"Well, where do we look first if we're going to try to get off the island?" asked Berlioz. "There!" said Marie, pointing to a crate that had just washed up on the shore. A fishing pole, a giant remote-controlled magnet, and an inflatable raft were in the crate. "You know something?" asked Jenny. "I think these items may well be instrumental in securing for us deliverance from our enforced isolation." "Not only that," said Berlioz, "we might get rescued!" Everyone decided to pair up, and each pair would take one of the items. Toulouse and Yolanda took the magnet, Jenny and Marie took the fishing pole, and Wembley and Mokey took the raft. Berlioz started to feel left out. "I'm starting to feel left out," he said. "You don't have to feel left out," said Marie. "You could help the rest of us." "And who knows?" added Toulouse. "You may help one of us find a way to get off the island!"
Later that day, Marie and Jenny went down to the lagoon. Marie was wearing a pink bathing suit, and Jenny was carrying the fishing pole. "But I don't understand," said Marie. "Why do I have to swim in the lagoon while you hold the pole?" "You've got a good point there, Marie," said Jenny. "And while it is true that I don't rust, if I was in the lagoon and Berlioz came along and he reeled the fishing line in, he'd end up in the lagoon as well!" "So you're expecting him to come along?" asked Marie. "Well, I wasn't expecting it," said Jenny, "but I can detect him approaching. We'd better hurry if this experiment is to be a success." So Jenny attached the fishing line to the skirt of Marie's bathing suit, and Marie got into the lagoon. And sure enough, Berlioz came along. Seeing Jenny holding the fishing pole (but not seeing Marie on the other end of the line), he wanted to help. "Ooh, Jenny, you hooked a big one!" he said, taking the fishing pole. But to everyone's surprise, instead of pulling anything out of the lagoon, he pulled himself into the lagoon! "That was not what I expected," said Marie. "Me neither," said Jenny. "I was expecting something completely different!" "Me, too," said Berlioz. "I expected a fish on the other end of the line!" He walked out of the lagoon, but the fishing line was wrapped around his foot, dragging Marie out of the lagoon as well! "It looks like you broke the fishing line," observed Marie. "Why don't you help Toulouse and Yolanda with the magnet?" Jenny suggested.
Toulouse had taped Yolanda to the magnet, and was trying to figure out how to use the remote control. "What's your plan?" asked Yolanda. "Once I figure out how to use this remote control," replied Toulouse, "I'll send the magnet, with you taped to it, out to the sea, and if a ship comes by, the magnet will get stuck to it! After the magnet gets stuck to the ship, someone will find it and find you taped to it. Then they'll ask you where the magnet came from. You'll need to tell them about the island." "That sounds like a marvelous plan!" said Yolanda. "If I wasn't taped to this magnet, I'd hop with delight!" Then Berlioz came along, and he asked, "What are you doing?" "I'm trying to figure out how to use the remote control to the magnet," Toulouse replied. "Perhaps I can help you out," said Berlioz. "I'm quite good at that sort of thing." Toulouse handed the remote control to Berlioz, but instead of helping Toulouse, Berlioz ended up breaking the remote control! "Why don't you help the Fraggles with the raft?" asked Toulouse as he removed the tape from the magnet.
Wembley and Mokey had the raft inflated and ready to go when Berlioz came along. "Why don't you test it out?" he suggested. "That way, if it leaks, you'll know ahead of time." "That's a great idea, Berlioz!" said Mokey. "I wish I thought of it myself!" added Wembley. "Why don't you join us?" asked Mokey. "I'd like that very much, Mokey!" Berlioz replied. When the raft was in the lagoon, Berlioz got a brown cube out of his pocket and set it down in the raft. "What's that thing, Berlioz?" asked Wembley. Berlioz splashed some water onto the cube, and it turned into a life-size piano, sinking the raft! Mokey, Wembley, and Berlioz swam to shore. "Well, that's three rescue attempts failed," said Berlioz as the other four castaways came along. "Which leaves only one question." "What's that, Berlioz?" asked Jenny. "What now?" replied Berlioz.
Later that day, Berlioz went down to the lagoon and saw Jenny with the fishing pole. "I thought I broke the line to that thing," said Berlioz. "I found the loose end and tied it to the end with the pole on it," Jenny explained. She looked at Berlioz. "Aren't you going to take it and reel it in?" she asked. "Not likely," Berlioz replied. "Marie might be on the other end. Is she?" "No, Berlioz, she's not," said Jenny. "Good," said Berlioz. "Then I can reel it in!" He took the fishing pole and reeled in the line. An old boot was on the other end.
If you've seen Gilligan's Island, you probably know what the scene with Marie, Jenny, and Berlioz is a reference to. I put a little twist in there just for fun. The twist is where Berlioz pulls himself into the lagoon. You're probably seeing a similarity between these seven castaways and the seven castaways of Gilligan's Island. Here's a list of each Aristocats' Island castaway and the Gilligan's Island castaways they correspond to.
Marie - Mary Ann
Berlioz - Gilligan
Toulouse - the Skipper
Jenny Searchanfind - the Professor
Yolanda Yop - Ginger
Wembley - Mr. Howell
Mokey - Mrs. Howell
Try to guess why I chose each Aristocats' Island castaway and their corresponding Gilligan's Island castaways. In the meantime, I will address other questions you might have.
In The Aristocats' Island, Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse are anthropomorphic cats. Normally, Berlioz and Toulouse each wear a shirt and pants along with their original bowties, and Marie normally wears a shirt and a skirt, along with her original bows. This would explain Marie's bathing suit and Berlioz's pocket. Also, the scene with Wembley, Mokey, and Berlioz is a reference to a different Gilligan's Island episode. By the way, remember Jenny Searchanfind? She is from one of my other stories: The Muppet Show episode 601, where she was the guest star. Yolanda Yop, however, got her start in Dr. Seuss's book "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish". She was unnamed, being simply called "a Yop", and she was light blue. I made her yellow and gave her the name Yolanda.
Jenny's first line in this chapter (and what Berlioz says after it) is a reference to how the Professor on Gilligan's Island will occasionally say something involving many long words, and then Gilligan will say the exact same thing, but more simply.
Update: I just had to include the final scene with Berlioz, Jenny, and the fishing pole (the one without Marie).
In the next chapter, the castaways will have their first visitor.