Eve of the Emperor Penguin

by Mary Pope Osborne

  The emperor spoke to Jack and Annie: Word reached us earlier that you saved one of our own. We have been hoping to meet you.

  Puzzled, Jack looked at Annie.

  “When we first got here, remember?” she whispered.

  “Oh, right,” said Jack. He’d forgotten all about rescuing the small penguin from the petrel.

  You may stay with us for as long as you wish, said the emperor. You are honored members of our tribe now.

  “Thank you,” said Annie. “But we can’t stay long. We came to Antarctica to look for a secret of happiness.”

  “To save one of our friends,” said Jack. It felt natural to tell the emperor and his tribe the truth. They lived in a world as magical as the world of Camelot. “His name is Merlin. He’s the magician of Camelot, and he’s really sad.”

  The penguins began murmuring and whispering to one another. Jack couldn’t understand what they were saying. From the back of the crowd, a baby penguin waddled forward, the tiniest one in the tribe.

  “Oh, look …,” breathed Annie.

  Jack grinned from ear to ear. The baby was a fuzzy gray ball with big dark eyes. It was even smaller than the young penguin they had saved from the petrel. The little penguin waddled up to the emperor.

  Peep, peep, she said.

  The emperor looked down at her.

  Peep, peep.

  She says she wishes to go with you, said the emperor. She wants to help your friend.

  “But she’s so little!” said Annie. “What about her mom and dad?”

  She is an orphan, said the emperor. Her parents were lost in a terrible storm. But she is very brave and full of joy. I know that she will bring happiness to your friend Merlin.

  Annie turned to the baby penguin. “Thank you,” she said. Then she leaned over and patted the penguin’s tiny head. “Oh, touch her, Jack. She’s so soft.”

  Jack patted the baby on the head, too. As he touched her soft little feathers, she tilted her head and stared at him with her big eyes. Jack felt a wave of tenderness for the baby penguin. He couldn’t believe she was an orphan. Tears came to his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away and cleared his throat. “Thanks, Penny,” he said.

  Annie giggled. Jack couldn’t believe he’d just named the little penguin Penny. Usually Annie was the one who named the animals.

  Peep, said Penny.

  She would like you to pick her up, said the emperor.

  “Oh. Okay,” said Jack. He leaned over and held out his arms. Penny snuggled close to his parka.

  Peep!

  Jack laughed and picked Penny up. He held the little penguin tightly.

  The emperor turned to the crowd. He said something Jack couldn’t understand. The crowd parted to make a path. The emperor nodded at Jack and Annie. Let us go now, he said. As Jack, Annie, and Penny left with the emperor, the penguins flapped their wings against their bodies, applauding.

  “Good-bye!” Annie called to the crowd.

  Jack smiled and waved.

  Peep! said Penny.

  The icicle chime music grew softer and softer as Jack and Annie followed the emperor through the cave.

  The tall penguin led them outside onto the ledge.

  Thank you for your help today, he said.

  “Thank you for letting Penny come with us,” said Annie.

  “We promise to take good care of her. We’ll take her to Merlin,” said Jack.

  The emperor touched the orphan’s downy head with the tip of his wing. He leaned close to her and softly murmured something in her ear.

  Peep, Penny said.

  The emperor looked up at Jack and Annie. Silently, he bowed to them and they bowed back. Then the emperor penguin turned and walked back into the Cave of the Ancient Crown.

  Jack sighed. For a moment, he hated to leave the enchanted world of the penguins.

  “Oh, she’s cold, Jack,” said Annie.

  Jack looked down. Penny was shivering in his arms.

  “Put her inside your parka,” said Annie.

  Jack unzipped his parka and carefully placed the little penguin against his sweater. He pulled the zipper back up. He held Penny close to him.

  “Perfect,” said Annie. “Just make sure she can breathe okay.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Jack, patting his jacket. “I’ll take good care of her.”

  “Do you think we can use the wand now to get back?” asked Annie.

  Jack nodded. “I think so,” he said. “I can’t think of any other way.”

  “Should we tell it to take us to the tree house?” asked Annie. “Or Frog Creek? Or Camelot?”

