Georgy was having a bad day. Not only did his head hurt from all the banging going on round him (he was in for his makeover) but his owner had decided he wanted him a new colour and it was green. "Green, green" wailed George, "I can't be green, I'll look like a plate of mushy peas". "Oh dear, oh dear, what am I going to look like".

Just as Georgy was beginning to feel very sorry for himself up flew Eric the albatross. "Nice day Georgy" said Eric "How's the makeover going"?

"I'm sick to the back teeth with it" said Georgy "and now they want to paint me GREEN, Green I say GREEEEEN".

Georgy turned to Cecil who was in the next dock to him getting his paintwork redone after the fire. "What do you think then" said Georgy.

"Well personally" huffed Cecil "I rather like a nice deep shade of red, or pink is rather nice".

"PINK, PINK" roared Georgy, "Pink is for a girl, and I'm a boy". Georgy was yelling so loud that all the people in the town of Argostoli came out to see what on earth was going on.

"Thought you had a bad head", chuckled Rusty. "Doesn't sound so bad if you could yell like that, you'll wake everybody up".

Eric had an idea. "I'll get a vote from all the people in the town and they can decide on your colour, what about that then Georgy, after all it is them who are paying for your makeover and maybe they ought to have a say".

"Okay I'll think about it" said Georgy "but they had better vote for blue". "Now please go away will you, all of you, I'm very tired, all this noise isn't good for a chap of my age". Georgy tried to get comfortable and shut his eyes for a while but all he could see were plates of mushy peas and rusty tin cans. "Ohhhhhhh" cried Georgy 'Tm having a nightmare", well there's nothing for it I'll have to run away and hide then they can't paint me another colour". So off he went.

Georgy went quietly out of his dock, very quietly or as quietly has his chug, chug, clankety clank engines would let him. You see he hadn't had the refit on his engines yet and they were still very very noisy.

As he was reaching the little island, up flew Eric. "Oh Georgy" cried Eric "Where do you think you're going at this time of night, you know you aren't well, and everybody's worried about you".

Georgy turned with tears in his eyes, "Oh Eric" he said, 'I wish they'd never given me my makeover, I was alright before, I know my engines were very noisy and my paint was past it's sell by date, but I was Okay, wasn't I?".

"Of course you were my little round friend" said Eric but they just want to make you look better, after all you are special and you are a hero".

"Special, special me" squealed Georgy, "Oh Eric you are a good friend to me, what would I do without you".

"I'll always be here Georgy" said Eric, "always here if you need a friend, now come on isn't it time we went home and saw how the vote was going on, after all special heroes deserve to look good don't they Georgy".

Georgy let out a little squeal and did a little whoop and a jig as he sailed back towards Argostoli.

"Ha hum tutted Rusty, you might have but I haven't. Brown's a good colour Georgy, it will suit you" chortled Rusty.

"Oh shut up rust bucket" snapped Georgy haven't you gone to the scrap yard yet, I'm going to get my paint done and I don't care what colour it is, so there, it can even be pink, it will suit me because I'm special and I'm a hero".

With that little outburst up came the Mayor with the results. "Right ladies, gentlemen, children and ha hum boats of all shapes and sizes, here are the results of the vote for the painting of Georgy in reverse order. In third place with a total of 1 point, brown"

"Bet I know who voted for brown" said Georgy looking directly at Rusty who was grinning from ear to ear,

"Green, green" thought Georgy, "Now who could have voted for Green" and out of the corner of his eye he saw his owner, who had turned quite a bright shade of pink with embarrassment, "mmm" thought Georgy "I bet it was him, he always wanted me to be green anyway let's see what it's to be" muttered Georgy,

"Well off you go again," wailed Rusty, "Anyway I'm off, at least it will be quiet in the scrap yard and a fellow might get some peace and quiet".

Georgy was happy, "Hi diddledy dee, I'm blue, I'm blue, I'm blue, blue, blue, bluety blue" he sang.

"I knew they would Georgy' said Cecil, now we will both look smart you in your new Royal Blue colours and me in my Scarlet Red, oh what a fine pair we will make".

"Can't wait said Georgy" anyway it's off to bed now I've had a hard day and after all I do need my beauty sleep, goodnight everybody goodnight".

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