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Pablo the White Penguin

by  kabclarky

Posted: Saturday, November 5, 2011
Word Count: 537
Summary: A picture book for the 3-7 range - this is in prose - which I'm afraid I'm not very good at, so all hints and advice welcome.




Pablo the White Penguin

Pablo was a little different from the other penguins... he was totally white. Sometimes they teased
him, and that made him a little sad.

Today the penguins waddled a long way to the nesting ground. Mum sat on the nest and out popped
three eggs. PLOP PLOP PLOP. She sat on them to keep them warm, for many days, until...

“It’s sooooo cold,” shouted a penguin as he shivered. “Brrrrrrr.”
“Storm clouds are coming,” said Pablo.
“I don’t like it at all, I’m scared,” whispered another.
Mum watched the clouds gather and the first flakes of snow fall heavily.
“Oh my,” she said. “This looks like trouble.”

The penguins shivered and shook. “Can we go back to the sea?”
“But what about my eggs?” asked mum.
Pablo moved beside her. “I’ll look after them,”
Mum stroked his face, “It’s not safe for you alone,”
The other penguins shrieked and honked as the blizzard swirled.
“I’ll be fine,” Pablo hugged her. “Take the others to safety,”
Mum kissed him goodbye, and he sat down gently on the eggs.

The storm raged, and Pablo sat still, keeping the eggs warm. Suddenly he heard a noise. Footsteps
came closer, and closer... scurry scurry, scratch. It was a very hungry fox.
“What’s that I smell?” sniffed the fox. But Pablo was hidden against the white snow. He didn’t move.
“Where are you? I can’t see you... I can’t find you...”

“SO THEN I CAN’T EAT YOU!” he yelled. And off the hungry fox ran.
The storm raged on, and Pablo stayed still, he would not leave the eggs. Suddenly he heard a noise.
It came closer and closer, snuffle, snuffle, snuffle. It was a very hungry wolf.
“What’s that I smell?” shouted the wolf. But he couldn’t see Pablo either.
Pablo didn’t move.
“Where are you? I can’t see you. I can’t find you...

“SO THEN I CAN’T EAT YOU!” he howled. And off the wolf ran.
The wind howled, and the snow was thick, and still Pablo refused to leave the precious eggs.
Suddenly he heard a noise. It came closer and closer. Grrrr, Grrrr Grrrrr. It was a giant grizzly bear.
“What’s that I smell?” roared the grizzly bear. He couldn’t see Pablo anywhere.
Pablo didn’t move.
“Where are you? I can’t see you. I can’t find you...”


“SO THEN I CAN’T EAT YOU!” he roared. And off the grizzly bear ran.
Finally the storm stopped, and the snow began to melt.
Pablo was tired and hungry, but still he kept the eggs warm.
Suddenly he felt something...something rather strange.

He felt the eggs move. Wiggle wiggle They moved again. Wiggle wiggle.
“Oh my,” said Pablo.
And then, suddenly he heard a noise. ..

“PABLO!” The penguins shouted as they returned.
Mum hugged him.
“The fox, the wolf and the grizzly bear couldn’t even see me.” He laughed.
“You’ve been so brave,” they said.
And then suddenly, there was a noise...

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK.
Everyone stared at Pablo. He gently lifted off the eggs; each egg had a crack.
The penguins all agreed.
“You are indeed a special penguin Pablo.”
And Pablo simply smiled... as three totally white baby penguins broke open their shells.