Speaker 1: Caroline and Abigail enjoyed making things. They would paint and draw,
Speaker 1: stitch and stick, and mold and sculpt. If outside, they
Speaker 1: would collect leaves, feathers and interesting stones, and on rainy days,
Speaker 1: cut up old magazines, catalogs and food packaging. Wherever they
Speaker 1: were and whatever they did, Caroline and Abigail were never
Speaker 1: far from having creative thoughts or doing creative things, which
Speaker 1: was why on this day they were collecting shells. They
Speaker 1: were at the beach and had already constructed a magnificent
Speaker 1: fairytale castle out of sand, complete with a water filled moat.
Speaker 1: Now needing shells to decorate the castle's walls and roofs,
Speaker 1: they'd walked along the shoreline in search of some. Here's
Speaker 1: a good one, said Caroline, holding up a curly shell.
Speaker 1: It was shiny with a hint of pink and cream.
Speaker 1: This would look amazing on top of the tower. Yeah,
Speaker 1: agreed Abigail. And how about this one. It's enormous. We
Speaker 1: could use this one as a drawbridge. They'd already made
Speaker 1: quite a collection and their hands.
Speaker 2: Were quite full.
Speaker 1: Let's take these to the castle, suggested Caroline. Then we
Speaker 1: can run back here for more.
Speaker 2: But they'd not gone two steps when they spotted an
Speaker 2: unusual couple stood upon the sand.
Speaker 1: Not just unusual, very unusual, because they were.
Speaker 2: Clearly not human. Are those aliens?
Speaker 1: Asked Caroline, dropping her shells with surprise. The two figures
Speaker 1: had orange skin with a scattering of purple spots, thin bodies,
Speaker 1: large heads, and oddest of all, just one circular eye each.
Speaker 1: They were looking down at the sand between their three
Speaker 1: toed feet.
Speaker 2: I don't know what else they could.
Speaker 1: Be, admitted Abigail, putting her shells down more carefully. The
Speaker 1: aliens looked up and appeared to notice the girls for
Speaker 1: the first time. Look scoop of things, said one of
Speaker 1: the aliens, excitedly.
Speaker 2: Oh, how fortunate, Yobel. Perhaps they are queens of this planet,
Speaker 2: said Swoop. Salvation's your royal highnesses.
Speaker 1: This was said with a wave to Abigail and Caroline.
Speaker 1: Oh we're not royalty, replied Abigail. Oh what a beautiful
Speaker 1: planet you have, said Yobel. Oh we like it very much. Ah,
Speaker 1: thank you, said Caroline.
Speaker 2: It would do very nicely, said Swoop. For what, asked Abigail.
Speaker 1: For our wedding, of course, laughed yobl We are very
Speaker 1: much loving each other.
Speaker 2: Oh, yes, agreed Shwoop. Loving your planet would be the
Speaker 2: perfect place for our wedding to take place. We particularly
Speaker 2: like this glittery stuff that you walk on.
Speaker 1: The sand, asked Caroline. Yeah, we'd like it too. We'd
Speaker 1: like to make castles from it.
Speaker 2: Oh did you hear that, Shoop, The queens construct their
Speaker 2: palaces from glitter. Oh, we truly are lucky to have
Speaker 2: found them, marveled Yobel. Indeed, Yobyl, we have chosen well,
Speaker 2: added Swoop. We would like one of your castles for
Speaker 2: our marriage. Please will you make one for us?
Speaker 1: Well, we could show you how to make one, Abigail said,
Speaker 1: because we probably won't be around when you actually get married.
Speaker 2: But you're here now, said Yobel. So you are around.
Speaker 1: You mean you're getting married right now, spluttered Caroline, like today.
Speaker 2: Oh yes, and we would like a magnivosent castle, and
Speaker 2: your royal Highness is to be there.
Speaker 1: Grin Swoop, not royal highnesses, corrected Abigail. But what about
Speaker 1: guests and decorations? Don't you need those? Having two queens
Speaker 1: in a castle will be all we need, said Yobel.
Speaker 1: Please begin construction right away. But we've already built one,
Speaker 1: said Caroline. Over here. The two girls led the peculiar
Speaker 1: aliens across the sand to where their sand castle stood.
Speaker 1: I'm afraid it's not very big, said Abigail. Real castles
Speaker 1: are much grander than this.
Speaker 2: Oh it's mauveless. Gush swoop. The builders you used to
Speaker 2: make it must be very skilled.
Speaker 1: Oh no, we didn't use builders, giggled Caroline. We built
Speaker 1: this ourselves. The two aliens looked stunned. You built all
Speaker 1: of this out of the glitz stuff yourselves, gasped Yobel.
Speaker 1: Little wonder that you two have been made queens. We're
Speaker 1: not queens, said Abigail.
Speaker 2: Oh I'm so excited, smiled Shwoop. This shall be a
Speaker 2: wedding like no other.
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm very impressed, nodded Yobel. Shall we start. I
Speaker 1: really think you should have decorations, insisted Caroline.
Speaker 2: What are these decorations you are speaking of, wondered Shwoop.
Speaker 2: Abigail and Caroline grinned at one another. Well, began Abigail.
Speaker 1: There are usually flowers, lots of flowers, chipped in Caroline.
Speaker 1: Then there's bunting and streamers and balloons and table settings,
Speaker 1: added Abigail. And bows and ribbons and covers and lighting,
Speaker 1: continued Caroline.
Speaker 2: Good moons of mupple pop.
Speaker 1: Exclaimed Yobel. That is so much. Oh that's just the
Speaker 1: start of it.
Speaker 2: Said Abigail.
Speaker 1: Having flowers, bunting and balloons helps make a wedding look
Speaker 1: extra special.
