SMILE, YOU'RE ON MARS CAMERA

"Don't look at me like that Professor - he has to learn," Jonas Grumby said, after five minutes of silence. Standing beside him, Professor Roy Hinkley nodded, but still didn't speak of their new 'coo-coo-clock.' "Well?"

"Well what?" he answered as Skipper stared at him, his hands on his hips.

"I don't know - usually you have something to say every time I punish him," the Skipper said, and Roy smiled.

"Skipper, as a scientist I have come across poison oak, numerous bug bites and an assortment of other unpleasant occurrences, but I never spent two hours removing feathers from my body," he answered, and Skipper laughed. Then the Professor sighed. "Let him go to dinner. He can announce it to everyone and while we eat and then he can become human," he said with a smirk.

"That's cruel, I love it," the Skipper grinned. Gilligan, still by the door, frowned.

"Great. When will you ever learn, Gilligan?" he asked himself as he sat to wait for the next hour to pass.

He opened the door and came out. "Skipper, how long before dinner?" he asked.

"I don't know little buddy. Almost time for lunch, though, I might not be hungry again at least five or more hours," the Skipper answered, winking at the Professor.

"Depends on the quantity of lunch, and how much we consume, Gilligan," the Professor added.

Gilligan frowned and started to close the door when a thought occurred to him. It was rather sneaky, but it beat sitting around in feathers, he thought. With a heavy sigh he went back in the hut but let the door swing shut slowly, but not before giving the Skipper and Professor a little guilt trip.

"I get it. I'm stuck like this for a while, but wouldn't it be easier if I just… I don't know… disappeared?" he asked, and the door closed all the way.

The two men looked at each other. "He wouldn't…" Professor started.

The Skipper raised a brow and then turned to the door. "Okay, fine, GILLIGAN!" Skipper bellowed, feeling guilty. He had a feeling the island was making Gilligan smarter. At least, smart enough to know how to make him feel guilty.

"Yes… sir." Gilligan came back out.

"Announce lunch, and then while we eat, remove those feathers and that's an order," the Skipper said and Gilligan grinned behind the feathers he wore.

"Yes Sir. After I clean up, may I eat?" he asked, and the Skipper shrugged.

"I'll make you a plate," he said, determined to still get back at him.

XXX

It took nearly three hours before Gilligan saw Skipper again. He saluted; his body clear of all feathers. Skipper handed him a plate with a banana and some other fruit.

"This is lunch?" he asked, his stomach rumbling as he had only a small breakfast.

"Your lunch Gilligan. I tried to save some fish, but everyone wanted seconds," he said, with a small grin.

"Oh, well… least dinner will be on soon," Gilligan answered.

"Yes, but, Gilligan you have to do your chores for the day, first," the Skipper said, and drew a piece of paper from his pocket, and with out delay, he read out a long list.

"But… that will take all night!"

"Then you'd better get busy," Skipper answered, and sulking, Gilligan turned around and marched to the lagoon to fix the lobster cages which was the first item on the list. He wasn't really too worried though. What Skipper didn't know, was that he was right. Gilligan was getting smarter. He had hidden fruit in empty coconuts in various bushes.

He heard the Professor mumbling once about the heat, and how the fruit could shrivel up, and decided to prepare himself. Little did he know, Professor was just dozing on one of the Howells chairs.

Skipper stood and watched Gilligan the whole time but he didn't notice when as Gilligan picked coconuts as next on list he was opening them quickly and stealing the grapes he had hidden. He did this by purposely dropping real coconuts near bushes where he knew no berries were, but his fake coconuts were. Then he dove in and picked up both leaving one real coconut behind.

XXX

Three hours later, Skipper happily handed him a plate with a small fish and more fruit. Gilligan's stomach rumbled as he knew it would, because he could eat a lot.

"Gee, Skipper, this was the least amount of food I had since we got here," he complained.

"Tomorrow is another day – let's get to bed."

"Sure. Just let me write in my diary."

Skipper nodded, but watched from the window to make sure Gilligan didn't sneak any snacks. He had also refused to let him have any dessert.

Gilligan, though, had snuck something when the Skipper wasn't looking and jammed it in an empty coconut.

Dear Diary,

Berd peple landed here. Just joken. Tho I did make me and the uthurs berds. Mr Howell had me colectin fethers amd after I fumbled anuther rescue everyone chased me into the fether pils and well… Skipper thenks hes smart tho - tried to starve me all day given me only litle amunts of food. Im gladd I hid those grapes. And Mark says im dum!

Gilligan