The Puzzled Penguin

by Amelia Cobb

  “This is Pip, everyone,” Zoe explained. “Great-Uncle Horace brought him back to the Rescue Zoo yesterday from the South Pole. He was all by himself, so we need to take extra special care of him.”

  Pip gazed solemnly up at the older birds who flapped their wings and made excited squawking sounds, welcoming the little chick.

  “You looked as if you were having lots of fun in the water this morning,” Zoe said to the penguins. “Why don’t you take Pip for a swim?”

  Poppy fluttered her tail feathers eagerly and leaped right back into the lagoon to show Pip how easy it was. Zoe giggled.

  But the little chick wouldn’t leave Zoe’s side. When Pearl and Poppy tried to encourage him to follow them into the lagoon, Pip covered his eyes with a flipper and shook his head.

  Zoe bent down to listen to what he was saying. “You know you’re not a penguin because you can’t swim? But, Pip, I’m sure you can, you just have to practice!”

  But Pip shook his head again. Eventually the penguins gave up and jumped back into the water. Zoe was very disappointed — she’d been so sure that Pip would love his new home, but he just didn’t want to join in.

  “What do we do now, Zoe?” Meep said anxiously.

  Zoe sighed. “I wish we could stay with Pip, but we have to go and sell tickets.”

  She knelt down in front of the little penguin. “Meep and I have to go now,” she explained sadly. “But we’ll come back tomorrow, I promise.”

  She walked toward the gate, but Pip waddled after her. Zoe smiled. “No, this is your home now. You have to stay here.”

  Pip cheeped and hopped up and down.

  Zoe shook her head. “You won’t be lonely. You’ve got all the other penguins to play with. See you soon!” She jumped outside and shut the enclosure door firmly.

  Zoe and Meep looked at each other sadly as they heard Pip peeping for them from inside the enclosure. Zoe’s heart melted. She flung open the enclosure door and the tiny penguin rushed out so fast he bumped into her legs.

  “Yay!” Meep chattered. “Can he live with us?”

  Zoe looked determined as Pip hopped up and down happily. “No,” she told them. “Pip belongs here with the penguins — and we’re going to prove it to him!”

  Zoe set back off into the zoo with Meep scampering ahead and Pip waddling behind her.

  “What are we going to do, Zoe?” chattered Meep.

  “We’re going to take Pip around the zoo and introduce him to some of the other animals,” Zoe explained. “Maybe then he’ll see that he belongs with the penguins.”

  The zoo gates had just opened, and the first visitors of the day were streaming inside. Everyone gasped to see the tiny penguin walking along the path, and lots of people pulled out their cameras and started snapping photos.

  “Pip, watch out for all these feet. I don’t want you to get squashed!” Zoe whispered. “Let’s turn on to the next path, it’s quieter there.”

  They passed the rhinos, the peacocks, and the giant tortoise, Charles, who was the Rescue Zoo’s oldest animal.

  “Which enclosure should we visit first, Zoe?” chirped Meep.

  Before Zoe could reply, Pip peeped excitedly and flapped his little wings. He began waddling away very quickly. Zoe frowned and followed him. What had he spotted?

  Meep realized which enclosure the chick was heading toward. “He’s going to the flamingos!” he said.

  The little chick gazed through a gap in the fence, fluttering his tail feathers happily. The flamingos were perched in the middle of a shallow pond, each one balancing on one of their long legs, with the other leg tucked up underneath their bodies. Their feathers were a pretty pink color, and their slender necks and heads a slightly darker pink. Great-Uncle Horace had explained to Zoe that the brighter the color of a flamingo, the healthier and happier it was. All the birds at the Rescue Zoo were especially bright and beautiful!

  The little penguin looked up at Zoe hopefully and gave a little peep.

  Zoe had to smile. “Yes, they are birds like you,” she admitted, “but they’re a different type of bird. You’re definitely not a flamingo, Pip.”

  Pip stared at the pink birds and cheeped stubbornly.

  Zoe smiled down at him. “OK, Pip. We can go inside if you want. But I promise you’re a penguin!”

  She unlocked the gate using her paw-print charm and walked in, followed by Meep and Pip. All at the same time, the flamingos swiveled around to look at Zoe and squawked a friendly greeting. One of them stalked gracefully up to the edge of the pond and gently nuzzled Zoe with her beak. She was one of the smallest birds, with a splash of black among the pink feathers above her beak.