Speaker 2: Oh, Yobel, shouldn't our wedding be extra special? Should we
Speaker 2: have floors and bunnies and spoons? Said Shroop.
Speaker 1: That's flowers, bunting and balloons, corrected Caroline.
Speaker 2: It is enough custom to have these decorations at a wedding,
Speaker 2: said Yobel. It's a shame that there are no such
Speaker 2: items in sight.
Speaker 1: That's true, said Abigail. You don't find those sort of
Speaker 1: things just lying around. Oh that is a disappointment, said
Speaker 1: Swoop sadly. But there are other things that are lying
Speaker 1: around and we could use, suggested Caroline, really brightened Shwoop,
Speaker 1: his singular eye opening wide.
Speaker 2: No wonder, the people of this planet put you both
Speaker 2: in charge.
Speaker 1: We're not in charge, said Abigail. Wait here, buy the
Speaker 1: sand castle, said Caroline, snatching Abigail's hand. We'll be right back. First,
Speaker 1: they returned to their drop shells. They use these to
Speaker 1: make a circular pattern in the sand with the two
Speaker 1: aliens at the center, although it did mean an extra
Speaker 1: trip to look for more impressive, said Yobel. Next, the
Speaker 1: two girls search for seaweed. It was the closest thing
Speaker 1: to flowers they could think of, so they gathered up
Speaker 1: as much as they could and laid it out in
Speaker 1: the sand like fancy bouquets. Oh, very good, said Shwoop approvingly. Finally,
Speaker 1: the girls went searching for driftwood. There wasn't much, but
Speaker 1: what they found had been worn smooth by the sea
Speaker 1: and bleached white by the sun. They pushed the wood
Speaker 1: into the sand to create a wider circle that went
Speaker 1: around the shell circle and the sand castle. Outstanding, proclaimed
Speaker 1: yobl How are you able to make such things? Oh,
Speaker 1: we're always making things, said Caroline. We love crafts, the
Speaker 1: queen of crafts, said Shwoop. Now let us start, Yes,
Speaker 1: agreed Yobel. It is time for us to get married.
Speaker 1: How does this work, added Abigail. Don't you need someone
Speaker 1: to conduct the ceremony?
Speaker 2: Ceremony, repeated Shwoop. That sounds complicated. Indeed it does, agreed Yobel.
Speaker 1: But we pick a lot of porians. Don't need extra
Speaker 1: Pickolotta Porians to be involved. We just need each other.
Speaker 1: That's different, said Caroline.
Speaker 2: Let us show you, smiled Swoop and turned to face
Speaker 2: Yobel in the circle of shells. The two aliens held
Speaker 2: hands entwining their long fingers together. Shwoop, Will you be
Speaker 2: mine forever, asked Yobel. Until the end of time, answered Swoop.
Speaker 2: And Yobel, will you be mine forever until the last
Speaker 2: star in the universe fades away?
Speaker 1: Responded yobl There said Shwoop, turning to the two girls.
Speaker 2: It's done. Yobel and I are married, big, loving, and
Speaker 2: thanks to your royal highnesses, we've had the most memorable
Speaker 2: wedding of any pick a Lotta Porian couple in the
Speaker 2: history of the galaxy.
Speaker 1: Smiled Yoble. Oh it's been our pleasure, said Abigail. Yes,
Speaker 1: agreed Caroline. It's been so all much fun to help.
Speaker 1: And there's a token of our thanks. Please accept this
Speaker 1: small shiny green rock, said Yabel, placing what looked like
Speaker 1: an emerald in Caroline's palm. These cover the surface of Piccolotta,
Speaker 1: our home planet, so we often give them away as gifts.
Speaker 1: It's not worth much, but it looks pretty. Thank you
Speaker 1: both yelled out shwoop as in a shimmer of light,
Speaker 1: the two aliens transported away, presumably back to their ship.
Speaker 1: That was unexpected, said Abigail, staring out at the now
Speaker 1: empty seashell circle. Here you're telling me, said Caroline. Emeralds
Speaker 1: may not be worth much to them, but on earth
Speaker 1: these are worth a fortune. Well what do we do now,
Speaker 1: asked Abigail. Do you still want to finish the sand castle?
Speaker 1: I'm not sure, replied Caroline. We've been so creative today already.
Speaker 1: Organizing an alien wedding was hard work, yes, but what fun,
Speaker 1: said Abigail. We'll remember today for the rest most of
Speaker 1: our lives. Excuse me, said a voice from nearer the shoreline.
Speaker 1: Turning that way, they were met with the sight of
Speaker 1: a small red alien with ten tentacles, one of which
Speaker 1: was looped into the enormous quad hand of a scaly
Speaker 1: green alien with.
Speaker 2: A wide, hairy head. Are you the queens of craft
Speaker 2: more aliens?
Speaker 1: Gasped Abigail. She was so surprised that she forgot to
Speaker 1: tell the newcomers they weren't royalty. You're not here to
Speaker 1: get married to you, are you, asked Caroline.
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 1: Yes, said the little red alien.
Speaker 2: News of your.
Speaker 1: Elaborate regal wedding service has reached the far corners of
Speaker 1: the galaxy. Myself and Gurgle pibble ox Knock would be
Speaker 1: honored if we could have a royal wedding here. Listen,
Speaker 1: we're not royal, began Abigail, as the small alien held
Speaker 1: up another tentacle. It was wrapped around a large, fist
Speaker 1: sized ruby.
Speaker 2: We will gladly give you this token for your troubles,
Speaker 2: your royal highnesses, said the alien.
Speaker 1: Oh all right, then, said Abigail, grinning at Caroline. Caroline
Speaker 1: grinned back. Just give us a few moments, she said.
Speaker 1: We just need to freshen up the seaweed, the and