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Speaker 1: And here is today's story request. Hi from the UK.

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I'm Luke and my son Jacob listens to your podcast

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religiously before bed every single night for the last year

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or two. We just became premium members and we enjoy

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listening to the subscriber episodes. He would absolutely be made

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up if he could get a shout out. Jacob from Watford, England. Hey, Jacob,

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he enjoys all of your stories, especially ones involving tele reporting, portals,

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time travel and flamingos. So we thought we'd make you

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such a story, Jacob, hope you enjoy it. It was

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bedtime for Jacob. He just listened to his favorite podcast,

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said good night to his dad, and now he closed

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his eyes to sleep. His dad had turned the light

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off when he left, and yet even through his closed eyes,

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Jacob could tell the room was bright. He opened an

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eye to look. There was a flamingo stood in his room.

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It was in front of a dazzling white rectangle. Not

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an ordinary flamingo, mind you, but one wearing a pair

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of goggles on its head, a flying jacket, a utility belt,

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and a rather impressive pair of boots.

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Speaker 2: Is this the Tower of London?

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Speaker 1: Asked the flamingo, What answered Jacob, sitting up?

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Speaker 2: I said, is this the Tower of London?

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Speaker 1: Repeated the flamingo.

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Speaker 2: I mean I can't see any towers in the pictures.

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It looks quite big, but lots of things look bigger

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in pictures. My auntie Paula looks enormous in photographs.

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Speaker 1: I'm sorry, said Jacob, who was still trying to figure

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out what was going on. What are you doing here? Exactly?

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I just told you, said the flamingo, as he peered

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under the bed looking for the Tower of London.

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Speaker 2: You don't have it hidden away and here somewhere, do you?

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Speaker 1: No? I do not, said Jacob, sounded offended by the suggestion.

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It wouldn't fit for a start, Ah, said the flamingo,

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tapping his beak.

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Speaker 2: I get you. This room is inside the Tower of London.

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Speaker 1: No, said Jacob, not even close. We're miles away from

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the Tower of London. This is Watford whattle Food, said

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the flamingo, trying out the unusual name.

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Speaker 2: What a funny name is that?

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Speaker 1: A portal behind you, asked Jacob, pointing to the white rectangle.

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What that?

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Speaker 2: Yes, it is well done. How did you know that?

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Speaker 1: The pink bird asked looking impressed. Well, because it looks

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like one, and you weren't in here a minute ago

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when my dad left, So I'm guessing you came through it,

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Jacob explained.

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Speaker 2: Amazing, said the Flamingo. You must be some kind of

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genius to have worked all that out, which is a

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remarkable coincidence, for I am also a genius. The name's Domingo.

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Speaker 1: Jacob frowned upon hearing this. So your name's Domingo, Flamingo.

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Speaker 2: See your genius, said.

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Speaker 1: The Flamingo in astonishment.

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Speaker 2: I could do with someone like you and my team.

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What do you say? Want to come and find the

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Tower of London with me?

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Speaker 1: But I'm in my PEJS, said Jacob. No problem, said

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Domingo as he leaned back into the portal. He re

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emerged holding a pair of goggles, a flying jacket, and

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a pair of boots.

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Speaker 2: Just put these on over the.

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Speaker 1: Top, the Flamingo said. Jacob pulled the items on and

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admired how he looked. He thought he looked pretty cool, right,

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said Domingo as he fiddled with the settings on his

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utility belt.

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Speaker 2: I've recalibrated the portal thingy. We're good to go.

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Speaker 1: Ready, ready, confirmed Jacob, Domingo pressed a button on the

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belt and a fresh portal opened up opposite the first.

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Speaker 2: One to the Tower of London.

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Speaker 1: Shouted the bird, and grabbing Jacob by the sleeve, stepped through.

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They were not at the Tower of London. What is

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this place, asked Jacob, looking confused. They were on a

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grassy plain under a warm sun. London, said Domingo proudly.

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I think no, it's not, complained Jacob. London doesn't look

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like this. London has lots of buildings. For a start.

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There are no buildings here anywhere, well to even a tower,

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said Domingo, flaming feathers.

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Speaker 2: This is proving harder than I thought. Any ideas genius?

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Speaker 1: What other than we're not in London, asked Jacob. Domingo

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is checking the settings on his belt.

