Story text
A clumsy potato named Spud dreams of flying and gets stuck on a ceiling fan after bouncing off a giant jelly, learning that true adventure is about helping friends.
Page 1
Spud was a round, happy potato with a big dream. While other potatoes were happy in the dirt, Spud stared at the birds. "I want to fly!" he'd say, flapping his tiny red cape. His friends just giggled. "Potatoes don't fly, Spud!" they'd chuckle. But Spud didn't listen. He practiced little hops every day, dreaming of soaring through the sky like a fluffy cloud. He just needed the perfect launchpad.
Page 2
One sunny afternoon, Spud saw it. On the kitchen counter sat a giant, wobbly, purple jelly dessert. It was shiny and bouncy! "That's it!" Spud whispered. "My springboard to the sky!" He rolled carefully across the counter, his cape trailing behind him. The jelly jiggled invitingly. Spud took a deep breath. This was his big chance. He backed up a few potato-lengths to get a good running start, his little face set with determination.
Page 3
With a mighty "Wheeeee!", Spud took a rolling start and launched himself onto the jelly. PLOP! He sank in for a second. Then, WOBBLE-WOBBLE-SPRING! The jelly wobbled wildly and shot Spud high into the air! "I'm flying!" he yelled, tumbling head over heels. For a wonderful moment, he saw the whole kitchen from above—the toaster, the cookie jar, everything! It was even better than he'd dreamed. The air whistled past his round body.
Page 4
But flying is harder than it looks. Spud started to spin. "Whoaaaa!" he cried. He wasn't going toward the window anymore. He was heading straight for the ceiling fan! "Look out below!" he squeaked, though no one was below. THUMP! Spud landed right in the middle of the fan, his round body fitting perfectly in the center hub. The impact made the fan wobble. Spud blinked. He wasn't on the ground, and he wasn't flying. He was... stuck.
Page 5
Spud wiggled. He jiggled. He tried to roll. Nothing worked. He was firmly wedged. "Oh, crumbs," he said. From his new high spot, he could see everything. He saw his friend, Jiggly the Jelly, looking a bit deflated on the counter. He saw the window, now seeming very far away. A gentle breeze from an open window made the fan creak. Spud gulped. What if someone turned the fan on? He'd go for a spin he didn't want! He had to get down.
Page 6
Just then, the family cat, Whiskers, jumped onto the counter. She looked up at Spud and meowed, curious about the new ceiling decoration. "Help, Whiskers!" Spud called down. Whiskers just blinked and started licking her paw. She wasn't much help. Spud thought hard. He couldn't jump. He couldn't climb. But maybe... he could use his cape! He tried to flap it like a parachute, but it just fluttered sadly. This was a real pickle. Or rather, a real potato.