  “No, we have to go back to Mount Erebus first,” said Jack. “If Nancy finds out that Pete never picked us up, she really will have a heart attack.”

  “Oh, right,” said Annie. “Then we better put on our masks and goggles again.”

  Jack pulled up his face mask and pulled down his goggles. “Get the wand out of my pack,” he said.

  Annie reached into Jack’s backpack and pulled out the Wand of Dianthus. “Okay, ready?” she said.

  Jack patted his parka, comforting the baby penguin. “Here we go, Penny,” he said, “on a big adventure.”

  Annie held up the wand, then took a deep breath and said, “TAKE US BACK TO NANCY!”

  In less than an instant, Jack and Annie and Penny were on the slope of Mount Erebus.

  The snowmobiles and the helicopter were both parked on the slope. The scientists and journalists stood talking with Nancy and Pete.

  “Oh, no!” Annie said, grabbing Jack. “What about Penny? We’re not supposed to have a penguin! They’ll take her away!”

  Jack put his arms protectively over his parka. “I’ll hide her,” he said. “We’ve got to get her to Merlin.”

  Jack heard a shout. He turned around. Nancy had caught sight of them. She was waving her arms and running toward them.

  “Hey, you two!” Nancy called. She dashed across the snow and threw her arms around Annie, then Jack.

  Jack held his breath, hoping Penny wouldn’t be squashed.

  Peep.

  Jack pulled away from Nancy and pretended to cough. He made his coughing end in a sort of peep.

  “The chopper just got here!” said Nancy. “Pete told me he was delayed by a snow squall! I freaked out! Where have you been? Are you okay?”

  “Don’t worry, we’re fine,” said Annie.

  “Perfect,” said Jack. “We don’t feel a bit sick or anything. We were just getting some fresh air. We’re ready to go now!” Jack started walking toward the chopper.

  Annie grabbed Nancy’s arm and walked with her. “Did you have fun on the mountain?” Annie asked, trying to keep Nancy’s attention off Jack. “What happened? What did you see?”

  “We saw lots of things, but I was worried about you guys the whole time,” said Nancy. “Your parents must be frantic back at the station!”

  “They had their own expedition today,” said Annie. “They study penguins.”

  Peep!

  “What was that?” asked Nancy.

  Jack did his weird cough again.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, Jack?” Nancy called after him.

  “I’m perfect,” he said.

  As the three of them approached the others, they were greeted with cheers. Nancy must have told everyone that we’re just little kids, Jack thought.

  “So glad you’re safe, young man!” said Ali, the biologist. He slapped Jack on the back.

  Penny peeped, and Jack coughed.

  “Sorry you couldn’t make it up to the top,” said Kim, the photographer.

  “That’s okay,” said Annie. “We still got a good story.”

  “Did you now?” said Lucy, the space scientist.

  “Yes, a really good story!” said Annie.

  “Excellent, but you mustn’t tell a soul,” said Tony, the journalist, “or one of us will steal it!” Tony laughed, and the others laughed with him.

  “Okay, we’ll keep it a secre
t.” Annie smiled.

  Pete opened the door of the chopper.

  “Brave little kids first,” said Nancy.

  Oh, brother, thought Jack.

  Nancy ushered Jack and Annie toward the helicopter. They scrambled up the steps, climbed aboard, and sat down.

  As the others climbed in and got settled, Jack loosened his seat belt so he could buckle up without crushing Penny.

  Peep!

  Jack coughed. But to his relief, Pete started the engine. The rotor blades began to spin.

  “Headphones!” yelled Nancy.

  Everyone pulled on their headphones.

  Nancy gave Jack and Annie a big smile and a thumbs-up sign as the helicopter lifted off the mountain slope.

  “I love late spring evenings in Antarctica,” Nancy said to the group.

  Jack looked out the window. The evening sky was lavender with streaks of pink.

  “This light always reminds me that we’re in a different world from the world back home,” said Nancy.

  Jack and Annie smiled at each other. If only the others knew how many different worlds there really were.

