The Girl with the Pink Hair

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

In this episode we bring Vibha’s story, The Girl with the Pink Hair! – to life.

If you have a story idea, you could be like Vibha 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 Vibha did. You can watch 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 Girl with the Pink Hair below!

DAISY AND DIZZY – THE DYNAMIC DUO 

Imagine an evil creature – half troll half goblin but as tall as a bus – imagine a HOARD of these crashing towards you – With bloodthirsty WAR CRIES as they ATTACK!  And imagine you’re the size of a teacup in the face of all this – you wouldn’t fancy your chances would you?  But unexpected things can happen and they certainly do in this story.  So let’s get started. 

In a land far far away a travelling show had come to town.  The Sorcerous Safari combined the greatest magicians, most amazing acrobats and a menagerie of the most unusual animals in the realm. Everyone was very excited.  Tickets were going fast all because of the top billing act, an insanely famous act, as the posters proclaimed – “TWIRLS and WHIRLS – The Dynamic Duo – DAISY and DIZZY!” 

[APPLAUSE] 

Daisy was a young girl with pink hair and a pink sequinned costume who could do fifteen somersaults without using her hands, climb a rope upside down only using one leg and could balance a baton twirling hamster on her head whilst standing on a beach ball. 

Yeah… you heard the whole hamster thing right.  You see the other part of this daring duo was Daisy’s pet hamster Dizzy.  You might not think of hamsters being very athletic but Dizzy was world class – he’d spend his days cartwheeling around the neighbourhood in his tiny sequinned waistcoat and when it came to showtime would pull off amazing feats of daring gymnastics. 

The show was so popular that people would queue around the block for a mile just to get a ticket and the excitement rose before the next evenings show. 

But the Dynamic Duo were far from excited. Daisy’s shoulders sagged as she struggled into her costume for the bajillionth time. 

“This show is sooo BORING!” she huffed.  “Same jumps and spins every night…” 

Dizzy nodded “Same balancing and batons… if only we had a more EXCITING life.” He squeaked. 

“Or a less smelly one! The Ringmaster’s so sweaty I need a peg on my nose every time he introduces us – and has he HEARD of a toothbrush?” 

“Yeah” said Dizzy.  “His breath is so bad when he yawns his teeth have to duck out of the way!” 

“And the heffalumps trump all the time.  They should be called HeffaTRUMPS! And – I’m constantly falling over unicorn poo…” 

They would have continued having a grumble fest but something caught the corner of her eye. Black and quick it was there – then it wasn’t.  Daisy and Dizzy looked curiously then flipped over somersaulting into the shadow – the something moved…. They CHASED it around the inside of the tent, and TRAPPED it in the corner!  It was a small boy dressed in black with a red belt. 

“Who are you?” she demanded. 

“Nate – Nate the Ninja!” 

“Not a very good Ninja are you! Tracked down by someone in sequins!” 

“And a hamster” added Dizzy. 

“Yeah and a hamster!” 

Nate explained that he was at the Ninja Academy over the other side of the city and had hoped to sneak in to literally JUMP the queue for the show.  Daisy said she’d never even HEARD of a Ninja Academy and Nate shrugged and said that was sort of the point with Ninjas.  An idea was brewing in her head…  a thrilling idea that might just be a way out of her weary world. 

“Alright!  I won’t tell and you can watch the show… IF you get me and Dizzy into the Academy!” 

Nate looked a bit unconvinced. 

“You do know there aren’t as many – well sequins?” 

“Yes but there’s lots of jumping and running and we’re great at that!” 

SO the deal was done.  Daisy and Dizzy left the show tent under cover of darkness to join the Ninja ranks. 

Training was hard with hours practicing the Shadow Sneak, exhausting rounds of Noodle Chop and the Invisible Obstacle race was something to see!  Well.  You couldn’t see it because it was.. well invisible but just take my word for it.  After many weeks they were finally allowed to use some of the very special Ninja gear – including the soaring Ninja Star of steel!  They couldn’t wait when they were handed out… But…. Dizzy looked disappointed.  Everyone else had glittering steel stars but his was… PAPER? 

“This is PAPER!” spluttered Dizzy.  “What’s the point of a paper ninga throwing star?” 

The master Ninja in charge took him to one side.  “Look to be honest Dizzy, you may be fit but there’s no way you could lift a metal one. They’re as big as you are.  Besides have you ever had a paper cut?” he sucked his breath in and winced.  “Your friend Nate makes these – he’s an origami expert!” 

Dizzy was a bit disappointed but looking at the stars gave him an idea.  We’ll find out more about that a bit later.  The training session was barely underway when an alarm sounded.  

“Attack!  Attack! The city is under attack!!!! It’s the EVIL VENGERS!!!” 

The Ninjas rushed into place and Daisy and Dizzy were shoved and pushed into the ranks.   

“Time to test your skills” yelled Nate!  “Certainly not having a quiet life now are you!” he laughed as the Ninjas leapt and somersaulted out of the gates towards the dark cliffs by the water’s edge where the maurading Vengers were gathering, battle cries ringing out. 

Swept along Dizzy suddenly felt very small indeed, his tiny knees knocked as the Evil Vengers stomped towards him closer and closer!!!  He had to act fast!  Daisy leapt like a gazelle smashing one Venger POW and then another WHACK before spinning away into the night. 

Her somersaulting took her over the heads of one particularly ugly Venger and she surprised him with a flying KICK but landing the rubble SHIMMIED and SHIFTED and she found herself falling down the cliff! 

“Helllp!” she yelled!  She tried to climb the craggy cliffs as quicky but it was slippery and mossy, not dry and smooth like the ropes in the show.  She kept slipping and sliding and was just about to fall to the crags below when there was a WHIZZZ and a WHIRRR and something spun past slashing the air – the Evil Vengers YELLED as it sliced through their claws and tried to bat it away but again and again it sliced and slashed and the Vengers SCREAMED and fell away.  Was it a bird?  No?  Was it a Ninja Star?  No… it Was DIZZY!  His cartwheels were turbo charged by the Ninja training and he was a living breathing HAMSTER ninja star – whizzing through the air to save his friend who scrambled to safety and lay panting on the grass. 

“You saved me!  Thanks Dizzy” 

“Who needs a PAPER star when you can BE a star!  After all cartwheels are my speciality!” said Dizzy fairly modestly all things considered. The Ninjas, with the Duo’s help had sent the Vengers running and so the Ninja’s returned triumphant and had a massive feast to celebrate. I don’t know what they had as Ninjas are pretty good at keeping secrets and I think they reckon we’ve seen enough for one story. 

That was basically the end of the Ninja adventures for Daisy who had had quite enough excitement for one life.  Dizzy however was given a special Ninja award for his unique and original new Ninja move – the Crashing Cartwheel – and stayed at the Academy.  Daisy was sorry to leave her friend but she knew they’d see each other again. 

She returned to the Saucerous Safari show and after getting told off for running away was forgiven.  Although SHE did have a few demands of their own.  She might not to be able to do much about trumping heffalumps and unicorn poo but there was something that could be done to make things well… less pongy. She presented The Ringmaster with A TOOTHBRUSH and some SOAP and so perfumed peace returned. Nate the Ninja and Dizzy came back sometimes to watch the show with free tickets for life.  Well, when they weren’t fighting Evil Vengers, something Daisy was happy not to have to do ever again!