WWYD? The Saga of the Family Tuna

[PomBearAtTheGatesOfDawn]

Bit longwinded but anyone who bears with me can have and
DD has a toy caterpillar named Sydney Tuna, she liberated him from a car boot sale when she was just gone 2 and has adored and worshipped him ever since.
Last Christmas Santa brought his mummy, Mrs. Mabel Tuna, to live with us. She had missed Sydney since he went to seek his fortune, so had written to Santa to ask him to find Sydney, and Santa gave her a lift to our house on his sleigh. Cue rejoicing and carolling and so on....
DD now informs me that this Christmas, Mrs T and Sydney are writing jointly to Santa to find Mr. Tuna, who rejoices in the name Miguel apparently, and is in the army, fighting for the peaceloving resistance caterpillars who want to stop the slaughter between the marmite and the maple syrup factions I kid you not AND I kept a straight face wile DD told me all this
So... and if you're still with me, a thousand thanks... I can lay my hands on a caterpillar identical to Mrs. Tuna, but how can I make him look like he's been liberated from the army/prisoner of war camp/somewhere else suitable to have kept him away for a long time? I thought about him having been kidnapped by Pirates to explain where he's been all these years, and that was when DD came out with the stuff about the army... any suggestions? DD is 9 and I think this could be the last year for Santa for her, we've had some pointed questions that I have so far lied my way out of managed by the skin of my teeth, so I want to do Mr. Tuna's homecoming right...

I can't read through ALL the replies right now :) -

but just incase it hasn't already been suggested - you could use a lighter to "scorch" him, could either be for stubble on his face, or perhaps scars - from an explosion he was caught in, when blasted out of prison by rudolf on Santas say so ;) -

love the story BTW - my DD is the same age & also asking the same questions I suspect we've had our last believable Santas been already :(

I have a childs camo bandana I am more than willing to post donate to the cause. By all means pm me your address if at anytime you decide you want it

Fabulous!

I nominate this thread for Classics!

Oooo purple you tell it so well - I can visualise the whole scene now that is JUST what happened. Helmet and bandana gratefully accepted, thank you! and I will pm you lovely ladies in a minute - am currently puddling in melt-grease on the floor under the chair from the walk to school and back

Ooh, Stealth, perhaps Miguel stole the Commandante's wife's best slinky satin drawers and best table cloth, then dug his tunnel in the ensuing commotion?

Would that be a little too risque for your DD, Pombear, or is she old enough to handle the concept of Naice underwear???

She can shop for England the Next outlet at Cadbury World in Somerset probably still hasn't recovered from the time she spent there this summer and gets the best clothes/naice clothes/posh and expensive and only for special occasion clothes thing. Not sure what Mabel Tuna will make of Miguel hijacking other women's scanties though but hopefully she will understand that it was only to bring the day of their joyful reunion closer...

More than willing to donate the satin to the cause - PM me with your address if you want it, Pidj!

oh - you did already! OK, will post it tomorrow when DH isn't around to query my latest lunacy

So I was just looking for the clip of Allo Allo where the ladies of ze resistance give thier silk niqueuers for France... Note to Self: Do not, under any circumstance, ever, ever again, google the words "give, knickers, silk, and France" in the same keyword list again

I'll have a go with the sticky stuff remover tonight and get the helmet posted tomorrow

I'm sure Mrs Mable will be so relieved to see her long-lost husband she'll forgive him for pilfering a negligee from the washing line

Now, where did he get the boat hook with which he pilfered said items, and how did he hide it in his cell afterwards...

and the seriously over thinking it award goes to Pidj

Nothing to add, but loving it!
:)

He has 18 good legs and a couple of injured ones, he shinnied up the clothes prop and along the top ot the line until he could worry the pegs loose with his teeth do caterpillars have teeth? with his gums, toughened by the years of chewing on half a dry stick a week starvation rations and the things dropped to the floor below...

... He quickly wove a small cocoon in which to store them, scuttled back to his cell and buried them in a hole in the corner under the bunk...

using his left antenna as a lock pick to open and relock the door behind him so that nobody knew he was out and about...

I think I shall bandage one of his antennae, then when it's healed we can take the bandage off and have it recover. Sydney Tuna has antennae issues as his were horribly maimed in the Terrible Washing Machine Trauma of '07 moment's silence please so we must let Mr. Tuna's be ok in the end!

If he can pick the lock at will, Pombear, how come he needed to dig a tunnel?

unless the Agency Temp guard left the outside bolts off one day in a moment of carelessness which was never repeated

PomBear - you had better preserve this thread before it gets deleted from chat otherwise you will have nothing to refer to when writing the three volume epic letter with the story of the Great Escape

Back home will discuss parachute stuff with DH

Because the lock he can pick is on his cell door, and only lets him out into the compound - the gate in the compound wall is Big and Strong and Steel and Electrified, and there are Guards with Guns and Fierce Dogs who have a taste for the flesh of caterpillars...

deleted! ooerrr - do we get deleted yet? 90 days will take us to Xmas - or is that just a guideline? hasn't been here all that long yet

90 days will take us to Christmas - yes, I guess you're right

We have got counts on fingers and toes 7 birthdays of varying importance between now and Xmas now I think about it, and several school events

I only listed the ones which involve me at least to the extent of cake provision - there are more, and endless school stuff. Just about every child we know well enough to buy presents for has a birthday between 1/10 and Christmas. What I really need to do is write a list and just buy 2 presents per child.

Anyway, I didn't mean to distract you from the important business of the Tuna family reunion. I shall make amends by going to find the satin and a suitable envelope.