Episode 4 Just So Darwin

A long time ago, Darwin came to our island.

The stories that he told, well, filled my granddad with wonder!

And he told me so that I could tell you!

Boo!

Oh. Hello, Sam!

Granddad, I wanted to frighten you!

Why would you want to do that?

I'm practising being scary, because I need to protect myself!

Being scary is one way to protect yourself,

but there are lots of other ways too!

Are there?

A long, long time ago, there were two fish that were best of friends.

Tracey the triggerfish, and Percy, the little puffer fish.

-One, two, three...

-Ooh, where to hide? Where to hide?

..eight, nine, ten!

Ready or not, here I come!

Hey, slowcoach!

What now, Chico? I'm meant to be playing hide and seek!

Knock, knock!

Who's there?

-A fish!

-A fish who?

Have you got a cold?

A cold? No...

Atishoo!

Right! Very funny, Chico(!)

I suppose that's why they call you a clownfish!

Hey, you!

Shh! Chico, I'm trying to hide and I don't want Percy to find me!

I know a far better hiding place!

-Oh!

-No-one will be able to find me here!

I can't hide in sea anemones. Their tentacles sting!

So, how come Chico can hide in the anen...anemones if they sting?

Because he's a clownfish.

Clownfish are covered with a special slime that covers their scales,

and stops them getting stung.

Hey! Slowcoach! She's over here! Hiding in the coral!

You think you're so clever.

Yes. I'm fast and I'm funny. What can you do?

I can do this.

SHE SUCKS IN WATER

Not bad.

And that's not all.

Now, try and get me out.

HE STRAINS

That's clever! How did you do that?

Her spines lock into place, so no-one can pull her out.

Oh, and by the way, I found you.

Oh!

OK, Mr Slowcoach Clever-Clogs! What can YOU do?

Erm...

While Percy was thinking what he could do,

a big, hungry barracuda was swimming around

looking for something to eat!

I can laugh at your jokes, even if they're not funny. I can...

THEY GASP

Percy! Watch out!

BARRACUDA GRUNTS

You are amazing!

So that's why you're called a puffer fish!

But how did the puffer fish get their puff?

Well, a long, long, long, long time ago,

there weren't any puffer fish.

Only triggerfish, who were able to squirt water out their mouth

and turn sea urchins upside down.

Then one day, a triggerfish found out

that if she swallowed the water instead of squirting it out,

she could puff herself up to make herself look bigger!

She was particularly talented at puffing herself up,

and so were some of her babies.

These babies did well,

and had more babies who could also puff themselves up.

And after a long, long, long time, there were lots and lots of...

-Puffer fish!

-Exactly!

So, if I drank lots and lots of water,

would I be able to puff myself up?

Why would you want to do that?

So I could scare someone off if they wanted to eat me!

Tracey and Chico weren't scary.

But they still managed to protect themselves, didn't they?

Well...yes!

So, what do you have, that protects you?

Hmm...

In the next story,

Sam finds out that a long neck can be really useful!

Ooh! Those leaves look so yummy!

Ooh...

I wish I had a longer neck so I could reach them!

Long, long ago, that's exactly what the giraffe said.

Did they?

Oh, yes!

A long, long time ago, giraffes didn't have long necks.

They were just like the elephants and the antelopes,

-whose necks were shorter.

-Just look at those leaves!

This is the perfect tree for a spot of lunch.

Hello there, elephant!

Haven't seen you for a while. How are things?

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

Hey, over here, lads! Grub's up!

Hey! Leave me some, will you? I was here first!

Ow! You're standing on my hoof.

Don't mean to be pushy, but...

Ah! Thank you. Very kind of you.

Oh, no!

They haven't left me anything to eat!

Hmm. Now THEY look good!

HE STRAINS

It's no use.

SAM: Was the giraffe still hungry?

He was. Then he found another acacia tree.

Ah! Perfect!

He started to eat, when...

-Go on, get out of the way!

