Hello! Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Welden. Today's story is called

Zala Breaks the Curse. Written for you by Tessa Flannery, and produced for you by our

friends at Girl Tales Podcast. For more information about Girl Tales Podcast, stay tuned to the

end of the episode. We have Stories Podcast merch available at storiespodcast.com slash

shop. We're also on cameo for all of your personalized video message needs, and don't forget to

follow us on Instagram at Stories Podcast. If you send us a drawing of your favorite scene or

character, we'll share it on our feed. Now here's a word from our sponsors. Hey grownups, the Cat

and the Hatcast is a new podcast from Wondry perfect for the whole family. Join the Cat and the

Hat in your favorite Dr. Seuss characters as they get whisked away on a new adventure every week.

Listen to the Cat and the Hatcast early and add free on Wondry Plus.

Thanks! Enjoy the episode!

I'd like to tell you about a friend of mine. Her name is Zala, and she is an 11-year-old

kid who lives right here in freshwater. Freshwater is a small town near a lake and a large forest.

The main street has lots of small shops like the bakery, the shoe shop, and Ms. Herple's

home of antiques. Here in freshwater, people, animals, and magical creatures all live together in

harmony. Most of the time. Zala has lived here in freshwater her whole life. She and her dad and

their cat Gus live at the end of a small street. In a cabin, they're always fixing up.

Zala's dad is the town handyman. He can fix a broken sink or a hole in a roof. He can build a

garden wall or chop down a dead tree. There are a lot of shenanigans in freshwater, so Zala's dad

is pretty important to our town. And so is Zala. She can do pretty much everything her dad can,

because she spends her summers helping him with his jobs. Zala can even track animals. Once she

tracked, found, and saved a mythical mountain goat with golden horns. But that's another story.

...