[video; open]

[blytheandbonnie]

[Hello, Bete Noire. There is a very puzzled little girl of about ten years old on the screen. She is tiny and dimpled and has A LOT of curly red hair for such a little thing.]

Umm. I think I got lost? There's a lot of things to look at here, though, in this place I am in. Coconuts and sand and--ooh!

[She wanders away from the screen for a

Comments

[mr_chekov]

You shouldn't pick animals up. They're dangerous.

[Know it all seven year old at your service.]

[blytheandbonnie]

They are not! Just--tigers and things. Big dogs. And if they're foaming at the mouth, that's bad, like with Old Yeller. But I don't think this one has foam.

[Bonnie attempts to pry the monkey's mouth open with one hand, while firmly holding onto him with the other. The monkey makes some very unhappy noises, but maybe it ate a purple banana or something, because it's not really fighting her.]

Nope! No foams.

[mr_chekov]

Nu-uh. You should newer pick up an animal that doesn't have a collar on. They're dangerous and it might bite you and then you'll get some tropicals sickness and be really really ill.

[blytheandbonnie]

[Oh, that doesn't sound like fun. But the monkey is so squishy.]

Umm...

[She looks around uncertainly. And then, oh! She wanders off screen again, and when she returns, she has wrapped some seaweed around the monkey's neck. It looks even more disgruntled than before.]

Now it has a collar. Thanks!

[gutsycrazy]

Is that a real monkey?

[ Johanna's smaller, but not cuter.]

I bet it'd be tasty.

[blytheandbonnie]

[Bonnie looks horrified at first--and then intrigued.]

Maaaaybe.....

[gutsycrazy]

[ She's peering at the screen like she's never seen a real live one, which she hasn't. ]

You should cook it and try it and tell me, 'cause I'm really hungry. But I don't wanna eat something poisonous and I dunno what any of the things here are, they're all different from back home.

[blytheandbonnie]

[Bonnie sniffs at the monkey. It smells really good but she doesn't think people eat monkeys. And it's so fluffy!]

Umm--maybe later.

[Probably not.]

[halfbloodgit]

Do you often narrate aloud to yourself?

[blytheandbonnie]

[Baby Bonnie stares uncertainly at him. She isn't entirely sure she knows what narrate means. But she senses he wants an answer. And so, definitively:]

Yes. Yes, I do that.

[halfbloodgit]

[Stare all you like at the dirty kid with the clothes that don't fit and who's got the mile-long stare, Bonnie. Stare at him]

It's obnoxious.

And I thought you'd like to know you're holding a wild animal who'll probably bite you the next chance it gets.

[blytheandbonnie]

[Bonnie blinks a few times. And then she smiles.]

You're mean because people were mean to you. That is how bullying works. People are mean to me too, because I'm so small. Mommy says I'm small because God made me that way, though.

Do you need a friend?

[idolstolemylook]

Did you seriously just name a monkey George?

[blytheandbonnie]

[Bonnie watches him with very large eyes.]

Is that--is it a bad name?

[idolstolemylook]

Just a bit cliche, don't you think?

[blytheandbonnie]

[Wee little arms hold out the squirming monkey closer to the camera.]

Do you want to name him, Mr. Spike?