The sun had risen over the hills and it looked like it was going to be another hot Saturday in Honeysuckle Hollow.
Fizz and Lizz were helping their parents, Wendi and Eddie, at their family store. The Oliphant Elephants ran the Soda Shop in Honeysuckle Market Square, and they were getting ready for a busy summer season.
They had all kinds of different flavors at the shop, including cherry, lemon, and grapefruit. Yum!
“Oh no!” called Eddie. “We’ve run out of blueberries!” Uh-oh! Blueberry soda was the most popular item on their menu. What were they going to do?
“I know!” said Wendi. “We’ll come up with a new flavor, and everyone will want to try that instead!”
“Great idea!” answered Eddie. He turned to Fizz and Lizz. “Kids, do you think you can help?”
Fizz and Lizz nodded. They were always ready for a new challenge!
The four Oliphants sat on the stools in front of the counter, trying to think of a flavor.
“Banana?” suggested Lizz. “We tried it before, dear,” answered Wendi. “But it wasn’t that popular.”
“Pumpkin?” piped Fizz. “Hmm, that might be better for a Halloween special,” said Eddie.
They were running out of ideas, and the shop was due to open in an hour! Suddenly, Lizz had an idea.
“How about we go outside and see if we can find something to use in nature?”
Wendi and Eddie agreed, so the kids grabbed some buckets and ventured outdoors. There was a field near Honeysuckle Market Square, and they headed there in search of ideas.
“Look!” cried Fizz, pointing in the distance. It was a pile of green bushes filled with hundreds (maybe thousands!) of juicy blackberries.
The kids ran over and checked if they were ripe. Sometimes berries take longer to be ready and the Oliphants wanted to make sure they were safe to eat. Luckily, these blackberries were just right!
Fizz and Lizz filled their baskets and washed their feet in the nearby pond. “Are you ready?” asked Lizz. “Ready!” shouted Fizz. 1, 2, 3 – JUMP! They started squashing the blackberries with their bare feet to get all the purple juice out.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Excited, they ran back to the Soda Shop with their buckets. Their parents were so happy to see what they had brought back!
“We just need to mix it up and we’ll have it ready just in time!” beamed Wendi.
“Great work, kids!” cheered Eddie. “The best ideas always come when you think outside the box! Now, what are we going to call this new drink?”
Fizz and Lizz looked at each other. “Blackberry Pop!” they squealed.
The Oliphant Elephants got to work preparing the soda. In no time at all, the customers of Honeysuckle Hollow were gathering outside the door, ready to try a sip.
And guess what? It was the most POP-ular drink of the day!
Tune in next week for a trip to the Sunshine Tiki Hut with the McBristly Porcupine Family!