  The chopper swept up through the soft light of the cold sky,

  up the slope of the burning mountain,

  past the orange-red lake of boiling lava,

  over white fields of ice and snow,

  until finally it landed at the heliport, where the

  red bus was waiting.

  The chopper blades stopped spinning. Pete gave the signal. Then Jack and Annie followed Nancy and the others out of the helicopter.

  Jack held Penny in place under his parka as he boarded the red bus. He sat with Annie near the back.

  Nancy took the driver’s seat and started the engine. As the bus rolled along, Jack peeked inside his parka. Penny looked up at him. She blinked a few times, as if she was a little worried. Jack patted her gently until she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  Jack kept patting the front of his parka to comfort Penny. He looked out the window and patted the baby penguin the whole ride. As Penny snuggled close to Jack, none of his worries of the day mattered anymore: his fear of falling into the lava lake, his dread of altitude sickness, his embarrassment at being caught by Nancy. All the cares and confusions of the day were wiped away by his feelings for the orphan penguin.

  When the red bus stopped at the station, Jack and Annie followed everyone down the aisle and climbed off. As the others stood talking in a group, Jack and Annie started walking away.

  “We’re leaving now! Bye, Nancy!” said Annie. “Bye, everyone!”

  “Thanks for everything!” called Jack.

  “Oh, no you don’t!” said Nancy. She grabbed them both by the sleeves of their parkas. “I’m not letting you two out of my sight again, not until I hand-deliver you to your parents.”

  “But—but … our parents are still on their penguin expedition,” said Annie.

  “Then I’ll take you to where you’re staying,” said Nancy. “Come on.” Clutching their parkas, she started walking them toward the buildings. “You all must be staying at the wildlife quarters, right?”

  “Uh—yes,” said Jack.

  Nancy led Jack and Annie to a building at the edge of the compound. “Well, here you are. Home safe and sound.”

  “Thanks!” said Annie.

  “Bye!” said Jack. He was desperate to get away with Penny.

  “Wait—” said Nancy.

  Oh, no. What now? thought Jack.

  “I’m still worried about you guys,” said Nancy. “Are your parents really here to study penguins? I want you to tell me the true story now.”

  Annie heaved a sigh. “Okay. The true story is that Jack and I came alone to Antarctica in a magic tree house—”

  “Annie!” said Jack.

  But Annie kept talking. “It belongs to Morgan le Fay of Camelot. Morgan wants us to find the fourth secret of happiness for Merlin the magician. See, he’s very sad. And as soon as we leave Antarctica, we’re headed for Camelot to cheer him up.”

  Nancy just stared at Annie. Jack held his breath, afraid Nancy would finally have her heart attack.

  But Nancy burst out laughing and shook her head. “Where did that come from?” she said. “You guys are so cute! How do you think up this stuff? Seriously now, tell me the truth.”

  “Well …,” started Jack.

  “Oh, look!” said Annie. “Mom! Dad!”

  “What?” said Jack.

  “There they are!” said Annie. She pointed to a couple bundled up in parkas, goggles, and ski masks. They were walking toward a building.

  “Oh—right!” said Jack. “Mom! Dad!”

  The couple kept walking and disappeared behind the building.

  “They didn’t hear us!” said Annie. “We better go! They’ll wonder where we are. Bye, Nancy! Thanks for everything!”

  “Nancy, you coming with us for coffee?” Tony yelled, standing by the bus.

  “You should go, Nancy,” said Annie. “We’ll be fine.”

  “Okay,” said Nancy, sighing. “Bye, guys. Run and catch up with your folks.”

  Peep!

  Jack coughed his funny cough.

  “And take care of that cough of yours, Jack!” said Nancy.

  “Don’t worry, I will!” said Jack.

  Then Jack and Annie took off. They ran behind the building. They stopped and peeked back around the corner. They watched Nancy walk off with Tony and the others.

  “Let’s go,” said Jack. He and Annie hurried away from all the buildings at McMurdo Station.

  Jack put his arms around Penny as they crossed the icy slope and ran to the cliff near the seashore.

  The tree house was still there, tucked under the overhang. Annie climbed in through the window. Jack followed her, careful not to let Penny slip out of his parka.

