Sequel to Serendipity the Pink Dragon: Return to Paradise Island
iThere was a legend the people told of a young boy who became the sole survivor of the famous accident of the oceanographic vessel, the /iCapricei. The boy's parents were marine biologists on the expedition, and were researching in Antartica when the iceberg they had landed on suddenly bean to break and split apart. The ship was hit and the iceberg gouged a huge hole in its hulk, sending the ship down with all hands. The marine biologists were on the iceberg as it began to break, and were never seen again. Tales of their young son, however, reached the mainlands and islands later on. He had floated away on a tiny iceberg and the currents soon took him to the warm waters of the south Pacific. There, as the hot sun melted his iceberg, it revealed a large pink sphere. For days and days the young boy was adrift on the high seas, floating on the pink globe, and he was finally beached on a beautiful, mysterious island unknown to man: Paradise. The sphere turned out to be an egg from which hatched the Protector of the Waves, Defender of the Sea -- a pink sea serpent named Serendipity. They say the boy still lives on Paradise Island with his friends and with Serendipity, but only one man claimed to have seen him, and many people believed him daft. An old mariner, Captain Smudge of the /iS.S. Quagmirei. He claimed he had set foot upon the mystery island in search of treasure, but had been outwitted by the boy and his friends. He had returned to the mainland and tried again and again to find the island, but it was lost to him and to mankind. In time, people forgot the old seaman's ramblings, and the stories transformed into legends, the legends into bedtime stories. And yet, still, legends live on in the hearts of those who choose to love them, and so the legend of the boy who befriended a sea serpent and dwelled on wondrous Paradise Island is still known to this very day./i
* * * * * * *
The day dawned bright and sunny as Bobby woke, stepped out of the shelter of the tropical trees and greeted the glorious sunshine. The sunlight glittered off the aqua sea brilliantly, and a soft, warm breeze filtered through the palm trees overhead. Bobby's blue eyes shone as he gazed over his wonderful island home.
Suddenly he heard a tapping noise above him. He looked up just as a coconut fell from the tree above him and hit him on the head.
"Ow!" he sputtered, and picked the coconut up, glancing at the tree branches for the culprit. There was a squak and Bobby knew right away who it was. "Pila-Pila! What were you doing?"
"I'm sorry Bobby," came the reply in a parrot-voice. "I didn't see you down there. Are you all right?"
"Yes," Bobby laughed. "I'm fine."
"Good." A colorful bird of paradise flitted into view. "There's breakfast for you."
Bobby grinned and shook the coconut, hearing the milk splash up against the sides. "Pila," he laughed again. "I think I'm going to need your help."
"Oh, of course." The female bird flew down from her perch and settled on the coconut, breacking open a hole with her pointed beak. "There you go; now you can drink it."
"Thanks, Pila." Bobby lifted the coconut to his mouth and drank the milk inside, feeling refreshed. When he had finished he smiled at Pila and traveled his gaze around the beach again. "Pila, have you seen Serendipity around?"
"She went for a swim around the cove," Pila replied. "She should be back by now."
"I'm going out to meet her!" Bobby cried and began to run to the water's edge. He splashed into the turqoise sea and when he could wade no longer he began to swim. The island was protected on all sides by a natural, rock seawall, where in the front there was an arched opening. This wall made the sea around the island as calm as a dream, and it was always fun to swim in.
Pila-Pila flew above him and as they rounded the bend of the island, they came upon the cove and spotted the pink sea serpent. She raised her large, blue eyes to meet them and gave a sweet smile.
"Hello Bobby, hello Pila!" she called in her soft, cheerful voice. "You won't believe what I found!"
Bobby swam up and climbed up Serendipity's green crest to sit on her back. "What is it, Serendipity?"
"Just you wait and see," she replied, all-a-smiles. She swam inside the cove and up to the hidden beach. To their surprise, Bobby and Pila found their eyes on a strange figure lying on the beach.
"Why," Bobby said in amazement, "it's a human girl!"
"Gaah!" squaked Pila. "What's she doing?"
"I don't know," Bobby remarked thoughtfully, sliding off Serendipity's back and splashing up to the girl. "She isn't dead. I'll bet she was shipwrecked. Reminds me of when I first came to the island. We've got to help her."
