[Gemstone]

i could use one now
aneyone else can come
im gonna hide here for a whiel

I'm here.

((((((Gem))))))))

I'll come in to keep you company.
Maybe we can play a game to take your mind off feeling scared.
Perhaps we can put some music on - what sort would you like to hear?
There's a glass wall to this room and it looks into an aquarium. Guess who I can see in there?

Caroline

Guess who I can see in there?

Are they munching on lettuce?

Yes!

[Gemstone]

i like all kinds of music
i like peter an betty too
thanx

I like the Lonely Little Petunia in an onion patch song...

I'M A LONELY LITTLE PETUNIA IN AN ONION PATCH

Of all the saddest words
That I have ever heard
The saddest is the story
Told me by a bird
He had spent about and hour
Chatting with a flower
and here ís the tale the flower told

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch,
an onion patch, an onion patch

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch
and all I do is cry all day

Boo hoo, boo hoo

The air ís so strong it takes my breath away

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch,
oh won't you come and play with me

Who put me in this bed?
I'll bet his face is red
I call him down with every teardrop that I shed
If I only had him here
I'd take him by the ear
And make him share my misery

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch,
an onion patch, an onion patch

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch

and all I do is cry all day

Boo hoo, boo hoo

The air ís so strong it takes my breath away

(Feee-you!)

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch,
oh won't you come and play with me

[Gemstone]

i like that song too

OK so we will have some music playing in the background. We can have Petunia's song playing while we look at PEter and Betty. I wonder if they can hear the music through the window. They keep looking in at us while munching their lettuce.
I'd like a sand pit in the corner where we can build castles. And a big big bed with curtains round it so I can hide if I want to.

[Gemstone]

i like to build castles and bed
they can hear the music
figments here too with paint

Should we paint Peter and Betty?

What color would a boy Manatee be? Polka dots?

[Gemstone]

blue

oh good - I really like figment.
I have a secret special room and it is a bit like this. It's my safe place. My special room has glass doors which lead onto a lake, and there are sailing boats filled with big cushions. But we can bring all the things in my special room here - a blackboard with coloured chalks, and big soft cushions to sit on and lots and lots of cuddly toys.
alice

I think Betty should be painted bright yellow with swirly patterns all over her.

[CedarS]

I'm extra tired and spacy, so I'll nest here with a bunch of pillows and an umbrella. Umbrella is tilted so folks can see me and I can see them, but any stray rain cannot get to me.



I love the thought of manatee painting, I'll videotape the proceedings if everyone agrees, we can save the record for posterity, folks will marvel at the artistry.

We could also paint the manatees and do like..nose prints?.......flipper prints?..........and sell them to raise funds.

[tamzinrose]

That sounds fun...maybe have a pretty little flower on her too?

Flipper prints!

maybe have a pretty little flower on her too?

Could it be a petunia maybe?

D'you think we could get the manatees to do some painting? Maybe they would hold a brush in their mouths? I read of people getting some elephants to paint and selling their paintings. You can read about it here
alice

[CedarS]

Everyone has such good ideas! We are a creative bunch.

We could bring a few elephant artists in to teach the manatees.

I like that idea!
See Betty with little purple petunias all over her!
Now what can we do for Peter?
alice

Peter should have gemstones...

[CedarS]

*nod nod* Gemstones, definitely.

I don't remember if I read this anywhere, do manatees play with toys?

I don't think they play with toys, but that's probably because no one has thought to make them some! I bet they would like stuffed humans cuz we like stuffed manatees!

I bet they play with mermaids!

They are a bit like dolphins and dolphins like to play so I bet manatees do too.
alice