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Article: #2 - The Cardboard Rocket

#2 - The Cardboard Rocket

Once upon a time, in a cozy little house in the suburbs, there lived a brother and sister duo named Max and Lily. Max was the older brother with a head full of wild ideas, while Lily was the imaginative younger sister who could turn any ordinary day into an extraordinary adventure.
One rainy afternoon, as they were stuck indoors with nothing but time and a slightly fraying imagination, Max had a brilliant idea. “Let’s build a cardboard rocket!” he declared, his eyes sparkling like the stars outside.
“Awesome! What will we find in space?” Lily replied, practically jumping with excitement.
“Everything!” Max exclaimed. “Aliens, planets made of candy, and maybe even a space dragon or two!”
With determination and a stack of cardboard boxes, the sibling team went to work. Together, they cut, taped, and painted their rocket, turning an ordinary living room into a stunning launch pad. After a few hours of hard work—and a little bit of sibling squabbling over whose idea was better—their masterpiece was complete. The rocket was adorned with vivid colours, sparkly stickers, and a shiny silver nose cone that would make the real astronauts jealous.
“Captain Max reporting for duty!” Max shouted, donning a cardboard helmet he fashioned with a paper plate.
“And Officer Lily, ready for takeoff!” Lily announced, climbing into the cockpit made from the big box.
“Prepare for launch in 3… 2… 1… Blast off!” They both yelled, shaking with laughter as they pretended to ignite their engines.
To their surprise, with a whoosh and a shudder, the cardboard rocket began to shake and tremble. Suddenly, they felt a strange sensation and found themselves floating! “Whoa, we really are in space!” Max exclaimed, wide-eyed.
As they looked out the pretend window, they marvelled at the magical scene unfolding before them. Twinkling stars danced in the velvety darkness, and swirling galaxies spun like colourful pinwheels. They even spotted a planet that looked suspiciously like a giant jellybean!
“Let’s land on Jellybean Planet!” Lily shouted, her excitement bubbling over. With exaggerated gestures, Max pointed to their imaginary controls. “Setting course for Jellybean Planet!”
They manoeuvred their rocket into land, and when they stepped outside—immediately delighted by the squishy, jelly-like ground—they found candy trees growing in every direction, with fluffy marshmallow clouds draping the sky!
“Quick! Let’s taste the jellybeans!” Lily said, darting toward the nearest oversized jellybean tree. She plucked a rainbow-coloured jellybean and popped it into her mouth. “Yum! It tastes like sunshine and giggles!”
Max joined her, sampling jellybeans of every flavour imaginable. They ran around, laughing and playing tag, their worries forgotten as they explored this sweet paradise.
But suddenly, they heard a rumble overhead. Max and Lily looked up, and to their astonishment, they saw a friendly space dragon soaring through the sky!
“Is that a dragon?!” Max exclaimed, half excited and half terrified.
“Let’s say hi!” Lily suggested with fearless determination. So, they waved eagerly at the dragon, who spotted them and swooped down for a closer look.
“Hello, little space explorers!” the dragon boomed, his voice echoing like thunder. “I’m Zorax! What brings you to Jellybean Planet?”
“We built a cardboard rocket!” Max shouted enthusiastically, “and we wanted to see if candy really grows on trees!”
Zorax chuckled, his scales shimmering in the light. “Well, you’ve found the right place! But don’t forget to share the candy with the other space travelers!”
Max and Lily nodded eagerly, promising to share their jellybean bounty. After a fun chat with Zorax about the wonders of space, the dragon offered them a ride on his back.
“Hold on tight!” he warned as they climbed up, and off they went, soaring through the colourful skies of Jellybean Planet. The world below them sparkled with magic, and Lily squealed with delight as they flew past candy waterfalls and liquorice bridges.
Eventually, Zorax landed them safely back to their cardboard rocket. As they said goodbye, the dragon reminded them to always keep dreaming and exploring.
Feeling giddy with excitement, Max and Lily climbed back into their rocket. “Time to head home!” Max announced, and with a hearty countdown, they prepared for takeoff once again.
In a flash, they were back in their cozy living room, the rain still pattering against the windows. Max and Lily burst into laughter, hardly believing their adventure had just happened.
As they packed up their cardboard spaceship, Lily turned to her brother, her eyes shining. “Can we do it again tomorrow?”
Max grinned. “Absolutely! Tomorrow, we’ll explore the Moon made of cheese!”
And with that, Max and Lily knew their wonderful adventures had only just begun. Through laughter, imagination, and a little cardboard, they’d discovered that with each day came the promise of a new magical journey.

This Grand Little Story for Grand Tropique, was co-authored by Ben Davis and AI, and edited by Cat Davis. Visit Grand Tropique Pyjamas

Narrated on Spotify by Alex Davidson Alex is on Tik TokVisit Alex's Facebook PageHire Alex on Upwork

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