In a cozy house in a small town, Eloy always looked forward to the visits of his grandchildren. Every night, by a crackling fireplace and with a mischievous grin, he would begin his stories by saying, "Did you know that when I was young, I traveled back to Viking times and competed in a mead-drinking contest while sailing on a Viking longship? Oh yes, and there, I fought off a flock of seagulls wearing Viking helmets! But that’s not the story I want to tell you today."
His grandchildren’s eyes lit up with excitement as Eloy adjusted his wide-brimmed hat, decorated with exotic feathers and shiny medals. With a satisfied sigh, he began his tale for the night.
"The story I’m going to tell you today actually goes back to the days of ancient Rome. Yes, my dear ones, I was in the very heart of Rome, and I faced an army of gladiators who threw spaghetti. But not just any spaghetti! Perfectly cooked spaghetti, with the precision of an Olympic archer!"
The grandchildren burst into laughter, imagining their grandpa in the middle of a Roman arena, dodging flying spaghetti. Eloy continued with a smile.
"It was a hot day in Rome, the sun shining brightly over the Colosseum. The lions roared in their cages, and the crowd was eager for the day's show. Of course, I wasn’t there for any of that. I had heard rumors about a legendary treasure hidden somewhere in the Colosseum, and I had decided I would be the one to find it.
As I walked through the halls of the Colosseum, admiring the majestic structures and impressive architecture, I suddenly heard a murmur behind a solid wooden door. Curiosity got the better of me, and I pushed the door open to find myself in what looked like a giant kitchen. But it wasn’t an ordinary kitchen, no sir! It was the emperor’s very own kitchen, and there was an army of gladiators cooking in there!
‘Halt!’ they shouted in unison when they saw me. I thought about running, but the door slammed shut behind me. The leader of the gladiators, a sturdy man with an apron stained with tomato sauce, came towards me.
‘Who are you, and what are you doing here?’ he asked, his voice echoing through the room. I adjusted my hat and answered as calmly as I could: ‘I’m Eloy, the explorer. I’m looking for a legendary treasure.’
The gladiators looked at each other and burst into laughter. ‘Treasure? The only thing here is spaghetti!’ said the leader. But then, his expression grew serious. ‘However, if you can defeat us in our art, we might tell you something about that treasure.’
‘Art?’ I asked, confused.
‘The art of war… culinary war,’ the gladiator replied, as he pulled out a massive pot of steaming spaghetti. Immediately, all the gladiators lined up, each holding a plate of spaghetti.
‘The battle begins now,’ declared the leader. And with incredible speed, they started throwing spaghetti at me. I moved quickly, dodging the flying spaghetti. The room filled with the smell of basil and tomatoes. For every spaghetti strand I dodged, another seemed ready to fly my way.
‘Charge!’ I shouted with excitement, grabbing a tray of spaghetti from a nearby table. With a technique I can only describe as culinary ballet, I began to fight back, throwing spaghetti with such precision that the gladiators were amazed.
The battle grew fiercer. The gladiators wouldn’t give up, but neither would I. I remembered my younger days, training with the best chefs and spaghetti masters in the world. My moves were fast and precise. After a fierce ten-minute battle, the gladiators finally surrendered, covered in spaghetti but smiling.
‘You are worthy, Eloy,’ said the leader, shaking spaghetti out of his hair. ‘The treasure you seek is beneath the sands of the Colosseum, but you’ll need more than just strength to find it. You’ll need wit.’
I thanked the gladiators and left the kitchen, still laughing at the absurd battle. But my adventure didn’t end there. I decided to keep searching for the treasure beneath the sands of the Colosseum, facing more challenges and puzzles along the way.
And so, my dear grandchildren, this story ends here. Now, off to bed! Tomorrow, I’ll tell you how I saved the Great Library of Alexandria from a fire with the help of an army of book-reading cats. Good night, and sweet dreams."
The grandchildren, filled with laughter and wonder, headed to bed, eagerly awaiting their grandpa Eloy’s next adventure.