April 9, 1965

First mate's log:

I learned how to make a drum and I've been having fun playing it. Mrs. Howell heard me and now she wants everyone to be in an orchestra, which is a fancy word for a band. We're making instruments and even Bobby and Cindy want to play. I don't know who we'll perform for if everyone's in it, but maybe if we get good enough by the time we're rescued, we can have concerts. I prefer rock & roll, but Mr. Howell, who's the conductor, wants to teach us classical.


April 10, 1965

Carol Martin's diary:

Along with society weddings, Mrs. Howell also misses the symphony, so she had us all quickly form an orchestra, with home-made instruments. It seemed sort of silly, but it was a good distraction for everyone, especially the children, who threw themselves whole-heartedly into playing kazoos, tambourines, and so on.

Unfortunately, natives from a neighboring island heard Gilligan's drums and thought they were war drums and attacked the island! We all hid in a cave. The men tried various methods to scare the natives off, none of which worked. In the end, the natives understood that we were just making music for the joy of music, and they joined in. If only all such visits could end so happily!


April 15, 1965

The Skipper and Mr. Howell have been betting against each other in turtle races. The Skipper was losing and then I noticed that his turtle really likes carrots, so I said he should go ahead with the bet that he said no to, my services. (Mr. Howell wants me to be his houseboy.) Unfortunately, Ginger got the secret out of me, and she told Mr. Howell, who bought up all of Mary Ann's vegetables for thousands of dollars. So the Skipper lost. I like the Howells, but I'd rather work for the Skipper.


April 16, 1965

Mr. Howell and the Skipper have been doing a series of silly bets, on turtle races! I was very annoyed when I heard they were using Gilligan as one of the "bids." But Ginger used her old horoscope magazine to convince the Skipper that today, the 16th, was his lucky day, and Mr. Howell had come to realize that Gilligan isn't much of a prize as a servant. So Gilligan is back where he belongs, with the Skipper.

The only good thing to come out of this is that Ginger found out the Skipper's birthday, May 5th. Alice has agreed to cook some Mexican food (as well as she can on this island), so the Skipper will think we're having a Cinco de Mayo party, but it'll actually turn out to be a surprise party for him.


April 23, 1965

There are a bunch of gangsters hiding in a cave! Me and the Skipper heard them talking but we haven't seen them yet. We're all going to stay up late and figure out what to do.


April 24, 1965

There are gansters on the island again! We haven't seen them yet but the Skipper and Gilligan heard them. Also, they have a pet parrot who flew into camp, and he's repeating words and phrases he must've picked up from them.

Last night, before the parrot, Sam, arrived, the others stayed up till dawn figuring out a plan. Alice and I slept as well as we could, trying to keep the children calm. Apparently, Ginger came up with a plan based on the movie Beau Geste. So today we made dummies that look like all of us, and we propped them up in the Howells' windows, to fool the gangsters. But Sam was the only one who showed up.


April 25, 1965

Well, it turned out that the parrot we found today was only repeating a news story from sixty years ago. There are no gangsters on the island. Hopefully, things can get back to normal.


April 25, 1965

Yesterday the men found a newspaper article from 1906 about an art museum robbery. The Professor claims that the parrot was parroting that. I decided not to ask him how a parrot can read. My theory is that parrots live a long time and Sam was the criminals' pet and had outlived them. The important thing is that we're safe. And the children are having fun playing with the dummies.


April 30, 1965

This morning when I was digging a bait trap, I found the Eye of the Idol! At least that's what the Skipper said it was. He told me it would grant three wishes. So, to test it, I asked for a gallon of ice cream, and sure enough a gallon of chocolate washed up in the lagoon. The Professor thinks it just fell off a freighter or a plane by coincidence. I don't care where it came from, it sure tasted good. I shared it with everyone, and the kids were really happy.

Alice kept saying she knew she shouldn't have any, but she still had a couple spoonfuls. She thinks she's fat but she's not. I mean, she weighs more than the other ladies, but she's not as fat as the Skipper.

I gave some thought to what I wanted for my second wish. I know the last wish has to be to get us off the island. But what else do I want?

While I was lying in my hammock trying to decide, Ginger got real cozy with me and wanted me to wish to be a movie star so I'd pick a co-star. I said I would pick Lassie, because she's a really good actress for a dog and she has lots of action scenes.

Mr. Howell tried to steal the magic stone from me, but the Skipper says it'll only grant wishes to me until I use all of mine up. So I wished for a gallon of vanilla ice cream, and Mary Ann brought some in. The kids were really happy again.

I kind of want to wish for strawberry, but I guess I'd better wish us all off the island. I've got to go pack now.


April 30, 1965

I don't know why I still get my hopes up, after so many disappointments. But this time it seemed like we were really going to leave the island, as implausible as that sounded at first.

Gilligan found what the Skipper claimed was a magic stone that grants three wishes. Mike and I were very skeptical, although our children all believed, especially when Gilligan kept wishing for ice cream. We went along with it when everyone gathered down at the lagoon for Gilligan to wish us back home. As Mike said, "This is probably crazy, but what if it isn't?"

The Professor was even more skeptical than we were of course. He refused to believe in the "Eye of the Idol." He insisted that none of us were going anywhere. And of course he didn't pack.

Then soft-hearted Mary Ann said she didn't want the Professor to be left all alone on the island. (I don't think she likes him in the way that Ginger does, although it is a possibility.) Mrs. Howell didn't think they should stay here without a chaperone. Gradually, all of us agreed to stay with the Professor rather than leave him behind. So he gave in and joined us.

We all stood close together. I had Cindy in my arms, and Marcia and Jan hugging me. Then Gilligan wished for us all to get off the island. And the piece of land we were standing on broke away!

The Professor said that the soil was loosened by Giligan's bait trap. But when Gilligan threw the stone into the jungle, the Professor was just as eager as any of us to go find it and get three wishes. I know, I know, but it was worth trying. And the kids had fun looking before we all gave up.