Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson for April 30, 2023

Why are we just NOW hearing about other kids riding unicorns? When are we gonna meet them? Would Phoebe get along with them? Also there are boys who ride unicorns too? Also why am I asking all these questions?

What kind of school does she go to that they are OK with a unicorn showing up.

That second question narrowed it down more than I expected. I hope I’m not stereotyping.

Specific AND a sufficient number.

well, there is a howmanyofme.com website which our Phoebe Howell can use to know how many girls are there with the same name as her

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: “Fatal Figures” starring John McGiver.

A meek bored man wants to feel important, so with the help of an almanac with crime statistics – he commits increasingly serious crimes ranging from theft to eventual murder.

Unicorns are more numerous that I thought!

And just like that, 910 story ideas minimum become available.

Plot twist: Phoebe has a döppelganger.

I’m actually very surprised to hear there are approaching a thousand other humans associating with unicorns, at least closely enough to be riding them to school as Phoebe does, out there in the world. Particularly as, not long after Marigold started associating with Phoebe and word of this started getting around to other unicorns, the other unicorns expressed apprehension at the idea of her doing so. I believe at one point an unsuccessful intervention on Marigold’s behalf was attempted.

Further, it sort of defeats the whole point of the Shield of Boringness after a certain point, doesn’t it? Because wasn’t part of the shield’s whole point was to limit their interaction with humans (otherwise they’d be pestered by humans coming to admire them so constantly they’d never have any privacy or time to themselves)?

If I was Phoebe, I would have some follow-up questions in the fourth panel

How does Marigold know theze statistics?

I wish Marigold’s last answer was “two”. That could have been interesting.

BTW, there were only 3 billion people when I was born, 8 bill today. The future looks troublesome.

So basic math says that 379 boys ride unicorns to school. I can only imagine how some of those relationships started. BMX racing in the woods disturbing a puddle that a unicorn was gazing into?

The logic here must be that famous comic strip logic. Out here in reality, none of the other people who have my first name are actually me, not even the ones who also have my last name.

Ozy broke the fourth wall to tell humans in 2000, “If you’re one in a million, there are now six thousand of you.” That’s one way the cartoonist hasn’t changed.

I just want to know how many unicorns there are. And how many live on Earth.

Does Marigold’s answer mean right now? Marigold has just been through time and has gone to other universes. Phoebe could just be the only one right now.

I know this is a cartoon — and is one of my favorites — but I just have to point out how much misery exists because of the NEED to feel “special”. We are all unique even if not in spectacular ways, but too many people these days are not satisfied with less than spectacular.

A classic!

I appreciate that while the majority of unicorn-riders are girls, it’s not an overwhelming majority.

I was just about to ask how many Marigolds are there throughout time and how many times does the universe repeat itself?.

how unusual and possibly numbing and nostalgic it would have been for present and future Marigold to tell past Marigold of her future and also reminisce about the past at the same time?.

Past Marigold would then go back to visit herself again and again and again in the future.

You see what I’m saying?.

Besides that point, it seems that Phoebe lives in a different version of our world where magic is stronger and where creatures like unicorns, goblins and even dragons exist and the humans didn’t kill them all off.

So humans in Phoebe’s world must have some kind of different minds or instincts that didn’t cause them to kill all these creatures.

in this world people hate magic and have the instinct to fear it and kill those who practice it.

maybe Phoebe’s world is what this one could’ve/would’ve been if people just turned out better from the get go.

Maybe Phoebe’s universe could somehow exist in some other parallel reality.

But I don’t think unicorns ever existed just simply like they are depicted commonly.

I feel like the more likely theory is that they were another creature and not very well described.

Like rhinoceroses but the original person who first saw one failed to mention they were hairless with gray skin.

So, other factors being equal, about 1 in 17 girls have freckles? I never thought about it, but I’d imagine it would be more.

You’re unique, just like everybody else…

Humans are living oxymorons there are 8 billion of us yet we each are a unique person. We have much in common and yet the variation small though it may be is not like any others.

Except for those of us who know we have a doppelganger…

Phoebe is unique, just like everyone else.