  “Hi, Fifi,” Zoe began, “this is Pip. He arrived yesterday with Great-Uncle Horace.” She hesitated, not sure how to explain Pip’s problem.

  Meep piped up. “But he thinks he might be a flamingo!”

  Pip peeped enthusiastically and flapped his wings.

  “So we wondered,” continued Zoe, “if you could show him what flamingos do?”

  The flamingo looked at the little chick curiously, but bobbed her long neck up and down in agreement.

  Fifi stepped out of the pond and bent her neck down low, so that she could speak to the little chick. Zoe and Meep both giggled to see Pip standing with the tall, slender, colorful flamingos. The tiny chick looked nothing like Fifi and her family!

  “I wonder what Fifi’s saying,” Zoe whispered to Meep.

  They soon found out. Pip watched carefully as Fifi raised one leg up and tucked it away underneath her feathery body. The flamingo nodded kindly, and Pip lifted one of his webbed orange feet up. The little chick wobbled — and fell right over on his fluffy bottom!

  Meep collapsed on the ground, giggling.

  “Meep!” Zoe scolded. “Don’t laugh at poor Pip.” She rushed over to help Pip to his feet. The little penguin shook himself and cheeped sadly as he waddled away from the water.

  Zoe smiled gently. “No, I don’t think you’re a flamingo either, Pip. Come on, let’s try somewhere else. Thank you for helping us, Fifi.”

  Fifi squawked good-bye.

  “Don’t worry,” Meep chirped. “We won’t let you fall over again, Pip. Which animal should we visit next?”

  The little chick cheeped excitedly and rushed forward again. Zoe had to try very hard not to laugh when she saw which enclosure Pip was heading for this time.

  “The zebras!” squeaked Meep. “Zoe, does Pip really think he might be a zebra? They’re not even birds!”

  “I think it must be because they’re black and white,” said Zoe, smiling. “Come on, Meep. Let’s go and say hello to Cleo.”

  Pip cheeped eagerly, and Zoe scooped him up. Meep leaped onto her shoulder and curled his furry tail around her neck. Zoe opened the gate with her paw-print necklace and walked inside. The enclosure was a huge stretch of warm, rocky forest, dotted with star chestnut and acacia trees.

  The zebras were in the middle of eating a big pile of golden hay and a mound of carrots. When they saw Zoe, they all whinnied and snorted to say hello. Cleo trotted over shyly. She had the most beautiful striped coat of jet black and pure white. Her huge, shiny black eyes were framed with long lashes. Zoe stroked her muzzle gently. It felt like it was made of soft, warm velvet.

  Zoe introduced Pip to Cleo and explained the problem.

  Cleo snorted gently and trotted back to where the rest of her family were munching away. She pulled up a big mouthful of hay and brought it over, placing it carefully at Pip’s feet.

  Pip looked at the pile of hay uncertainly. He glanced up at Zoe and cheeped. Zoe giggled. “Zebras don’t eat fish, Pip. This is called hay. It’s what zebras eat. Would you like to try some?”

  The little penguin shook his head and cheeped again, sadly this time. “I don’t think you’re a zebra either, Pip,” Zoe said gently. “Nevermind.”

  They said good-bye and left the enclosure. As they walked back on to the path, the tiny chick waddled along very slo
wly, making an unhappy peeping noise. Zoe knelt down to stroke his little belly. “Don’t be sad, Pip,” she whispered.

  As they trooped along, Will rushed past, clutching a stack of colorful papers and a packet of adhesive putty. “There you are, Zoe!” he said. “Has little Pip been behaving himself? I’ve made some posters for the penguin-feeding show, so I’m just going to stick a few up around the zoo.” He waved the papers in the air. “How are the ticket sales going today?” he added hopefully.

  Zoe gasped. The tickets! She had meant to go to the hut after bringing Pip to meet the colony, but she had been so busy trying to help the little chick, she had completely forgotten!

  Zoe felt awful. How could she have forgotten about the penguin show? She knew she had let Will down. The show was his idea, and he wanted it to be a big success.

  “I’m really sorry, Will,” she muttered. “I haven’t sold any.”

  Will’s face fell, but he tried not to look too disappointed. “That’s all right, Zoe,” he said. “I know you’ve been taking care of Pip this morning. We’ll just cancel today’s show. It doesn’t matter.”