So the they carried the girl back to the front beach and poured coconut milk down her parched throat, and splashed water on her face and wrists. It wasn't long before she came to, and blinked awake. She tried to sit up but Bobby set her back down.
"You should rest," he told her. "You've really been through something." The girl looked to be about fifteen years old; his age, if he remembered correctly. Had it really been that long since he first came to Paradise?
"Where..am I?" the girl managed.
"You're on the beach," Pila told her. Bobby laughed, for these were the very same words Pila had told him when he had first asked that question.
"...What beach?" The girl blinked.
"Paradise Island," Bobby told her.
"Paradise..Island..?" The girl's brown eyes became wide. "..I...I don't understand...Who are you?"
"My name is Bobby, and this is Pila-Pila. And this," he said, pointing behind them, "is our good friend Serendipity. She found you."
The girl sat as though bewitched. "I..I must be dreaming!" she cried. "..Paradise Island...Serendipity..Then you're the..the..you're that boy!"
Bobby blinked. "Yeah, I'm a boy..Uhh..What's your name?"
"My name.." The girl stared into space. "My name...is...Sandrea.."
"It's nice to meet you, Sandrea." Bobby smiled and helped Sandrea to her feet. She dazedly looked around.
"But..this is a dream, isn't it? It's just like I imagined it...how my mother used to tell me...from what her father told her..."
"No, this isn't a dream," replied Bobby, confused. "Here, we should probably get you situated, since you're going to have to live here forever. Pila, get her another coconut, please." Pila flew off to do this, and Sandrea looked at Bobby.
"...Stay here? Forever? Oh no, I've got to get home, father must be terribly worried --" She stopped. "No...no, father was on the ship...and it sank...Father is..is gone...Now I only have my grandfather...and he's millions of miles away...this isn't a dream.."
Pila returned with the coconut with a hole pecked in it already, and Bobby handed it to Sandrea, telling her to drink it up. She did and felt much better. She began to tell Bobby, Pila and Serendipity of all that had happened to her, and asked a lot of questions about Paradise Island.
"Is it true there's treasure here?" She asked.
The three seem surprised and shook their heads. "No, there's none here, as far as we know," Bobby said. "Why?"
"well, my grandfather used to tell these stories about how he came here a long time ago looking for treasure, but," she looked at Bobby, "there was a boy who outwitted him and sent him back home on his own ship. Father told me never to believe his stories, but I found myself almost doing so..And you..you're that boy, aren't you?"
Bobby looked at Pila and Serendipity. They were all thinking the same thing. Bobby glanced back at Sandrea. "What's your grandfather's name?"
"Smudge," she replied.
They all gasped, and Sandrea blinked. "So it's true! He did come here, and you sent him away!"
"He wanted the princess and the island for his own! He wanted to hurt us!" Pila squeeled.
"No, he didn't! He just wanted -- wait..Princess?" Sandrea blinked again.
"Yes, Princess Laura. She's the ruler of Paradise Island. You'll have to meet her soon. She's very nice," Bobby said, smiling a little. Sandrea sat back in awe.
"Grandfather Smudge never told me anything about her..I don't think he even knew this island had a princess."
"Yes he did! Otherwise he wouldn't have come!" Pila was flustered.
"He's not a kidnapper! He'd never harm your stupid ol' princess!" snapped Sandrea.
"Wait a second, hold on there," Bobby intervened, always the peace-maker. "Let's just calm down. Sandrea, we can take you on a tour of the island. Would you like that?"
At once Sandrea forgot her anger and grinned. "Oh, yes please!" she cried enthusiastically, and all of them showed her around the island until evening. Then they settled upon a cliff to watch the sun set over the glittering sea.
"It's so beautiful here," sighed Sandrea, watching the golden sunset unfold before her eyes. She pushed back her sandy-colored hair and smiled peacefully.
"Yeah, it really is," agreed Bobby, sitting beside her, leaning against Serendipity. "we love it here. And you'll love it too."
"I..I wish there were a way I could go back home.." Sandrea looked down and fidgeted with the grass at her feet. Bobby said nothing, and neither did Serendipity. Pila had long since flown to the Court to see what Princess Laura thought of their new resident. Tomorrow she would notify them of the latest news.
The three watched the light disappear over the horizon, and Bobby stood, helping Sandrea to her feet. "It's time for bed," he told her. "I'll show you where we sleep."
