In a cozy little house in a small town, Eloy always looks forward to the arrival of his grandchildren. Every night, gathered around a crackling fireplace, with a mischievous smile, he begins his stories by saying:
"Did you know that when I was young, I took part in a medieval pancake-flipping competition where my only competitor was a forgetful Crusader cook? But that’s not the story I want to tell you today."
Ah, the Caribbean! A place where the seas sparkle like jewels and the sun seems to have a very fiery sense of humor. On one of those blazing days, I found myself aboard the Great Potato Fisherman, a pirate ship commanded by the one and only Captain Wooden Potato Leg. Now, let me tell you a bit about this captain: not only did he have a wooden leg, but he was obsessed with French fries. His ship was so full of them that when the wind blew, you could hear the crunch from miles away.
Our adventure began in a rather unusual way. Instead of maps and compasses, Captain Wooden Potato Leg used an old recipe book to navigate. His plan was to find Blackbeard’s treasure, hidden on a distant island. The crew included a parrot that only spoke in riddles, a giant who collected sundials, and a man who swore he was a dolphin trapped in a human body. Each one brought something special to the crew, though not always something useful.
Our first stop was the Island of Dancing Crabs. These crabs were famous for their salsa dancing, and to get the first clue about the treasure’s location, we had to win a dance contest against them. Imagine the scene: a bunch of crabs in flamenco costumes, gliding across the dance floor while I tried to keep up with moves that looked more like a clumsy octopus in trouble. Finally, after a performance that could’ve started a revolution in the ballet world, the crabs were satisfied and gave us a crucial clue: “Where the fish sings and the shark dances, the treasure will be found.”
The clue led us to an island covered in a fog so thick it looked like cotton candy. There, we found an underwater party thrown by a dancing shark. The shark was hosting a breakdance festival under the sea, and jellyfish were in charge of the music. To join the party, we had to pass a series of ridiculous challenges, including a breakdance duel with the shark. Picture a shark doing the moonwalk underwater while I tried to copy him without swallowing too much water. The competition was fierce, but in the end, the shark, impressed by my moves, gave us a golden key and a riddle: “Only with the full moon's light and a rooster’s crow can you open the cave door.”
We sailed to the Island of Mysterious Caves, famous for its absurd traps. The entrance was guarded by a robot who only let people in if they asked a philosophical question. I asked something about the existence of hot chocolate, and the robot, confused but entertained, let us through.
Inside the cave, we faced a series of silly trials. The first was a room full of snowballs in the middle of tropical weather. The snowballs were made of a mix of water and paper that fell apart as soon as you touched them, so we had to slide and slip through to move forward. Then, in the mirror maze, every mirror showed our worst dance moves, making every twirl and turn look like a disaster. Finally, we came to a river of chocolate that was not only slippery but also had the habit of squirting small jets of hot chocolate at the most unexpected moments. We had to cross the river using giant banana leaves as trampolines to avoid falling into the chocolate.
After passing all these trials, we reached the heart of the cave, where we found Blackbeard’s hidden treasure. But to our surprise, there were no gold bars or jewels—only a gigantic collection of French fries and a letter that read: “The real treasure is the fun you found along the way.”
We laughed and celebrated our discovery. Captain Wooden Potato Leg, with a satisfied grin and a big bag of fries in hand, exclaimed, “Sometimes, the best treasure is the good times you share with friends.”
And so, dear grandchildren, this is how the story ends. Now, off to bed! Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the time I went to a trampoline-jumping contest with the famous explorer Jacques Cousteau. Good night and sweet dreams.