-Hold on! You don't have to shove!

There's plenty of leaves for us all.

But the antelope weren't listening.

They were too busy munching.

Ooh, ow, ah! Watch it!

Very, very tasty!

There'll be nothing left for me!

So what did the giraffe do?

There was nothing he could do,

other than stand back and wait until the antelope had had their fill.

Maybe I can...

re-e-e-each those high...juicy...leaves!

-Uh, got it!

-ANTELOPE MUNCHES

Bother!

And bother again!

It's so not fair!

Well, that's how it was for the giraffes.

They had to compete with the elephant and the antelope for food.

Then, one day, after a long, long, long, long time,

a giraffe was born that had a slightly longer neck.

And as she grew up, she was taller than her brothers and sisters.

Hello there, how's things?

Whatever.

Hey, look at that!

How come the giraffe is still eating?

Oh! Long necks can come in very handy, you know.

And she was right.

With her longer neck,

the giraffe could reach the juicy leaves on the high branches.

She didn't get as hungry as the other giraffes,

she had plenty to eat!

So when she got older and had baby giraffes of her own,

some of them had long necks too.

Over many, many, many years, more giraffes were born

with longer necks.

Oi, you, outta the way!

Hold up, guys, I don't believe it!

Have you seen the length of this guy's neck?

I think you'll find this is an especially good tree.

The giraffes with the longest necks found more juicy leaves,

and didn't often go hungry.

They survived,

and the giraffes with the shorter necks

didn't do so well.

So after many, many, many, many, many years...

All the giraffes had really long necks!

Do you think one day there will be a tortoise born

with a really long neck?

Sam, that's a very interesting question.

In the next story,

Sam and I visit an old friend of mine.

Lonesome George.

Granddad, are we nearly there yet?

Just reaching the beach!

Hang on to your shell, son!

Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

And here we are!

But why are we here, Granddad?

We're visiting my old friend, Lonesome George.

He's a very special tortoise.

I wonder where he is?

Lonesome George? Why's he called that?

Well, it's because...

Oh! Ooooh... Uh...

HE GROANS

Ha-ha! There he is!

My, oh my, oh my!

Who are these two young fellas?

Good to see you too, Lonesome George!

This is my grandchild, Sam.

Welcome to my island, young 'un!

Lonesome George, you look different!

Are there other tortoises that look like you?

Other tortoises?

There's no other tortoises like me on this island.

Why's that?

Haven't you told him, Granddad?

Then I'll tell you, Sam.

It happened a long time ago.

Once, there were many, many tortoises on this island.

And then the sailing ships arrived, bringing people.

Ho, ho, ho...

Ho, ho...

Of course, the sailors needed something to eat.

So did the settlers.

Ah, here's some grub!

So some of the sailors caught and ate lots of tortoises.

SAM: Oh, no!

So now, some of the tortoises had gone.

Then the ships brought goats, for the farmers.

GOATS BLEAT

So the goats ate lots of the plants.

There wasn't enough food for the tortoises,

and many tortoises got hungry.

Before long, even more tortoises had gone.

No food to eat? That's terrible!

Woof! Woof!

Then the ships brought dogs to herd the goats!

And some of the dogs killed and ate tortoises.

But something far worse came off the ships.

Rats.

And the rats liked to feed on tortoise eggs.

Before long, almost every tortoise had gone.

Sailors and settlers

and goats and dogs and rats.

They changed this island forever.

That's so, so sad!

It was long ago, Sam.

Soon, there were fewer and fewer tortoises growing up.

And fewer and fewer baby tortoises hatching.

Far too few... Far too few.

Until there was only me left.

That's why you're called Lonesome George!

And that's why I like to see young visitors like you, Sam.

Thank you for bringing him across, Charlie!

-So, what will happen when you die?

-Sam!

That's OK.

When I go,

there won't be any more tortoises like me left in the world.

My kind of tortoise will be extinct.

HE GROANS

Granddad, will we ever become extinct?

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