7-THE SOUND OF QUACKING

"Quack! Quack! Quack!"

Jonas Grumby, the Skipper of the destroyed Minnow, thought he was losing his mind.

"Gilligan..."

"Quack! I mean, Hi Skipper. I guess Emily isn't coming back," Gilligan, the Skipper's loyal first mate crawled out of a bush.

"No, little buddy, I guess not. Boy, when I think of the delicious..."

"Skipper..." Gilligan stopped, and stared at the Skipper, betrayed. "You really wanted to eat my friend, didn't you?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, Gilligan fixed his hat and began to march off.

"Now, wait a minute, little buddy. You can't tell me you're not tired of fish, fruit and coconuts!"

"Maybe, but I still wouldn't eat a sweet duck like Emily," Gilligan argued back. The two marched into their camp. Gilligan went into the hut they shared, but came back out with a fishing pole. "I'm going fishing. I can't be around traitors," he told the Skipper, and ran off. At the lagoon, Gilligan angrily cast his line. "Some friends! I hope Emily is safe," he muttered.

Something bit his line, but it wasn't a fish. It was a small duckling only a few weeks old.

"That's a... duck baby! Skipper! Look what I caught!" Gilligan lifted his new found friend from the water and raced back to his big buddy.

"What now, Gilligan?" Skipper asked, as Gilligan entered the hut, tearing in, not five minutes later. "Little buddy — where did he come from?" Skipper asked, and stroked the tiny birds head.

"The lagoon! I told you Emily was a girl! Too bad I killed it's baby brother or sister," Gilligan responded. He noticed the Skipper's look. "Ohh no, big buddy! I cared for Emily and now I'm gonna care for this little guy or girl," Gilligan decided.

"Gilligan, I order you to hand that bird to me!"

"No! We're on dry land, and its finder's keepers," Gilligan said, holding the duckling securely.

"What's going on?" Mary Ann asked, as she walked by.

"Gilligan's duck left us a present," the Skipper explained.

"Good, Gilligan keep that bird safe, it could save us!" The Professor, overhearing the conversation, hurried over.

"Professor, that could take weeks! I'm hungry now!" the Skipper complained.

"Not really weeks — I bet this little guy or gal followed Emily, and got separated from her when we captured her," the Professor said.

"Yeah, but duck meat still sounds better than fried fish, again," the Skipper argued.

"Duck meat? Is that...?" The Howells now joined the group.

"Everyone stop! Emily's baby is not to be dinner! He or she will be my pet!" Gilligan declared. Everyone turned toward him with a hungry look in their eyes.

"Back off — Please?" Gilligan cradled the bird.

"It's so cute — We can't eat it, Skipper," Mary Ann said, and she pet the bird's head with a smile.

"I agree with Mary Ann, Gilligan. You take care of it. None of us will harm it," the Professor agreed. He slung his arm casually around Mary Ann's shoulders and she put her head on his shoulder.

"What are you all looking at?" Ginger joined the group. "Wow! He, or she, is cute" she agreed.

"All right little buddy. You've got yourself a pet," Skipper patted Gilligan, and Gilligan grinned.

"Come on... whatever you are," Gilligan told it. "What do duck babies eat, Professor?"

"I'm not quite sure... Maybe berries?" he suggested.

XXX

The rest of the afternoon, the castaways, mainly Mary Ann and Gilligan, cared for the baby duckling. Gilligan smiled happily as he sat that night to write. "Baby Duck" wandered up beside him.

Dear Diary

I had and losted a pet. now I got a new one. baby duck is fun but I misses Emily. I sur hop he or she dont grow to qick or Skipper mite get hungre.

Gilligan