THE TINIEST FRIENDS

This one takes place right before they set sail for their 'three hour tour'

JUNE 19, 1964

"First Mate Gilligan!" Miss Summers replied as Gilligan tripped over one of the Howells' trunks. "Where would you like my suitcase?"

"Oh you can put it under this table here!" He replied as he took the suitcase from her and placed it under the table where a squeaking could be heard underneath a towel.

"What's that noise?" She asked as she removed the towel to reveal a small tank with two rats in it one of which was running on a wheel.

"Oh those are my pet rats!" Gilligan replied cautiously. "They don't scare you do they?"

"Oh no!" She replied. "They're adorable. I grew up on a farm so I'm used to all kinds of animals. What are their names?"

"This black one with the white belly is called Mallo!" Gilligan replied as he picked Mallo up and gave him to Mary Ann. "And this one with the black head and black spots all over her is Candi!"

"They're so cute!" She replied as Mallo licked her finger. "Why do you keep them here and not at your place?"

"I'm not allowed to have pets in my apartment!" Gilligan replied sadly. "I couldn't part with them so The Skipper said I could keep them here. To entertain the passengers I've taught them tricks! Mallo wave!"

From Mary Ann's hand Mallo waved. Then Gilligan raised his arms and Candi ran along his right arm hopped up onto his head then hopped down and ran up his left arm into his hand.

"Awwwe!" Mary Ann cooed. "That was very good you should've been an animal trainer!"

"GILLIGAN!" Came the Skipper from the upper deck.

"We better go!" Gilligan replied as he put Mallo and Candi back in their tank and covered it. "We're about to set sail!"

JUNE 23, 1964

"Come on Robert quit it!" Gilligan whispered as he tried to shrug the woodpecker off him as best he could. "I'm only pretending to be a tree!"

The woodpecker chirped, plucked a beetle that was crawling on Gilligan's cheek and flew off.

"Why Robert?" The Skipper replied remaining alert.

"He reminds me of that comedian guy Willis Roberts who was always banging his head against something!" Gilligan replied as they heard something behind them.

SEPTEMBER 9, 1964

Gilligan and the Professor were on their way back with the berries for the paint when Gilligan spotted something in a bush.

"Hey look at this!" He replied pointing to a nearby bush.

The Professor looked to where Gilligan was pointing to and saw it after a few seconds. An insect that was green as a leaf with a long body and two sets of legs. A torso with two grasping forelegs and a triangular head with big eyes and antennae. A praying mantis! At the moment it looked like it was using its forelegs to clean itself.

"Neat a praying mantis!" Gilligan replied as he curiously picked something of the ground then dropped it in disgust.

"Ah yes very good!" The Professor replied. "And as you can probably tell is indeed a female."

"Yeah and I'm glad I'm not a praying mantis!" Gilligan replied as the mantis extended her wings and flew onto Gilligan's extended hand.

"Careful Gilligan!" The Professor replied not sure what the mantis was going to do.

Gilligan just smiled and used his finger to gently pat the mantis. The mantis in turn seemed to just look up at him then extended her wings and flew off.

"See you later Siren!" Gilligan called after her.

"Why Siren?" The Professor asked.

"She beautiful but deadly at the same time like a siren who leads sailors to their deaths." Gilligan replied as they started back to camp.

A/N: The rat is a long-tailed rodent and bigger than a mouse. The most common to humans are the black and brown. Since the late 19th century specially bred rats have been kept as pets and can be taught tricks.

There are about 200 species of woodpeckers. They use their bills to drum and hammer at a tree to forage breed and signal. Their heads have several evolved adaptations to withstand the impact. They will use the holes to nest in.

There are over 2,400 species of mantises. The one I described is the African Mantis. During its mating cycle the female will eat the male's head. Their early stage of life mimics ants until their final molting. They are not venomous and don't usually bite. They have a lifespan of 10-14 months.

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