  Zoe nodded. “Thanks for being so nice, Will,” she said quietly. “I won’t forget again.”

  “Don’t worry,” Will reassured her. “I’m sure you’ll sell lots tomorrow! Now, maybe we should put up a sign to let visitors know the show isn’t on today?”

  Will pulled a pen out of his pocket and scribbled a note on the back of a poster. SHOW CANCELED TODAY. PLEASE COME TOMORROW FOR PENGUIN FUN! “There,” he said. “Let’s go and stick it up on the hut.”

  Zoe followed Will miserably back to the penguin enclosure. Just as they were putting the sign in place, Meep squeaked a warning. A moment later, Zoe heard the click of Mr. Pinch’s shoes coming down the path, and her heart sank. The grumpy zoo manager was not going to be happy about this.

  “I thought I’d come and check on the ticket sales,” announced Mr. Pinch as he strolled over to them. “Only twenty-three sold yesterday,” he added, looking at Zoe. “Not very impressive, Miss Parker.”

  Zoe glanced nervously at Will, who cleared his throat. “Well, Mr. Pinch … you see …”

  Before Will could explain what had happened, Mr. Pinch spotted the sign on the side of the hut. His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to read it. “Canceled? What is the meaning of this?”

  “It’s my fault,” Zoe burst out. “I was looking after Pip …”

  “Pip?” snapped Mr. Pinch. “Who’s Pip?”

  The tiny penguin heard his name and peeped.

  Mr. Pinch glanced down and spotted the chick huddled behind Zoe’s legs. Zoe watched as Mr. Pinch’s mouth dropped open. “What is that creature doing outside its enclosure?” he spluttered.

  Will jumped in quickly. “Zoe’s been helping me out with the new arrival and doing a fantastic job. Little Pip’s finding it hard to settle in with the other penguins, you see.”

  Mr. Pinch interrupted Will. “I find it difficult to believe that a penguin would find it hard to settle in with other penguins!” he barked. He pointed an angry finger at Zoe. “You have one more chance. Tomorrow’s show had better be sold out, or I’m holding you responsible.”

  He turned to Will. “Now, please take that penguin back to its enclosure immediately. I will not have animals running wild and making the zoo look disorganized!”

  “Yes, Mr. Pinch,” Will said, looking very flustered. “Come along, Pip.” He tried to pick up the little chick, but Pip cheeped anxiously and waddled over to Zoe, his tiny wings stretched out toward her.

  “I’m sorry, Pip,” Zoe whispered quickly. “You have to go with Will now, but I’ll come back tomorrow, I promise!”

  As Mr. Pinch stormed off, Will managed to scoop Pip gently into his arms and carry him back inside the penguin enclosure. Both of them looked very miserable.

  “Don’t listen to horrible old Mr. Pinch, Zoe!” Meep whispered. “We’ll sell lots of tickets tomorrow!”

  Zoe smiled gratefully at her little friend. Meep’s right, she thought. I’ll work extra hard at selling the tickets, even if it means missing out on all the fun this summer. She bit her lip as she thought about Pip. But helping the little chick is going to be even more difficult now.

  As they turned a corner next to the chipmunk enclosure, they both heard the sudden roar of an engine spluttering to life. “Zoe, it’s coming from the lake. It’s Goo’s plane!” chirped Meep, leaping onto her shoulder.

  They looked up at the sky, Zoe holding her hand up to her eyes to shield them from the bright sunshine. Great-Uncle Horace’s red seaplane appeared over the tops of the trees, soaring high into the air on its way to the Great Barrier Reef. They waved frantically, and Zoe hoped Great-Uncle Horace would look down over the zoo and spot them. I won’t let you down, Great-Uncle Horace, Zoe thought fiercely. I will help Pip.

  Meep must have been thinking the same thing. “Maybe we should take Pip to visit some more animals tomorrow,” he suggested.

  Zoe sighed. “Mr. Pinch is going to be keeping an eye on us tomorrow though, Meep. We need to sell lots of tickets. And I don’t know if taking Pip to meet any more animals will help. Pip realized that he wasn’t a flamingo or a zebra, but that still didn’t make him see that he’s a penguin.”

  Meep nodded his head.

