A MENAGERIE OF WAYWARD BIRDS IV
This one takes place after the first season episode 'The Sound of Quacking'
AUGUST 19, 1964
It was a day after Iona lost her wing and Gilligan was getting her settled into one of the lounge chairs when Eugene came up to him and grunted.
"What's wrong?" Gilligan asked him as he turned around, looked back and grunted at Gilligan.
Eugene gave him another hoarse whistle and ruffled his feathers.
"Ginger do you mind sitting with Iona while I follow Eugene!" Gilligan asked Ginger who was sitting in the other chair.
"Of course!" Ginger replied as she filed her nails.
Gilligan followed Eugene to the communal table where he stopped and pointed his beak under the table. Gilligan got down on his hands and knees and looked under the table where he spotted a tiny fluffy brown owl chick with its eyes still closed.
"What's under there Gilligan?" He heard the Professor ask.
"It looks like an owl chick!" Gilligan replied as Eugene helped usher the chick into his hat.
"Oh dear it must have wondered off from the nest!" The Professor replied as an owl landed on the table.
It was about a foot tall and had mottled brown plumage. It had a short neck and a big round head. It had big yellow eyes surrounded by black rings making it look like it was wearing mascara.
"Is this your baby?" Gilligan asked it.
It tooted and nodded its head.
"We'll follow you back to the nest!" Gilligan replied as the owl took off flying into the jungle.
A few minutes later they followed the owl to an old fallen log where a they found another bigger owl laying in a pile of old leaves and twigs. It sat up to reveal six other chicks.
"Here you go Cleo!" Gilligan replied as he and Eugene helped put the chick back into nest.
"Cleo?" The Professor asked on their way back.
"Yeah!" Gilligan replied. "Her eyes remind me of Cleopatra so she's Cleopatra and he's Anthony."
This one takes place after the first season episode 'X' Marks The Spot'
November 9, 1964
After Gilligan destroyed the first mirror the Professor had made for Mrs. Howell he spent the day making another one. The sun was setting when the Professor finished and the Skipper and Gilligan were holding it up when all of a sudden a bird flew into the mirror with a thump and fell to the ground. They laid the mirror gently on the ground and Gilligan picked it up. It was a dark mottled brown owl with small tufts of feathers that looked like ears.
"It's a Great horned owl!" The Professor replied.
"Is it dead?" The Skipper asked.
"No it's just stunned!" Gilligan replied as he rocked the owl like a baby. "It's alright little guy!"
After a few seconds the owl blinked its eyes and tooted. Then it flew up onto his shoulder.
"Are you going to be alright?" Gilligan asked stroking his wing.
The owl tooted, nodded and flew off into the jungle.
"See you later Malcolm!" Gilligan called after him.
"Why Malcolm?" The Professor asked smiling.
"He was my elderly neighbor who kept bumping into things!" Gilligan replied as the Professor and the Skipper picked up the mirror.
A/N: The Pueo is a short-eared owl species that is found in Hawaii. It has dark circles encircling its eyes making it look like it is wearing mascara.
The Great Horned Owl is a large owl native to the Americas. Their 'horns' on their heads are just tufts of feathers.
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