Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne

Author:Mary Pope Osborne
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
ISBN: 9780375894626
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2008-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

“How—how could this be happening?” stammered Jack.

“Don’t ask,” whispered Annie. “It’s magic.”

A murmur went through the ballroom as the penguins began to notice Jack and Annie. Though the strange music kept playing, all the dancers came to a stop. None of the penguins seemed alarmed, though. They all looked at their visitors with calm, friendly faces.

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.

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