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Speaker 2: I don't understand this says we are, but our eyes

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are telling us otherwise. Do you think our eyes are malfunctioning?

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Speaker 1: I doubt it, said Jacob. His eyes were working just fine,

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but he didn't like what he was seeing. There was

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a pride of lions taking a particular interest in both

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of them. Domingo, I think your belt is working.

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Speaker 2: This is London. Great news, trumpeted the flamingo. Does it

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mean you've spotted the tower?

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Speaker 1: No, said Jacob as he edged backwards. You've got the

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right place, but not the time. These are prehistoric lions.

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We've just come back too far.

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Speaker 2: See I said you were a genius.

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Speaker 1: Declared Domingo loudly.

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Speaker 2: Oh look, kitty kats.

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Speaker 1: Those are lions, said Jacob. So I think we should go?

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Speaker 2: Yes, yes, squeaked Domingo. As the lions closed in. He

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managed to alter the settings quickly enough for a fresh

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portal to open quickly Now, he urged, this wasn't the

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Tower of London either, but it was close. They were

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in a small boat on the River Thames.

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Speaker 1: Around them was a dirty, smelly city, and the river

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wasn't much better. The man rowing the boat screamed at

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the sudden appearance of his unexpected passengers and the bright

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white portal behind them.

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Speaker 2: Much to their surprise.

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Speaker 1: He dived into the filth of the water.

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Speaker 2: Where is hey off.

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Speaker 1: To, asked Domingo innocently. Wow, said Jacob, who was quite

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distracted by what they were building on the nearby shore.

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It's the Tower of London.

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Speaker 2: No, it can't, be insisted the flamingo that's a building site.

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Speaker 1: That's because they're still building it, said Jacob. Look around you.

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There are no tall buildings, no shar no tower bridge.

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This isn't modern London, so is still in prehistoric times,

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sighed Domingo. No, this isn't prehistory. This is history, explained Jacob.

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Prehistory comes first, then when humans start writing things down,

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it becomes history.

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Speaker 2: Oh that's terribly confusing, groaned The bird OUs flamingos don't

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usually bother with all of that.

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Speaker 1: But we are here where you want it to be,

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insisted Jacob, not really, said Domingo.

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Speaker 2: I wanted to see the tower. I'm going to have

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to try again.

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Speaker 1: He fiddled with his belt until a portal opened at

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the other end of the boat. They climbed through it.

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This was quite possibly the Tower of London, at least

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that's what Jacob thought. It looked like the pitchers anyway.

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They were inside the outer walls, beside the white tower

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at the center, and there was a raven stood on

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a post watching them.

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Speaker 2: Where did you come from?

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Speaker 1: Asked a voice beside them. It was a scruffy looking

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man with another raven, this one on his shoulder.

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Speaker 2: Oh hello, said Dominic.

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Speaker 1: Happily.

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Speaker 2: Are you some sort of chimpanzee A chimpan.

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Speaker 1: Watt, asked the man, clearly befuddled by the question. Nah,

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I'm the riven Master, aren't I said the man. Never

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heard an old blooming chimpanzee. My mistake, said Dominic, on

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account of how short and hairy you are. He ha

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been funny, said the raven Master.

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Speaker 2: Me nothing of the sort, insisted the Flamingo. All I

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want to see is the Tower of London. Is it nearby?

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Speaker 1: Well, yeah, said the raven Master. I think that's it,

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said Jacob, pointing at the large castle like building before them.

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Speaker 2: But where's the tower, then asked Dominic. This is a castle.

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Speaker 1: It's got a tower on each corner, pointed out Jacob.

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And it's called the White Tower, added the raven Master. No, no,

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this can't be right, insisted the Flamingo.

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Speaker 2: I imagined a tall tower like rapunzels or something. This

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is just a bit at the middle of the castle.

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It's called a keep, said the raven Master. Well make

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your mind up, complain Domingo. You just said it was

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called the White Tower. Now it's a keep.

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Speaker 1: That's what this part of a castle is called, explained Jacob.

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The keep, oh very well, sighed Domingo.

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Speaker 2: If you say so, you're the team's genius. So tell me,

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my good chimp, what do they keep in this keep?

