4** (0:45)
No, no, no, the ninja witch, remember?

**Lisa Bueno** (0:49)
Oh, okay.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:50)
Well, then let's hear about the ninja frog, shall we?

**Lisa Bueno** (0:54)
Okay, today's story is read by Mommy and...

**SPEAKER_7** (1:01)
Philip!

**Lisa Bueno** (1:02)
Philip, are you ready, my dear? Let's go. So we see in the picture that there is a family and they are... Am I ready? Oh yeah, I'm totally ready. Thank you for pointing that out. I'm ready.
Let's do it.
In the picture, we can see a family is on a camp out. Yeah!

**SPEAKER_10** (1:29)
Yeah, they've got a camp fire.

**Lisa Bueno** (1:32)
Looks like they've got all the stuff they need for a camping expedition. And they're roasting marshmallows over the fire. It's night time.
The stars twinkled, the moon shone, and Dad, Jamie and Abby set by a campfire, toasting marshmallows.

**SPEAKER_8** (1:53)
Tell us a story, Dad, said Jamie. Yes, a story, said Abby.

**SPEAKER_10** (2:00)
What kind of story, asked Dad.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:04)
One with a prince, said Jamie.

**SPEAKER_10** (2:08)
And a frog, said Abby.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:11)
And the princess, and the witch, said Jamie.

**SPEAKER_10** (2:16)
Don't forget the frog, said Abby.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:20)
And, said Jamie, a monster.

**SPEAKER_10** (2:25)
Right, said Dad.

**SPEAKER_6** (2:31)
Ready?

**Lisa Bueno** (2:32)
Boy, he's got a tall order, doesn't he?

**SPEAKER_6** (2:35)
That's a lot of things to put into one story. Let's see what happens.

**SPEAKER_11** (2:39)
It was a dark and stormy night, said Dad. And at the bottom of a horrible mountain, in the shadow of a horrible castle, deep within a horrible forest, were the heroes.

**Lisa Bueno** (2:59)
And sure enough, we can see them in the picture, marching along, just as described.

**SPEAKER_11** (3:09)
There was a prince and his horse, handsome, brave and bold. There was a princess, cunning, beautiful, and secretly known as Fingers Malloy, Daredevil, Jewel, Thief.
And there was Bogwort, the witch, magical, mysteriously and occasionally a ninja.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:35)
Oh, that's right.

**Lisa Bueno** (3:36)
She was a ninja witch. You're totally right.

**SPEAKER_12** (3:38)
What about the frog?

**SPEAKER_10** (3:40)
Asked Abby.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:41)
Oh, yes, said dad.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:44)
There was also the witch's tiny frog, just as big as your thumb, who she kept tucked away, nice and safe.

**SPEAKER_8** (3:53)
He's always being kept safe, complained Abby.

**SPEAKER_12** (3:57)
Can't he be a hero too?

**SPEAKER_11** (4:00)
But he's too small, said Jamie.

**SPEAKER_12** (4:05)
But he's very brave.

**SPEAKER_3** (4:08)
Too small, said Jamie. Said Abby.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:15)
Can I ask you a question? Is there such a thing as a small hero?

**SPEAKER_3** (4:21)
Yes, of course, there is.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:23)
I think we're going to have to see what the dad does with that.

**SPEAKER_11** (4:27)
Our heroes, said dad, were there because a dreadful ogre named Gruber the Gruesome.

**SPEAKER_7** (4:37)
Gruber the Gruesome was enormous.

**SPEAKER_8** (4:40)
He had warts the size of plates.

**SPEAKER_7** (4:42)
His hands were his biggest tables.

**SPEAKER_11** (4:44)
And the breath from his vast mouth carried the awful stench of broccoli.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:52)
Actually, I don't know about that one.

**SPEAKER_10** (4:55)
Yuck, said Jimmy.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:57)
I like broccoli, said Abby.

**SPEAKER_1** (4:59)
And so do I.

**Lisa Bueno** (5:00)
I'm with you, Abby.

**SPEAKER_1** (5:01)
Nonsense.

**SPEAKER_4** (5:02)
I'm over here with Jimmy.

**SPEAKER_6** (5:04)
You got to take their side, huh? Okay.

**SPEAKER_11** (5:08)
He was a rotten me, said dad. And he'd stolen all the keys to the kingdom, and without their keys, no one could do anything.

**SPEAKER_7** (5:17)
They couldn't get into their homes.

**SPEAKER_3** (5:19)
They couldn't start their horses.

**SPEAKER_7** (5:21)
It was chaos.

**SPEAKER_8** (5:23)
But like the time I accidentally dropped your keys down the drain, asked Jimmy.

**SPEAKER_10** (5:30)
Yes, said dad.