August 25, 1964
First mate's log:
I had another dream about the people on the island, but before I tell you about that, I'd better tell you why I had it. The Professor said there was a blight on the island, meaning the plants were getting sick. With sixteen people to feed, that was a big problem. And I had a pet duck and they all wanted to kill her and eat her, even though she wouldn't go that far (as a meal) with so many people and even though she was my pet.
So I had a dream that I was Marshall Gilligan, protecting Emily. The Professor, Mr. Howell, and Mr. Brady were the lynch mob after her, but they weren't the only ones. Even my own deputy, the Skipper, wanted to eat her! Mrs. Howell was Mr. Howell's wife of course, except she was Spanish. Mrs. Martin was the schoolmarm and she said I should sacrifice my duck for the sake of the starving children in town. Mary Ann was my fiancee and I could trust her, but I also wished I could have a good time with Ginger the saloon girl. And Alice was the town drunk!
Pretty crazy, huh? Well, when I woke up, I pretended I was going to kill Emily, but I made everyone feel so guilty that they were relieved when I served them a shoe covered with feathers. And then Emily ate some of the "blighted" plants, so we didn't have to worry about food anymore.
Then I was supposed to send Emily off with a note so we could be rescued, but I forgot to attach it. Oh well. Maybe she'll come back.
August 31st, 1964
Carol Martin's diary:
After the disappointment over Wrongway Feldman, the men got busy building huts again. They made one for the single men and one for the single women in one week. At first, Alice wasn't sure where to live. After all, she works for Mr. Brady and he needs her help with his little boys, but she is a single woman. It worked out that she, Cindy, and I shared a room in what was left of the community hut, while Marcia and Jan were in another, and the Brady guys in the third. Some of the bamboo and other materials obviously got taken away to help build the new huts.
It was funny living with Alice and the Bradys, without the others, like we were one big happy family. I liked it, I must admit, although when Jan asked if I was going to marry Mr. Brady, I knew this living situation couldn't continue much longer. I explained to her that her daddy is still alive and he's just not with us right now.
Construction on the Martin abode was halted when there was all the fuss last week. First the Professor said there was a blight on the island! Then we all wanted to eat Gilligan's pet duck. Well, the kids didn't. They thought "Emily" was cute. (Gilligan called the bird "Everett" at first, till it laid an egg.) I knew the protein would help us all survive, although I could understand the children's feelings. As it turned out, there wasn't a blight. We were going to send Emily off with a message, but Gilligan didn't attach the note before she flew off. Sometimes I wonder if that boy doesn't want us to be rescued. No one could be that bumbling, could they?
After yet another rescue attempt failed, the men got back to building a hut for me and my girls. It's just one room, but we're trying to make it as homey as possible. Luckily, the girls are used to living in different places and they're adaptable.
Alice stayed with Mr. Brady, since someone has to look after his children. Mrs. Howell wasn't sure if it was proper for a single woman to live with a newly widowed man, but I guess she decided that it's different than if Alice were young and beautiful. As near as I can tell, Mike misses his wife terribly and never looks at any of us women, even Ginger. But it has been only a couple months since he lost Barbara.
Sept 7, 1964
Well, we're all done building huts, finally. We had to do one more because the Professor wants space to do his experiments, especially after I knocked one over. Since he's the only one with a hut to himself, we put the food locker and some other supplies in there. Now it's just me and the Skipper in our hut, but we still see the passengers almost as much as we did when we were all living in one big hut.
It looks like we're going to be here awhile. Today is Labor Day and I heard the Howells saying it's wrong to wear white after Labor Day, but I'm used to my white hat and shoes, and I didn't pack any others, so I'll keep wearing them.
Mrs. Martin is worried about her oldest girl, Marcia, missing school, which starts tomorrow. She and Mr. Brady are thinking of giving Marcia and his oldest boy, Greg, lessons so they won't fall behind when we get rescued. The Professor might teach them, too, although he's not used to little kids. Peter, the middle Brady boy, would be starting kindergarten but that's not as important. I just hope we don't have to build a school next!
