Interview with Mel Sprite - part2

Churnal: In our previous interview you told us about your discovery of a beetle new to science! How did this discovery change your life?

Mel: Well first off, ah want to get something off me chest. You made me owt to be dead geordie in that last interview! Ah just want to say ah don't think ah speak like that in real life. Ah've lived in Scotland most of me life am sure most people would say I have a Scottish accent nowadays. Its not nice to distort the truth like that, you churnal people should be ashamed! Still ah don't mind really cos at least you stuck to the facts n that.

Churnal: Really sorry about that Mel, no offence was intended at all but we do try to make sure we get our facts right.

Mel: None taken man, none taken. Just thought ah'd mention it ye knaa. So, yeah it changed me life dramatically discovering that beetle. It wasn't long before deals were coming in for TV shows and that. With all the money rolling in from that ah went out and fullfilled me life's dream by buying me first pony. I imported it from Shetland. It almost drowned during the crossing, luckily by kicking extra hard with my fins I managed to keep its head above water all the way to Caithness. Horses aren't really good swimmers you see - except for sea horses. Ah loved that horse. It was called Star, named after the girl in the Lost Boys film.

Churnal: That's really interesting. We've heard you now have several icelandic horses on your estate, living in a magical forest.

Mel: Ha ha ha magical forest. Its not really 'that' magical but yeah I do. They are called Freyaday, Saraday, Prins and Drotningday. Eventually ah want to get one for every day of the week so that ah can rotate them on a daily basis. But its been great getting to know them and studying their psychology and that. You can imagine how hard its been getting them all the way from Iceland though! I consider myself to be a bit of a horse whisperer these days, except sometimes ah have to shout at them. Me husband has been training them to kill rabbits.

Churnal: So is it fair to say that horses are your main focus now, scientifically speaking?

Mel: Yeah as far as me research goes, I'm planning to cross-breed equus caballus with equus unicornus, which we get running around our forest. Equus is the genus name for horses and their close relatives ye knaa. There can be many species in a genus. Equus unicornus is otherwise known as the common unicorn of Eastern Caithness.

Churnal: Wow that sounds amazing. You are going to cross breed horses with unicorns?

Mel: Well its not that amazing really, although I don't think it has been done yet with horses and unicorns, so it would be another first for science and another ambition fullfilled for me and it wouldn't do my reputation any harm. But there are many other examples of this kind of work around for example the common or garden 'mule' is simply a cross between an equus asinus and an equus caballus, or an ass and an arse, if I remember right.

Churnal: But we thought unicorns were mythical creatures?

Mel: Yeah so did me husband and I, but it turns out there are loads of them running around large as life in our forest.

Churnal: Unicorns?

Mel: Yeah little unicorns, with little horns in their little heads, aw they're so beautiful, they look just like little roe deer ye knaa.

Churnal: So whats the actual difference between unicorns and roe deer?

Mel: Eeee you know what? Ah don't know, ah'll have to look it up. You've got me there. Ah think its something to do with the number of horns they have n that. Of course in real life unicorns bear little resemblence to those portrayed by legend. Just as in real life mermaids are actually fairly ugly creatures called manatees.

Churnal: Well unfortunatley thats time up for this interview, once again its been a real honour to speak to you and thanks again for your time Mel. Goodbye