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Speaker 1: Tis the crown Jewels, said the raven man, proudly. We

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protect him on behalf of the king, and we've been

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doing it for ten long years and doing a marvelous

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job of it too. Oh what year is this, asked Jacob.

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Don't you children know nothing these days? Tis the year

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of the Lord, sixteen seventy two, announced the raven master.

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Oh perfect, said Domingo, suddenly cheering up.

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Speaker 2: Come along, genius, this way.

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Speaker 1: He trotted off across the grass towards the White Tower's wall,

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forcing Jacob to follow. Where are we going now, called

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Jacob as he rushed to catch up, sh said the flamingo,

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as he ushered Jacob into some bushes beside the stone wall.

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We're almost done, now, just give me a moment. He

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began fiddling with his belt again. What are you doing now,

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asked Jacob. We're at the Tower of London, aren't we.

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And why is it so perfect that it's sixteen seventy two, because,

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said Domingo as he opened up another portal against the wall.

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That means no burglar alarms. They've not been invented, jet

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and with that he pulled Jacob inside. They were stood

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in a room with thick stone walls, no windows, and

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a very heavy iron door. Jacob was quite sure it

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was locked, not that it had stopped them from using

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the portal to teleport. Right inside, on a tabletop in

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the center of the room stood the King's crown. Yes,

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cheered Domingo as he pulled a bag from the inside

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of his jacket. What are you doing, hissed Jacob as

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loud as he dared. I'm going to put the crown

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in this bag, replied Domingo. But you can't do that,

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insisted Jacob.

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Speaker 2: Why not, asked the flamingo. It's not a plastic bag. Look,

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it's made from cotton. It's environmentally friendly. It's not the

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bag I'm worried about.

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Speaker 1: It's the crown, said Jacob sternly. Why is it fake,

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asked the flamingo. No, yelled Jacob a little too loudly,

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because it's stealing. The flamingo stopped what he was doing.

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He looked at the crown, then at his bag, then

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back at the crown. Again.

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Speaker 2: But it's just sitting there, locked in this room, said Domingo.

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Nobody's done anything with it.

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Speaker 1: That doesn't matter, said Jacob. It's not yours to take.

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Speaker 2: But I built this whole portal machine to get myself

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a crown.

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Speaker 1: Said the Flamingo, sadly.

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Speaker 2: It was hard work.

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Speaker 1: Jacob could see that he was disappointed. Look what you've

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built is amazing, it really is. But you can't just

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go using it to steal. That's what villains do. And

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you don't strike me as a villain.

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Speaker 2: Oh I'm definitely not a villain, said Domingo. I'm a flamingo.

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Speaker 1: That's good, said Jacob. But what I mean is you

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shouldn't be using your invention to do something bad. You

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should try using it to do something good, like what,

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asked the Flamingo. I don't know, shrugged Jacob. But if

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we think about it, I'm sure we could come up

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with something.

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Speaker 2: Could I try it on?

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Speaker 1: Asked Domingo. Hopefully please go on, then, said Ja, but

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be quick with the crown. Trying on session completed, they

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returned through the portal and closed it down. The raven

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master was busy studying the one they'd arrived in out

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on the grass, so they had to ask him to

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step aside so that they could go through. This took

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them back to the boat, where the boat's owner was

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now clutching to the side and coughing dreadfully. Domingo closed

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the portal they'd just come through, and they both went

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through the other one. Fortunately, there was no sign of

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any prehistoric predators on the other side, so Domingo closed

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the next one down to allowing them to pass back

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to Jacob's bedroom. What an adventure, said Jacob happily as

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Domingo closed down the portal to the prehistoric past. So

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shall we talk about how you're going to use your

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portal invention for good? Oh? I don't know, huffed Domingo.

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It doesn't seem as much fun anymore.

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Speaker 2: I think I might just go home, oh, said Jacob

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with disappointment.

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Speaker 1: Well, if you.

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Speaker 2: Think that's best, genius.

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Speaker 1: Said the Flamingo and stepped through the final remaining portal.

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Jacob watched, expecting it to blink out of existence, leaving

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him alone once more, but that didn't happen. Instead, Domingo

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came charging back through in a hurry, already fiddling with

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his belt. What's wrong gasped Jacob, what's the rush The

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prehistoric lions gulped the flamingo.

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Speaker 2: I just found them, thee and