Marshmallows versus Hot Dogs
What happens when your best mate Bob accidentally eats the hot dog king and sparks an all-out war between marshmallows and hot dogs?
In this episode, our marshmallow narrator discovers that Bob's snack choice has dire consequences: the population has dropped by three marshmallows, hot dogs are attacking at the historic castle where they won over 100 years ago, and spears are flying through the air. Someone needs to fix Bob's mistake, and fast.
So our narrator assembles a crew: Bob the fighter (probably wanting to make up for his mistake), two sidies who are chips that escaped from KFC with gravy for hair, and Fred the hacker working from his computer at home. Together they infiltrate the hot dog castle at midnight, equipped with high-tech weapons and Fred on the radio frequency. But when Fred triggers a blackout, sirens roar, guards scream, and the fighting goes on for hours.
Then Bob gets stabbed. And everything changes.
Fast-paced, surprisingly emotional, and built on the kind of absurd logic that makes perfect sense when you're fully committed to the premise, this is a story about loyalty, sacrifice, and what happens when a food fight becomes a full-scale war.
This story proves what one Year 6 student told us: "The only superpower you need is imagination."
About the Story
Story Type: Action-adventure comedy with war epic structure
Themes: Friendship, redemption, consequences of actions, grief and rage, peace after violence
Setting: Marshmallow world, majestic green forest, historic castle, high-tech weapons room
Key Elements:
- Bob ate the hot dog king (inciting incident)
- Population dropping: three marshmallows killed
- The historic castle where hot dogs were victorious over 100 years ago
- A five-member crew: narrator (fighter), Bob (fighter seeking redemption), two chips from KFC with gravy for hair (sidies), Fred the hacker
- Midnight infiltration with Fred on radio frequency
- Passcode: 'campfire' (brilliant food-war logic)
- High-tech weapons room ('spectacular')
- Fred triggering blackout: 'I'm in the systems, blackout in 3, 2, 1!'
- Bob getting stabbed
- Narrator going on a rampage: 'killing hotdogs left and right'
- Hot dog king's peace offering (declined)
- Final surrender
Why This Story Matters
This author has created something remarkably sophisticated disguised as silly food warfare. Notice the emotional progression: Bob makes a mistake, narrator is 'fuming', Bob joins the crew 'probably wanting to make up for his mistake', and then Bob gets stabbed. That moment, 'No, no, no!' with a quiver in the voice, is genuinely affecting.
The absurdist premise (marshmallows vs hot dogs) doesn't diminish the emotional stakes. When Bob is stabbed, the narrator's grief transforms into rage, and suddenly this food fight becomes a story about what we do when we lose someone we care about. The rampage isn't played for laughs, it's played as genuine fury and pain.
And those details, chips with gravy for hair who escaped from KFC? That's world-building with internal logic. Of course in a world where marshmallows and hot dogs are sentient, chips would also be alive and potentially trapped in fast-food chains. The casual mention of their escape implies an entire backstory we never hear.
When children are given complete creative autonomy, they create worlds with surprising emotional depth. The hot dog king offers peace, the marshmallows decline (we're too hurt, too angry), and only then does surrender come. That's not a simple victory narrative, that's a story about the cost of war and the difficulty of accepting peace when you've lost someone.
About StoryQuestâ˘
StoryQuest is a validated methodology that achieves 100% engagement across all learners, including reluctant writers, boys, and students with SEND. The approach is simple but profound: give children complete creative autonomy over something that truly matters to them.
Resources & Links
Bring StoryQuest to Your School:
Visit my-storyquest.com to download the curriculum guide and discover how your students can become published authors.
Start Friday Night Storytelling at Home:
Download Gabriel's StoryQuest Family Kit at theadventuresofgabriel.com
Read Gabriel's Adventures:
The international #1 bestselling series that started it all, co-authored by Kate Markland and her son Gabriel Khan. Available at theadventuresofgabriel.com
Connect with Kate:
Website: katemarkland.com
Share This Episode
Know a teacher struggling with reluctant writers? A parent whose child says 'writing is boring'? A school leader looking for proven literacy solutions? Share this episode with them.
Because every child has a story. And when we give them the freedom to tell it, extraordinary things happen.
Keywords
Child authors, creative writing for children, literacy education, reluctant writers, StoryQuest, student engagement, children's storytelling, authentic writing, educational innovation, child-led learning, food wars, comedy adventure, absurdist fiction, Bradford UK, action stories, UK education
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Production: StoryQuest
"When given complete creative control, children don't just create great stories, they discover their voice. And that voice deserves to be heard." - Kate Markland