The night was warm and peaceful, and Sandrea had never slept better in all her life. What a wonderful place.
iThere was a legend the people told of a young boy who became the sole survivor of the famous accident of the oceanographic vessel, the /iCapricei. The boy's parents were marine biologists on the expedition, and were researching in Antartica when the iceberg they had landed on suddenly bean to break and split apart. The ship was hit and the iceberg gouged a huge hole in its hulk, sending the ship down with all hands. The marine biologists were on the iceberg as it began to break, and were never seen again. Tales of their young son, however, reached the mainlands and islands later on. He had floated away on a tiny iceberg and the currents soon took him to the warm waters of the south Pacific. There, as the hot sun melted his iceberg, it revealed a large pink sphere. For days and days the young boy was adrift on the high seas, floating on the pink globe, and he was finally beached on a beautiful, mysterious island unknown to man: Paradise. The sphere turned out to be an egg from which hatched the Protector of the Waves, Defender of the Sea -- a pink sea serpent named Serendipity. They say the boy still lives on Paradise Island with his friends and with Serendipity, but only one man claimed to have seen him, and many people believed him daft. An old mariner, Captain Smudge of the /iS.S. Quagmirei. He claimed he had set foot upon the mystery island in search of treasure, but had been outwitted by the boy and his friends. He had returned to the mainland and tried again and again to find the island, but it was lost to him and to mankind. In time, people forgot the old seaman's ramblings, and the stories transformed into legends, the legends into bedtime stories. And yet, still, legends live on in the hearts of those who choose to love them, and so the legend of the boy who befriended a sea serpent and dwelled on wondrous Paradise Island is still known to this very day./i
* * * * * * *
The day dawned bright and sunny as Bobby woke, stepped out of the shelter of the tropical trees and greeted the glorious sunshine. The sunlight glittered off the aqua sea brilliantly, and a soft, warm breeze filtered through the palm trees overhead. Bobby's blue eyes shone as he gazed over his wonderful island home.
Suddenly he heard a tapping noise above him. He looked up just as a coconut fell from the tree above him and hit him on the head.
"Ow!" he sputtered, and picked the coconut up, glancing at the tree branches for the culprit. There was a squak and Bobby knew right away who it was. "Pila-Pila! What were you doing?"
"I'm sorry Bobby," came the reply in a parrot-voice. "I didn't see you down there. Are you all right?"
"Yes," Bobby laughed. "I'm fine."
"Good." A colorful bird of paradise flitted into view. "There's breakfast for you."
Bobby grinned and shook the coconut, hearing the milk splash up against the sides. "Pila," he laughed again. "I think I'm going to need your help."
"Oh, of course." The female bird flew down from her perch and settled on the coconut, breacking open a hole with her pointed beak. "There you go; now you can drink it."
"Thanks, Pila." Bobby lifted the coconut to his mouth and drank the milk inside, feeling refreshed. When he had finished he smiled at Pila and traveled his gaze around the beach again. "Pila, have you seen Serendipity around?"
"She went for a swim around the cove," Pila replied. "She should be back by now."
"I'm going out to meet her!" Bobby cried and began to run to the water's edge. He splashed into the turqoise sea and when he could wade no longer he began to swim. The island was protected on all sides by a natural, rock seawall, where in the front there was an arched opening. This wall made the sea around the island as calm as a dream, and it was always fun to swim in.
Pila-Pila flew above him and as they rounded the bend of the island, they came upon the cove and spotted the pink sea serpent. She raised her large, blue eyes to meet them and gave a sweet smile.
"Hello Bobby, hello Pila!" she called in her soft, cheerful voice. "You won't believe what I found!"
Bobby swam up and climbed up Serendipity's green crest to sit on her back. "What is it, Serendipity?"
"Just you wait and see," she replied, all-a-smiles. She swam inside the cove and up to the hidden beach. To their surprise, Bobby and Pila found their eyes on a strange figure lying on the beach.
"Why," Bobby said in amazement, "it's a human girl!"
"Gaah!" squaked Pila. "What's she doing?"
"I don't know," Bobby remarked thoughtfully, sliding off Serendipity's back and splashing up to the girl. "She isn't dead. I'll bet she was shipwrecked. Reminds me of when I first came to the island. We've got to help her."
So the they carried the girl back to the front beach and poured coconut milk down her parched throat, and splashed water on her face and wrists. It wasn't long before she came to, and blinked awake. She tried to sit up but Bobby set her back down.
