Too Long In The Seine

Shack Café. Rue Lafayette.

Belle and Nico order bubble waffles.

And a black currant juice for Terence.

The frogs have remained outside, looking for midges and flies.

Nico takes Baby Pierre and Ouvert out of his pocket and places them on the table.

Roo-kai flies in, with the carrot.

He drops the carrot on the table, next to Baby Pierre.

Baby Pierre rolls away from the carrot. He never liked it.

Hello, carrot, says Terence.

Carrot, says the carrot.

It hasn't learned anything, says Terence.

The bubble waffles arrive. They are waffles with raised bubbles, folded inside paper cones and filled with hazelnut icecream, pink marshmallows and drizzled with dark chocolate and strawberry syrups

Yum, says Belle. After this I should definitely eat something healthy.

Carrot! says the carrot.

Ha ha, laughs Terence. It's scared!

Not you, carrot, says Belle. You've been too long in the Seine.

The carrot has learned something. That was the Seine. It would like to go back there.

I can see you would like to go back there, says Roo-kai, and you will as soon as we leave the city.

It's a nice city, says Belle. Do you live here, Nico?

Yes, says Nico.

What do you do? asks Belle. 

I work at the Musée des Beaux Arts, says Nico. Would you like me to show you some of our famous Impressionist paintings?

O yes, says Belle. Funny. I imagined you more as a naturalist.

Why is that? asks Nico.

Because you recognised Parsley, says Belle. The green spotted frog.

The pelodytes punctatus, says Nico. No, I just like frogs. I was surprised not to know the species of the other two.

They're Australian, says Belle. And endangered.

How did they get here? asks Nico. 

On a plane, says Belle. Not with me though. 

Ask Baby Pierre how he got here, says Terence.

Are you Australian, too? asks Nico.

No way! says Baby Pierre. Pebbles have no nationality.

But you came from Adelaide, says Terence. And you posted yourself to Copenhagen, like a loser.

It seems quite sensible, says Belle,

Yes it does, agrees Nico.

The frogs hop in, having found plenty of flies (and several midges).

A waiter comes over. 

No frogs in here please. And please remove the pebbles from the table.

Sorry, says Belle. We're just leaving.

Very well, says the waiter. By the way, did you order this carrot?

No, says Belle.  It's ours. Our parrot brought it.

Parrot? says the waiter, looking round for a parrot.

Of course, there is no parrot.

Roo-kai is long gone.

Belle snatches up the carrot. Nico grabs the pebbles and Terence knocks his black currant juice over. 

The frogs hop out on their own.