The Swapped Letters [Gilligan's Island short story] ✔️

Four

The Dream

That night, Ginger and Mary Ann fell into a deep sleep and they both started to dream...

The dream fades into a small village where a Princess named Ginger is strolling through, in a pink sparkly dress, with a cloak over it. She puts on her hood so none of the villagers will recognize her. She also held a basket with apples she had planned on passing around to the villagers.

Princess Ginger walked through the town of people gardening, doing laundry, and children running around. Most of the villagers clothes were old and worn out, and some looked like they hadn't bathed in days. Princess Ginger made her way to the children, handing them juicy apples, and they devoured them as soon as the apples reached their hands. Princess Ginger noticed a girl, about her age kneeling down on the dirt washing clothes with her bare hands. Her hair was tousled, she had some dirt on her face and she looked tired, and hungry. Princess Ginger walked closer to the girl so she could give her an apple. The girl didn't even look up. She continued scrubbing clothes in a bucket. Princess Ginger had to speak to get her attention.

"Hi," Princess Ginger said to the girl. The girl stopped scrubbing, and looked up to the Princess. Ginger offered her an apple from the basket. The girl grabbed it, but said, "You're not trying to poison me are you?" she joked. The Princess shook her head.

"Do I look like an old hag to you? she joked back. The girl laughed and took a huge bite of the apple, feeling satisfied.

"What's your name? Princess Ginger asked her.

"Mary Ann," she said, with her mouthful. "What's yours?"

"Uh, Ginger," she said, hoping Mary Ann wouldn't figure out she was the Princess.

"Hey!" Mary Ann gasped. "Aren't you the Princess?!"

Ginger waved her hands frantically. "Shhh!" she hushed. "I don't want anybody to notice me."

"Sorry," Mary Ann apologized. "Man I wonder what it would be like to live in a huge castle with servants and maids," Mary Ann dreamed. Stuff like that seemed impossible to a girl who lived in a small house, having to work hours everyday.

"Trust me it's not all that," Princess Ginger said. "You always have to be perfect, you always have to be graceful and polite," Ginger told her.

"Still, anything is better than this life," Mary Ann said opening her arms to the small village packed with people trying to get by with the little they had.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Ginger said. "You're about my age. With a small disguise and some make up, you could pass as me."

Mary Ann was puzzled. "What do you mean?" she asked the Princess.

"We're going to switch places!" Ginger said. Mary Ann's eyes widened in excitement. She could finally get to experience a different life. A life of a Princess.

"Could it really work?" Mary Ann wondered.

"It wouldn't hurt to try," Ginger said.

When everything was agreed upon, Princess Ginger and Mary Ann exchanged numbers so they could keep in touch and arrange a time to do the switch. At night Mary Ann could hardly sleep, knowing that she would get to experience what it was like to be a Princess. She wouldn't have to wake up at five A.M. every morning to start working. She could almost do whatever she wanted. She would have people to cook for, do her laundry and even make her bed.

Princess Ginger wasn't looking forward to working in the garden, but she was excited for a change. Something new, where she didn't have to constantly greet people, be poised and polite. If she didn't feel like washing her hair, no one would care.