"You should rest," he told her. "You've really been through something." The girl looked to be about fifteen years old; his age, if he remembered correctly. Had it really been that long since he first came to Paradise?
"Where..am I?" the girl managed.
"You're on the beach," Pila told her. Bobby laughed, for these were the very same words Pila had told him when he had first asked that question.
"...What beach?" The girl blinked.
"Paradise Island," Bobby told her.
"Paradise..Island..?" The girl's brown eyes became wide. "..I...I don't understand...Who are you?"
"My name is Bobby, and this is Pila-Pila. And this," he said, pointing behind them, "is our good friend Serendipity. She found you."
The girl sat as though bewitched. "I..I must be dreaming!" she cried. "..Paradise Island...Serendipity..Then you're the..the..you're that boy!"
Bobby blinked. "Yeah, I'm a boy..Uhh..What's your name?"
"My name.." The girl stared into space. "My name...is...Sandrea.."
"It's nice to meet you, Sandrea." Bobby smiled and helped Sandrea to her feet. She dazedly looked around.
"But..this is a dream, isn't it? It's just like I imagined it...how my mother used to tell me...from what her father told her..."
"No, this isn't a dream," replied Bobby, confused. "Here, we should probably get you situated, since you're going to have to live here forever. Pila, get her another coconut, please." Pila flew off to do this, and Sandrea looked at Bobby.
"...Stay here? Forever? Oh no, I've got to get home, father must be terribly worried --" She stopped. "No...no, father was on the ship...and it sank...Father is..is gone...Now I only have my grandfather...and he's millions of miles away...this isn't a dream.."
Pila returned with the coconut with a hole pecked in it already, and Bobby handed it to Sandrea, telling her to drink it up. She did and felt much better. She began to tell Bobby, Pila and Serendipity of all that had happened to her, and asked a lot of questions about Paradise Island.
"Is it true there's treasure here?" She asked.
The three seem surprised and shook their heads. "No, there's none here, as far as we know," Bobby said. "Why?"
"well, my grandfather used to tell these stories about how he came here a long time ago looking for treasure, but," she looked at Bobby, "there was a boy who outwitted him and sent him back home on his own ship. Father told me never to believe his stories, but I found myself almost doing so..And you..you're that boy, aren't you?"
Bobby looked at Pila and Serendipity. They were all thinking the same thing. Bobby glanced back at Sandrea. "What's your grandfather's name?"
"Smudge," she replied.
They all gasped, and Sandrea blinked. "So it's true! He did come here, and you sent him away!"
"He wanted the princess and the island for his own! He wanted to hurt us!" Pila squeeled.
"No, he didn't! He just wanted -- wait..Princess?" Sandrea blinked again.
"Yes, Princess Laura. She's the ruler of Paradise Island. You'll have to meet her soon. She's very nice," Bobby said, smiling a little. Sandrea sat back in awe.
"Grandfather Smudge never told me anything about her..I don't think he even knew this island had a princess."
"Yes he did! Otherwise he wouldn't have come!" Pila was flustered.
"He's not a kidnapper! He'd never harm your stupid ol' princess!" snapped Sandrea.
"Wait a second, hold on there," Bobby intervened, always the peace-maker. "Let's just calm down. Sandrea, we can take you on a tour of the island. Would you like that?"
At once Sandrea forgot her anger and grinned. "Oh, yes please!" she cried enthusiastically, and all of them showed her around the island until evening. Then they settled upon a cliff to watch the sun set over the glittering sea.
"It's so beautiful here," sighed Sandrea, watching the golden sunset unfold before her eyes. She pushed back her sandy-colored hair and smiled peacefully.
"Yeah, it really is," agreed Bobby, sitting beside her, leaning against Serendipity. "we love it here. And you'll love it too."
"I..I wish there were a way I could go back home.." Sandrea looked down and fidgeted with the grass at her feet. Bobby said nothing, and neither did Serendipity. Pila had long since flown to the Court to see what Princess Laura thought of their new resident. Tomorrow she would notify them of the latest news.
The three watched the light disappear over the horizon, and Bobby stood, helping Sandrea to her feet. "It's time for bed," he told her. "I'll show you where we sleep."
The night was warm and peaceful, and Sandrea had never slept better in all her life. What a wonderful place.