  “I think the chick is trying to find something he loves,” Zoe said thoughtfully. “Once he does, he’ll know where he belongs.”

  Meep started bouncing excitedly on her shoulder. “Swimming!” he chattered. “That’s what penguins love best, Zoe!”

  “Meep, that’s it!” Zoe cried. “Pip still hasn’t tried the most important thing about being a penguin. That’s what we’ve got to do — make him try swimming!”

  Meep thought of something. “But how? We tried to get Pip to go for a swim this morning, and he didn’t want to! If he won’t try it, how will he know he likes it?”

  “Meep,” Zoe declared happily, “I think I have an idea!”

  When Zoe and Meep went downstairs for breakfast the next day, Zoe’s mom was putting a plate of toast and a jar of jam on the kitchen table. As soon as she saw Zoe, she started laughing. “What on earth are you doing, Zoe?” she cried. “You’re dressed for a day at the beach, not the zoo!”

  Zoe grinned as she spread jam on a piece of toast. She was wearing her pink-and-white wetsuit that she always wore when she went swimming in the chilly lake and a pair of bright-pink flip-flops. Perched on her head was a pair of goggles. Under her arm she carried two yellow swimmies.

  “I’m going swimming today — with the penguins!” she explained, taking a big, jammy bite of her toast. “I had an idea last night, and I think I might be able to help Pip. The little chick has to try swimming with the rest of the colony. He followed me everywhere yesterday. Maybe if I jump in first and show him how easy and fun it is, he might jump in after me!”

  Zoe’s mom beamed at her daughter. “That’s an excellent idea, Zoe. Sometimes our new arrivals do need a little bit of extra help to help them settle in!”

  Zoe smiled, pleased that her mom liked the plan. She finished her toast and stood up. “Come on, Meep. Let’s go down to the penguin enclosure right away. Hopefully, Mr. Pinch will still be eating his breakfast. We can’t let him catch us there!”

  When they arrived at the penguin enclosure, Zoe and Meep peered through the glass wall. A large proportion of the colony was perched on the rocks, chattering away. Some of the penguins were already leaping in and out of the lagoon, gliding through the cool blue water.

  “Where’s Pip, Zoe?” whispered Meep. “I can’t see him anywhere.”

  Zoe glanced around the enclosure and spotted the tiny little chick. He was all by himself, huddled sadly at the very edge of the rocks. Zoe felt tears spring to her eyes. Pip looked so lonely.

  As soon as Pip spotted them, he flapped his wings and cheeped happily.

  “We’re back!” Meep chirped as they rushed over.

  Zoe gathered the penguin int
o her arms for a cuddle. Pip snuggled up against her.

  “Why are you standing all alone?” Zoe asked him softly. “You should be with the rest of the birds. Look, they’re all chatting and playing together. Don’t you think that looks like fun?”

  Pip gazed at Zoe and cheeped again, very seriously. Zoe giggled and shook her head. “You stood by yourself because you think you might be an owl? I don’t think so, Pip. Owls are nocturnal. That means they sleep during the daytime and get up at night. It’s definitely daytime now, and you’re wide awake!” She gently stroked the little bird’s fluffy belly. “Anyway, I think I know something that’s going to make you feel like a penguin!”

  Just then, Will came out of the little supply room at the back of the enclosure, holding that morning’s bucket of krill for the penguins’ breakfast. Pip saw the bucket and started wriggling around in excitement. Zoe laughed and placed him back on the ground. “Come on, Pip,” she told him. “Let’s go and get you something to eat.”

  Will waved as he saw them and looked curiously at Zoe. “Morning, Zoe! Er … you do know you’re wearing your wetsuit, don’t you?”

  Zoe giggled and explained her idea to Will. The penguin-keeper smiled. “Fantastic idea, Zoe. I’ll keep my fingers crossed!”

  He dropped two tiny krill into Pip’s beak. The penguin gobbled them up and peeped gratefully at Will.

  “Funny, isn’t it, Zoe?” chuckled Will, offering him another tiny krill. “It almost sounds like Pip is saying thank you.”

  Zoe smiled at Will and winked at Meep. That’s exactly what Pip had been saying!

  When Pip had gobbled up a few more krill, Will picked up the bucket and began throwing silvery handfuls to the rest of the colony. With cheeps and squawks of excitement, the penguins rushed over to catch the krill in their flippers and beaks.