It was early in the day and Gilligan was hunting for turtle eggs for breakfast on the beach when he heard a SPLASH! coming from the lagoon.When he turned around he nearly had his eyes fall out of their sockets.There on the beach combing her hair was one of the prettiest girls he had seen.She even put Ginger to shame.
From the waist up she was the most perfect girl he had ever seen,and then he saw her tail.
"Hi!"she said turning around and seeing him.
"Ha-ha-ha-hi!"Gilligan stuttered.
"My name's Galiena."she said.
"Please ta meetcha,I'm Gilligan."Gilligan replied then added,"Er..aren't you a..."
"Mermaid?"Galiena finished the question.
"Uh-huh."
"Sure,cantcha tell by the tail?"
"But there's no such thing as a.."
"Mermaid."
"Even I know that!"Gilligan said.
Galiena laughed and jumped back into the lagoon.
Gilligan just stared off into the distance pinching himself.
"About time you got back with those turtle eggs."the skipper groused at Gilligan.
"I'm sorry."Gilligan said putting the eggs on the table.
"Well what's the excuse this time."
"You never believe what I saw at the lagoon!"
"Let me guess Colonel Sanders and a bucket of chicken?"
"No..don't be silly..if I saw Colonel Sanders and a bucket of chicken why'd I bring you turtle eggs instead?"
"Ok,I give up what did you see at the lagoon?"
"A real live mermaid named Galiena."
The professor shook his head as he exited the hut.
"Well?"the Skipper asked.
"Will he be alright?"Mary Ann inquired.
"Is there anything we can do?"added Ginger.
"Physically he's fine,but I think the toll of being marooned on this island for so long as finally gotten to Gilligan.He really believes he saw a mermaid at the lagoon today."
"My poor little buddy."the skipper said,"I never thought anything like this would happen to him.I admit there were times he seemed to go around the bend with his imagination,but.."
They all fell silent.
"The best thing to do is to go along with his hallucination until we can convince him that there is no such thing as a mermaid,"the professor concluded.
Ginger and Mary Ann met Gilligan going down to the beach.
He had a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
"Where are you going Gilligan?"Mary Ann asked.
"To the Lagoon."
"Is there some lucky girl you're going to give the flowers to?"Ginger asked.
"Yeah!Her name's Galiena,and I'd love for you to meet her."
The girls shrugged their shoulders and followed Gilligan.
"Here Galiena where are you?I brought you flowers.Galiena?"
Gilligan and the girls looked around but the beach was empty.
"Maybe she had another date."Ginger suggested.
"Why don't you come back to the hut area with us and we'll be your dates for the day?"Mary Ann said.
Gilligan frowned disappointed.
He had wanted Galiena to meet his friends and he was sure that Ginger and Mary Ann were the two that would most likely believe when they saw her.
"Well alright."he said dejected.
He threw the flowers over his head and they landed in the lagoon.
There was a quiet splash! this time but Gilligan didn't turn around to see what it was.If he had he would have been satisfied to have seen Galiena wave them back at him.
"Look what I found at the lagoon today."Mary Ann said holding up a wet piece of paper.
"If it's money we don't take anything less than a ten thousand dollar bill." Mr.Howell said.
"Don't be silly it isn't money.It's a note for Gilligan."
She handed it over to Gilligan who was looking listless.
He read it and then brightened up.
"Dear Gilligan,"it ran,"Thanks for believing in me when everyone else wouldn't. signed your friend Galiena"
Gilligan smiled.
The End