  Annie pulled Morgan’s rhyme out of her pocket and read the last part:

  Then speed to Camelot by close of day,

  Lest grief take Merlin forever away.

  “Let’s go!” said Jack. “Speed to Camelot!”

  Annie pointed to the word Camelot and said loudly and clearly: “I wish we could go there!”

  A blast of light—

  a roar of wind—

  a rumble of thunder—

  and, of course,

  they were there.

  Peep.

  Penny’s head was sticking out of Jack’s jacket. Jack and Annie were wearing their own clothes again—their jeans, jackets, hats, and scarves. All their heavy cold-weather gear for Antarctica was gone.

  “We’re in Camelot,” said Annie, looking out the window.

  Jack took Penny out of his jacket and held her up to the window so she could see the grounds of King Arthur’s castle.

  The tree house had landed in an apple tree in an orchard. In the near distance, castle towers rose into a late-afternoon sky. Several knights on horses were riding away from the castle.

  “Jack! Annie!”

  Teddy and Kathleen were running through the orchard, between the trees, over fallen golden leaves and apples.

  Jack and Annie waved at them.

  “Oh, I just thought of something,” said Jack. “We forgot to find out the fourth secret.”

  “What do you mean?” said Annie. “It’s Penny.”

  “No, I don’t think so,” said Jack. “Remember, Leonardo da Vinci told us a secret of happiness has to be available to everyone. Not many people can have their own baby penguin.”

  “Oh, right,” said Annie.

  “Jack! Annie! Come down!” Teddy and Kathleen called from below.

  “We’re coming!” said Annie.

  Jack put Penny inside his jacket, then carefully climbed down the rope ladder after Annie.

  “Oh! What did you bring back with you?” said Kathleen.

  Penny was peeking out of Jack’s jacket again. “A baby penguin for Merlin,” said Annie.

  “Look at her!” said Kathleen. “She’s beautiful!”

>   “Indeed!” said Teddy, petting Penny’s downy head.

  Peep.

  “She wants to help Merlin,” said Annie.

  “Then let us hurry to him at once,” said Teddy. “Come, follow us.”

  Kathleen and Teddy led the way between the trees to a small wooden cottage at the edge of the orchard.

  “Merlin’s in there?” asked Jack.

  “’Tis a garden house he always loved as a child,” said Teddy. “Morgan thought he would find comfort there. But alas, he seems to have found nothing but more grief. He will eat nothing, and he has not spoken for days.”

  Teddy opened the door to the cottage and ushered Annie and Jack inside.

  Morgan was sitting by Merlin’s bed. Late-afternoon light slanted through the window onto the magician’s face. He lay very still. His eyes were closed and his hands were folded on his chest.

  A chill went through Jack. Merlin hardly looked alive.

  Morgan turned around. She, too, looked tired, but her face brightened when she saw Jack and Annie. “Thank goodness you have come!” she said.

  Annie crossed the room and hugged Morgan. Jack stepped forward with Penny. “Look what we brought for Merlin,” he whispered.

  “Oh!” said Morgan. The enchantress gently touched the little penguin. “She is lovely indeed,” she whispered. “Thank you for bringing her.”

  Morgan turned back to Merlin. “Merlin?” she said. “Jack and Annie from Frog Creek are here. They want to talk with you.”

  Annie stepped forward, while Jack stood in the shadows with Penny. “Hi, Merlin!” said Annie. “How are you doing?”

  The magician didn’t open his eyes. But he nodded to let Annie know he heard her.

  “We have four secrets of happiness to share with you,” said Annie. She reached into Jack’s backpack. She pulled out the poem that the poet Basho had given them on their trip to old Japan.

  “Listen, here’s a poem from a man named Basho,” said Annie. She read the short poem:

  An old pond:

  a frog jumps in—

  the sound of water.

  “The secret of happiness for Basho was that he paid attention to small things in nature,” explained Annie.

  Merlin nodded slowly. “Nature,” he said in a raspy voice.

  “That’s right,” said Annie. “And we brought you this, too.” She pulled out the angel picture Leonardo da Vinci had drawn. She held it up to show Merlin.