Sept. 14, 1964
We were starting to settle in, with Mike Brady and I even giving Greg and Marcia some schoolwork so they'll keep up with their classes when we eventually return, and then Mary Ann and Gilligan invented glue! They were supposed to have found syrup for pancakes, but the sap was much too sticky for that. The Professor said we could repair The Minnow with the glue. I have to admit I'm a little skeptical at this point. And when I heard that Gilligan and the Skipper got stuck to the boat, I had further doubts.
The Professor needed a chemical solvent to dissolve the glue and he decided to try perfume. That doesn't exactly explain why, according to what Ginger told me confidentially later, he buried his nose in her neck! He seems so reserved but I think he is attracted to the movie star. And the way she told it, she didn't exactly mind the nuzzling.
And Mary Ann confided in me yesterday that when she and Gilligan were tasting sap for the syrup, she told him it was sweet, just like him. He's very shy though. If the boat isn't fixed successfully and we stay on this island much longer, it would be tempting to nudge those two couples together.
That would leave Alice and the Skipper. They're about the same age and he loves her cooking, while she admires his strength. But he seems to have eyes only for Ginger. I know, I should leave well enough alone, but if I am going to be with these people for however long I am, I can't help wanting to matchmake. They'd all be happier, and it would give me something fun to think about.
Sept. 15, 1964
Well, we almost left the island, again. Mary Ann and I found some tree sap for her pancake syrup, but it worked better as glue. So the Skipper and I tried to fix The Minnow, but it turned out that the glue was only temporary. Luckily, we found out before we cast off. And good thing we didn't use it on the huts.
Mary Ann and I kissed trees to test the sap. I'd never kissed a tree before. It was OK. She said the sap wasn't as sweet as me. I almost said, "But you've never tasted me," but I thought that might sound funny, so I didn't.
September 30, 1964
Another failed escape from this island, although at least it wasn't Gilligan's fault this time, or not directly.
Ginger and Mary Ann don't do much of the fishing, since that's usually Gilligan's department, but a few days ago he was helping Mr. Howell, and the girls caught the inflatable life raft from The Minnow! It needed to be repaired but it looked like it would be usable. The question was, could all sixteen of us fit in it? (On it?) The Professor thought we could manage it if we all packed extremely lightly. Good thing the children are so small.
It turned out that what Gilligan was helping Mr. Howell with was digging in a gold mine! Mr. Howell refused to share the gold with anyone, even though Mike said that legally all island resources should be shared equally, since we've all equally discovered the island. (Well, Mr. Feldman was here first but I doubt he's coming back.) Instead what ended up happening was that we all (even Greg and Marcia) started charging the Howells for basic goods and services. Like, Alice and Mary Ann charged for meals, the Skipper and Gilligan for rental of mining tools, and the older children for running errands. I'm afraid I even charged some pieces of gold for hemming Mrs. Howell's sleeves so she could mine more easily when she took over for Gilligan. Greed got to us all.
And then when it was time to go, nearly all of us tried to sneak gold on board the raft, everyone but Gilligan and the four youngest children. The raft of course sank. Luckily we hadn't gotten too far out into the lagoon, just a couple feet. The other adults helped me and Mike save those four youngest, since none of them can swim. Yes, I think we'd better give Jan and Peter at least swimming lessons. They're four and five, old enough. And we'll just have to be careful with the babies. It looks like we really will be on this island a long while, and it's a good skill to have anyway.
Oct. 15, 1964
Not much new to report. Well, a couple weeks ago, Mr. Howell had me digging up a gold mine, and the gold ended up sinking the life raft the girls caught when they were fishing. But I'm getting kind of used to stuff like this. It's been almost three months since we landed here and it feels like something always goes wrong.
I found a pearl in an oyster, too, but I think it was the only one. I'm keeping it as a good luck charm, along with my rabbit's feet. (I have two.)