Recently, my friend and Disney Exchange Podcast cohost, Nick, decided to divest himself of some of his amazing Disneyana collection via eBay. He was telling Dave and me about some of his auction items and when he mentioned Percy (the dog from Pocahontas), I actually started listening was all ears!  I love Percy!  Turns out, my Percy fandom may be unusual because Nick’s Percy bank didn’t sell.  A few days later, it arrived on my doorstep!  Nick’s an excellent friend and now I’m the proud owner of this adorable Percy!

Disney’s Pocahontas – Percy Bank

For many parents, there’s a Disney movie or two that gets watched an extraordinarily enormous number of times. For our family, the first of these movies was Pocahontas.  Released in 1995 when Megan was almost five and Joseph a newborn, its importance in our household was both serious and lengthy.  When released to video, Pocahontas became one of the most-watched Disney movies in Green family history.

Megan had the full Pocahontas costume complete with fancy armband and necklace. She wore it almost daily until it unfortunately became too small.  Megan’s hair was long like Pocahontas’ and she became Pocahontas every time we watched the movie.  Dozens of times, probably, which back then certainly felt like hundreds.  We sang every song with gusto and enjoyed Pocahontas-themed snacks.

And this leads me to why the character of Percy is near and dear to my heart.

Photo courtesy of magazinesandbooks.com

It was the Sweet Tarts. Back in the ’90s, you could buy a long tube of Sweet Tart candies shaped like characters from Pocahontas.  Megan was a sweet and caring little girl who loved to share, so when she asked me if I wanted a piece of candy and I said yes, she wanted to know precisely which character I wanted most.  I chose the green Percy Sweet Tart and am certain I effusively praised its deliciousness.  When the candies were gone, Megan turned to me and held out her closed fist.  I held out my hand and into it she dropped a small pile of green Percys, having saved every one of them for me.  The sweet and happy memory of the green Percys has stuck with me over the years.  Every time I see Percy I think about the sweet, funny, and loving little Pocahontas that lived with us back then.

So now I have this Percy.  And I love him.  Megan will absolutely love him too and I know Percy will have a place of honor in the nursery we’re decorating for the July arrival of our family’s newest Disney fan.

Thanks, Nick.  Like your friendship, Percy will always be cherished.