PRINCESS TASMANIA

Princess Tasmania was the daughter of the platypus King Anatinus of Misty Island. This furry maiden, with webbed forepaws, was about the same size and weight as a medium-sized dog, with large brown eyes. At the castle, Princess Tasmania was arrayed in high platypus fashion, commonly in a fine robe of palest pink.

Much beloved by her people, she had been given a prophecy that there would be a young man that when Tasmania kissed him, that he would turn into an enchanted platypus (Simon the Postman was verified as not being this one). As a princess, Tasmania was accustomed to having everything her way. Thus she had plenty of excuses for continually travelling to Festeron, such as being bored on Misty Island without something to read, or that the view was so much better at Festeron than at her home. However, almost all of these expeditions resulted in some tragedy that would have taken her life had it not been for a savior, usually dressed in a postman's uniform.

Tasmania was twice rescued by a heroic employee of the Festeron Postal Service in 1157 GUE. This hero, also responsible for the defeat of Gladys, saved Tasmania firstly after she had fallen in a pit that had been intentionally covered by on the Festeronian shore of the Western Sea. The postal worker saved her by wishing for rain, the downpour quickly filling the narrow pit and allowing her to gracefully swim out. As a reward, the furry princess drew an "X" in the sand, showing her savior where one of the platypuses' silver whistles had been secretly hidden. Then she departed for her home across the sea. When the postal worker visited the Misty Island via the silver whistle to be rewarded by her father Anatinus with a wizard's hat.

This same postal worker, when sneaking into Gladys' tower found Tasmania chained to the floor of the vestibule (she was not a very smart platypus). Before she could be set free, Mr. Crisp, a henchmen of The Evil One captured the both of them. The platypus was clamped into one of Gladys' diabolical torture machines. The postal worker distracted Crisp by handing him a note from Violet Voss. The madman quickly left giving opportunity for the postal worker to release Tasmania from the torture machine. Blowing a silver whistle she returned to the Misty Island. The story of the rescue of Tasmania will live in platypus legend forever.

Mr. Sneed's predecessor was the one who saved the princess from the trap in the church tower. Sneed himself had rescued her at least a couple times, once saving her from the trap in the open grave in the Festeron Cemetery (it had been during one of those periods in which she insisted upon taking solitary walks because it got so boring on the Misty Island). He was the one to comment about platypi, "How soon they forget."

When Simon found her first, she had been sunning herself on the Festeron beach (she claimed those late afternoon rays were especially good for a healthy coat of fur), and then Witchville instantly appeared, bringing with it enough spring-loaded traps to fill the entire beach. Sneed triggered the rest of the traps with a dead branch while Simon used the Kitchen Wonder’s Trap Neutralizer function to remove the trap from Tasmania. The princess had wished she could have given Simon some reward, like a magic whistle to receive her father’s aid in times of crisis. Unfortunately, the royal stockroom was completely out of them. They had been back-ordered for months. Instead she showed Simon had to activate the Kitchen Wonder’s whistle attachment. Simon travelled to the Misty Island to ask for her father's help; the platypuses would assist in due time.

That same night, Simon found Princess Tasmania hanging from the ceiling by one foot that had been caught in a thick rope noose. Gloria caught Tasmania when the trap was released. Violet Voss planned to put both Tasmania and Simon into the automatic stamper. The platypus tried to gain freedom by biting Gloria. In reprisal Mr. Crisp clamped her beak with a handful of rubber bands. It was here that Sneed once again appeared semi-transparent. He took the Kitchen Wonder from Simon’s pocket, using it to unlock his handcuffs. Because of Gloria’s protests for Tasmania to be saved (it was much too cruel to torture a poor dumb creature), the evil couple decided to stamp Simon first, but not without gratifying their romantic desires. During this intermission, Simon took Tasmania from Gloria, then forcibly demanded the girl to come with him. Simon, Gloria, Tasmania, and Sneed made their way out of the library. It was not until The Evil One appeared outside the library that Tasmania freed herself from the rubber band muzzle and taking the Kitchen Wonder from Simon, blew its whistle attachment. Simon, Sneed and Tasmania were brought to Anatinus' palace. Hoping to fulfill the prophecy of a human turning into a platypus, Tasmania dared to kiss Simon. There was no effect; Simon was not the one. King Anatinus blew the whistle, sending Simon and Sneed back to Witchville so that they could further search for the stone.

For the third time that night, Simon again encountered Tasmania, this time tied up with an immense amount of rope in the bell tower of the church. He freed her once again. After Gladys had been defeated, Tasmania, in love with Simon, inquired of the sisters if they might be able to make him into a platypus. Whether serious or in jest, they simply told her that they would work on it. Now that their task had been finished, all of the platypuses left for the Misty Island by the toot of their whistles.

TRIVIA:
Tasmania regretted never learning a foreign language.
She always greatly admired the oboe, with its deeply resonant tone.