Blue Lagoon Creatures

Blue Lagoon Creatures
Background information
Feature films	Who Framed Roger Rabbit (bluebirds; cameo)
Short films	Water Babies
Group information
Members	Various animals
Home	A lagoon
Status	Active

The Blue Lagoon Creatures are characters from the 1935 Silly Symphony animated short Water Babies.

Background

Most of the animals the Water Babies interact with are of animals that are found in water or live near the water such as fish, turtles, swans, salamanders, butterflies, or frogs. They are shown to have a lovable personality with the Water Babies, indicating that they are their friends. They are also shown to provide support for the Water Babies, especially throughout the day like riding on birds for those in the air or riding on turtles, swans, or fish for those traveling via water. In addition to them participating in the festivities, they are also shown to appear in crowds during the festivities like during a rodeo sequence, where they and the other Water Babies watch the rodeo of Water Babies riding on frogs. However, when the evening comes, they take the Water Babies back home just as the sun sets and are also generous in bringing them back home in time.

Appearances

Water Babies

In the morning, two sparrows wake up as the sun rises across the lagoon, just before they fly past the water lilies where the Water Babies wake up. Throughout the summer, the Water Babies suddenly hear a fanfare, announcing the arrival of a parade at the lagoon. During the parade, a bandleader stands on top of a turtle's head while other Water Babies sit on the turtle's shell performing a fanfare with more turtles following along. Butterflies pull a leaf-made sailboat where the Water Babies are riding, followed by more sitting on a large swan carrying flowers in its beak and later four more swans following along. As dragonflies pull two sailboats made from leaves, three Water Babies ride on two trouts on their way to the shore. All of a sudden, the swans allow the Water Babies to disembark from them, as they head towards the shore.

As the Water Babies have fun on the shore, they are seen playing leapfrog with some frogs while another one rides a salamander like a horse and carriage. Two more frogs happily play with the Water Babies, using their feet to flip them in the air and then bouncing on their bellies. Later, three Water Babies ride on frogs like broncos in the style of a rodeo show, where several other animals and Water Babies cheer for their performance. Amongst the animals in the crowd of Water Babies watching the festivity are some sparrows, a dragonfly, three caterpillars, and two snails. After their performance, the three Water Babies are praised by the crowd who cheers for their rodeo performance.

Later on, another Water Baby plans to face a bullfrog in his pen just as he croaks ferociously. Two more Water Babies release the bullfrog from his pen, charging past the Water Baby using a red flower petal as a cape, taunting the ferocious amphibian. The bullfrog charges onto the stem of a flower where more Water Babies are watching, causing them scatter away. Later, the bullfrog chases the Water Baby that was taunting him and as he attempts to charge towards his pen, the three Water Babies hide inside the pen as shelter but not before the bullfrog rams his head onto the gate, just as he takes off the flower off his head. After the sequence, the Water Babies all cheer together for a wonderful performance as the bullfrog was met with positive applause from the crowd, which he takes off the flower that got stuck in his head. One of the Water Babies cheering after the event falls inside a flower where a bee is hiding inside, causing him to be irritated for sitting on him, just before everyone hears a fanfare. Amongst some the Water Babies leaving the shore are one of them riding on a salamander, while another salamander passes through.

As evening approaches, the Water Babies head back to the lagoon, along with the other animals who are ready for bed. Some of the Water Babies ride on swans, turtles, and bluebirds on their way to their homes. Another Water Baby blows his flower on a rowing caterpillar to row the boat for him, followed by another one doing the same for a turtle. More Water Babies ride on bluebirds (and bird nests) and dragonflies, just before they arrive towards the water lilies, which are their home. The animals bring the Water Babies back home, as a ladybug announces the arrival of sunset. After the Water Babies sleep in their beds, fireflies are seen flying around the lagoon during a quiet night, ending the short.

Other appearances

In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a few bluebirds ridden by the Water Babies appear in Toontown during the "Smile Darn Ya Smile" sequence. They fly past several other Toons when Eddie enters the cartoon world inhabited by various cartoon characters.

Printed material

Water Babies' Circus and Other Stories

The animals also appear in the Water Babies' Circus section of the story. Unlike in the short itself which features no spoken dialogue, some of the animals have dialogues such as a fish who tells the Water Babies to hop on his back to get ready for a festivity, just as they put on a show before the day ends.

Gallery

Trivia

• A clip of the Water Babies riding on two fish from the titular segment during the procession was later used for the "At the Codfish Ball" segment in the Disney's Sing-Along Songs volume of Under the Sea, showcasing clips of fish and aquatic animals from various Disney cartoons.
• The way the bullfrog is portrayed with a bovine-like behavior makes it a visual interpretation of a bullfrog with the actual bullfrog itself with the behavior of an actual bull, also making it a pun between both species.
• The ladybug seen at the end of the short was based on an illustration designed by Harrison Cady and was featured in a September 1919 issue of Good Housekeeping; Cady's work served as an important source for character and background designs in Silly Symphony shorts.