Pluckies

From the desk of Richmond Abernasfer Bogfellow, Pl.D.:

Why are Pluckies such sought after little beasts? Probably because of all the good luck that comes from plucking their petals. Perhaps too because they know the secret locations of dragon treasure and leprechaun gold.

"Pluckies" is very simple entertainment. There are cute little animated flower-people. Too cute for their own good, perhaps. You can watch them look around and smile, or you can pluck their petals. If you pluck their petals, their emotional state changes. The application then accurately simulates the behavior of distressed Pluckies.

Use cases:
Studies show that "Pluckies" effectively distracts children from pulling out cats whiskers. The cats are immensely relieved, as are the researchers. Adults report being distracted from pulling their own hair out at work, or while supervising their children.

Of course, there are REAL pluckies too. Two types in fact -- Cartoon Pluckies and Doodle Pluckies. If youre fortunate enough to find one lurking in your garden, by all means pull out the petals. After all, they do grow back. Doodle Pluckies can even re-grow their heads… most of the time, anyway.

More information about Pluckies is available at www.eat-entertainment.com/pluckies

Plucky FAQ:

What are Pluckies?
Pluckies are small, petaled creatures distantly related to the Northeastern Seven-Banded Hobgoblin. They are quite tame when found living in gardens, and rarely bite.

Why shouldnt I just ignore them?
Plucky petals are a rich source of Vitamin C. Plucking all of their petals also grants loads of good luck, and may lead to the discovery of hidden treasures. When Pluckies are upset, they often tell the locations of leprechaun gold, dragon hoards, and wizards towers.

Anything else?
The game "she loves me, she loves me not" originated with Pluckies. In fact, any yes/no question can be asked of a Plucky, and the number of petals in its head will indicate the answer. An odd number indicates a positive answer, and an even number indicates a negative answer. Research shows these answers to be unfailingly accurate in 50% of documented test cases.

Is there anything else to do with Pluckies, other than pulling out their petals?
As if good luck, leprechaun gold and dragon hoards arent enough? Ok, yes there are lots of adventures to be had with Pluckies, but we Plucky Scientists must thoroughly research and catalog them before making any public claims. A good source to keep up with the news is this page. For fellow researchers, there is also the Journal for the Advancement of Plucky Studies, published by the Popsquatamous Institute.