Ginger couldn't help being amused by the situation. It was probably the most unusual breakfast she'd ever had on the island. Not just the food, although Mr. Howell's interpretation of the Peruvian dish ceviche was certainly unique. He said he was inspired by the fact that Gilligan and Mary Ann would be eating raw fish, but rather than serving Japanese sushi, this involved corn on the cob and onions, with the fish marinated in citrus fruit for many hours. He'd apparently started on the meal the day before, and helped himself to the marinating liquid. The fish didn't taste bad actually, but it had a very pungent aroma.

The native family seemed surprised by the food but they were eating it. The Professor of course had to serve as interpreter. So far he'd learned that the island was a day's journey away and it had little contact with the civilized world. They didn't seem to count the castaways as quite civilized, which offended Mrs. Howell at least as much as the polygamy they were offering the Skipper.

The Skipper seemed eager to marry any and every one of the three native girls. Ginger couldn't say she blamed him, considering that his romantic prospects had been even more limited on the island than her own. She and Mary Ann had favored the younger men, and Mrs. Howell was married and probably not his type anyway. He'd had a schoolboy crush on Erika Tiffany Smith, but she had fallen, temporarily thank goodness, for the Professor. (Ginger had felt threatened by this rich woman, but when the Professor came to her for romantic advice, she happily seized the opportunity rather than just telling him to recite poetry, as she'd advised the Skipper.)

The Skipper probably would never get a chance like this again, to be loved because of, not in spite of, his weight. But did this mean that he'd already given up on Gilligan and Mary Ann saving them, after only a day? Or did he figure he'd have his fun while waiting to be rescued? Did this tribe believe in divorce? What if they tried to kill him if he wanted to leave his wife, or wives?

And if the Skipper left them, even temporarily, what would life be like without him? They hadn't even had time to adjust to losing Gilligan and Mary Ann. Yes, soon they would all hopefully be back in the U.S., but she hadn't expected to be divided further before then. The Skipper was their unofficial leader, even if Mr. Howell sometimes acted like he was, and even if the Professor was the one who quietly saved them so often.

And she would miss the Skipper as a person, too, of course. His warmth and his infectious laughter. He was like a big teddy bear, even though he could be grizzly with Gilligan.

She wondered if Gilligan's departure was actually one of the reasons the Skipper wanted to marry the native girls, besides the obvious reasons. After all, even though he'd hopefully see Gilligan again, their father-son-like relationship would have to change now that Gilligan was married. Maybe the Skipper didn't want to be alone, and even a girl, or trio of girls, who didn't speak English would be welcome company for the middle-aged bachelor.

"I think I'm going to have to come up with a small phrasebook before he leaves," the Professor told Ginger in an aside. "That is, if he leaves. Otherwise, I don't know how he's going to communicate."

"He can use the international language," she said, batting her eyelashes.

"Esperanto?"

She sighed. He was doing his best to prove her favorite language wasn't as universal as she'd like.

"Well," Mr. Howell said impatiently, "isn't anyone going to say anything about my cooking?"

The native chief said something, which the Professor translated as, "The chief likes it but thinks it's an odd choice for breakfast."

"It is a shade unconventional, Darling," Mrs. Howell said.

"Me? I'm unconventional? I'm not the one trying to marry three women at once!"

"Now, see here, Mr. Howell—" the Skipper began.

"I have a question," Ginger asked.

Everyone looked at her.

"Is it necessary for the Skipper to marry all three of the princesses? I mean, do their customs require it?"

The Professor posed this question to the chief, who thought it over, discussed it with his family, and then replied.

"He says that it's not required but marrying only one would be viewed as odd, if not improper. However, seeing as the Skipper is, pardon me, 'an ignorant savage,' they'd be willing to make allowances."

"What an understanding father-in-law," the Skipper said huffily.

Ginger asked, "Would it be all right with you, Mr. and Mrs. Howell, if he married just one native girl?"

"What difference does it make what they think? They're not my parents!"

"Please, Skipper. Well, would it?"

"Well, no, I suppose not," Mrs. Howell said, "although this is a bit sudden."

Ginger bit her tongue, considering that Mrs. Howell had orchestrated a marriage between Gilligan and Mary Ann in less than 48 hours.

"I have no objections," Mr. Howell said.

"Well, Skipper," Ginger asked, "how do you feel about it?"

"I'd be happy to marry any of them. Do I get to choose which one?"

The Professor asked the chief and then informed his friends, "He says that there will have to be a contest."
"A contest? Like when that plump native girl wanted to marry Gilligan and he had to compete against her other suitor?" Mr. Howell asked.

The Professor conferred with the chief again and then said, "No, the girls would compete against each other."

"Compete?" the Skipper said, looking very flattered.

But Mrs. Howell said, "With spears and everything? How un-lady-like!"

"No, it doesn't sound like it's anything life-threatening or even violent."

"And then the winner gets me?" the Skipper said. He didn't seem to mind not getting to choose among the three girls.

"Yes."

"What does the runner-up get?" Mr. Howell asked. If it had been Gilligan asking, it would've been innocently, although the Skipper probably still would've hit Gilligan with his cap. But Mr. Howell asked it with a trace of malice, and all poor Skipper could do was glare at him.

Then Mrs. Howell asked, "So once this silly contest for the Skipper's affections is settled, will we be invited to the wedding?"

The Professor asked about that, presumably not translating the word "silly." The chief replied and then the Professor told them, "He is very sorry, but as we aren't related to the groom, we aren't allowed to attend."

Ginger was disappointed, since she imagined that the wedding would be very interesting. Mrs. Howell looked disappointed, too, since a wedding is a wedding, although Ginger doubted Mrs. Howell would've been that comfortable at a native wedding. Mr. Howell looked indifferent, but then he hadn't even been that enthusiastic about Gilligan and Mary Ann getting married, although he'd known them both for years and had even "adopted" Gilligan at one point. As for the Professor, he did seem disappointed, although Ginger suspected it was mostly for anthropological reasons. If the girls had wanted to marry him, which Ginger was very glad they didn't, he might've actually gone along with it, just as a chance to live among and study their tribe.

Ginger wished she could tell Mary Ann about all this, curious to see what the sensible farm girl would think. They would hopefully be reunited in a few weeks, but by then the Skipper would probably be happily married to whichever of the native princesses won him.