The Llama Confuses

The next morning, Sweezus meets Arthur at Bunnings.

Pierre-Louis has tagged along too.

Okay, says Sweezus. I've got Lu Ban's plans here. Let's do this.

They look for the building goods section.

It's near the far end.

Lu Ban's plans are on Sweezus's phone. He scrolls down, and enlarges a diagram.

Need some help? asks a Bunnings assistant.

Yeah, says Sweezus. Can you read Chinese?

No, says the assistant. But leave it to me. 

He takes the phone, and disappears with Lu Ban's instructions.

You'd better follow him, says Arthur.

Yeah okay, says Sweezus. You guys wait here.

He follows the Bunnings assistant.

While we're waiting, says Pierre-Louis, mind if I run something by you?

A Peruvian witticism? says Arthur.

Yes, says Pierre-Louis. How about this? Como se llama un oso enfandado?

What does that mean? asks Arthur.

What do you call an angry bear? says Pierre-Louis.

I don't know, says Arthur.

Furioso! says Pierre-Louis.

So... oso means bear? says Arthur. I guess that's pretty funny. If you leave out the llama.

There is no llama, says Pierre-Louis. It's a Peruvian word meaning 'call'.

You have to admit the llama makes it confusing, says Arthur.

Yes I suppose so, says Pierre-Louis. There's an alternative one, about an orange...

Later, says Arthur. There's Sweezus. Looks like he wants us.

They follow Sweezus to the end of the Bunnings.

The assistant has stacked up five plywood panels, three ladders, a length of rope, a pulley system, a tin of blue paint and a paintbrush.

What about the wings? asks Arthur.

You won't need the wings, says the assistant. You've got the pulley.

 Yeah I told him it's for a play, says Sweezus.

Sounds like a good one, says the assistant. I might get a couple of tickets.

You like the theatre? asks Pierre-Louis.

Only if it's funny, says the assistant.

Let me run this by you, says Pierre-Louis. Cual es la fruta mas comica?

Don't know, says the assistant. 

It means what's the funniest fruit, says Pierre-Louis.

Still don't know, says the assistant.

La naranja-ja-ja-ja, says Pierre-Louis.

Hang on, says the assistant. Is that supposed to be Spanish? Your pronunciation is crap.

Help me out, then, says Pierre-Louis.

Ja-ja-ja is pronounced ha-ha-ha in Spanish, says the assistant. And that goes for the ja at the end of the orange.

La naranha-ha-ha-ha, says Pierre-Louis. 

Ha ha, laughs Sweezus. An orange! That's heaps funny!

Pierre-Louis looks happy.