penguinsunited.com

Many years ago we received the following story in the mail from a human who called himself Mickey Friedman. Since then, one penguin has told this story to another penguin and another. We don’t know, but we hope it’s true.

THE IMPOSSIBLE PENGUIN PYRAMID

© Lyubomir Ivanov: Huron Glacier & McFarlane Strait

South Pole Plotkin never liked the zoo. He missed the ice and he missed the snow.

South Pole Plotkin was a dreamer. He dreamt about Dad. He dreamt about Mother. He missed his brother; he missed his home.

The other penguins didn’t dream as much. The way they figured it, the zoo wasn’t such a bad place. It just took some time to get used to it. They fed you fish in the morning and fish every night.

Every day the people came. They looked and they laughed and they poked and they pointed. They sometimes took pictures.

At night when the people went home, the penguins would sit and the penguins would play.

Perkins, the poet of penguins, would read out loud:

South, and south of south, on ice and snow
The penguins come, and penguins go

Black and white, and white and black
We jump into the water, and jump right back

And some nights, the Penguinettes would sing their penguin song. Paula sang high, and Pammy sang low, and Pearl sang right smack in the middle:

Do-wa-ditty-do, do-wa-ditty-ditty
Do-wa-ditty-do, do-wa-ditty-ditty

Waddle your foot, then waddle the other
Say goodbye to Mom, and bye-bye to brother

We have left our friends, and we have left our home
For around the world, we’ve decided to roam

Now don’t be too sad, and try not to worry
For we’ll travel far, then back home we’ll hurry

With a do-wa-ditty, and a do-wa-ditty-do
With a do-wa-ditty, and a do-wa-ditty-do

Some nights the Fishville Four would jump and tumble. Pedro and Perry did double back dips, and Peterson and Peggy did their triple front flips.

And there was always some juggling with the Adelie Three. Pickney threw three fish to Phil, and four fish to Penny, and before you knew it, fish were flying from one to another, under one flipper and over the other.

And on those nights, South Pole Plotkin played with his penguin friends and had a very fine time. But he never stopped dreaming and he never stopped scheming.

They would travel from town to town. South Pole Plotkin and his Penguin Ice Capade. Perkins and his poems, and the Penguinettes. The Fishville Four would dip and flip. The Adelie Three would juggle with fish.

“One day,” Plotkin said, “we are going home!”

Paula looked at Pammy and Pammy looked at Pearl.

© Don Bayley

“It’s impossible,” said Peterson. And he shook his head.

“It’s preposterous,” said Penny.

Plotkin smiled. And then he remembered the ice and he remembered the snow.

“it’s just a matter of positive penguin thinking and the proper penguin plan!”

In the morning the people came. They looked and they laughed and they poked and they pointed. Some even took pictures.

Two boys stood very still. They watched and they waved. And Plotkin watched back. And Plotkin smiled.

They came on Tuesday and they came on Wednesday. They weren’t white and they weren’t black. They were the soft sweet color of brown coffee with milk.

They came on Thursday and were back on Friday. They watched and they waited.

And when the other people got tired of looking and tired of laughing, of poking and pointing, the two boys came close to the cage.

“When you go, don’t go slow,” the first boy whispered.
“Wait for us, look for the bus,” the second boy said.
And then the first boy smiled and the second boy waved.

That evening when the sun went down and the people went home, Plotkin thought and thought and thought some more.

While Pammy was sleeping, Plotkin was dreaming.
While Percy was snoring, Plotkin was scheming.

Plotkin used paper and pencil. He used pen and ink. The bars were tall and the penguins were small. The couldn’t go through and they couldn’t go under.

He thought and thought and thought some more.

Plotkin smiled. And then he remembered the ice and he remembered the snow.
One day soon, he knew, they were going home.
It was just a matter of positive penguin thinking and the proper penguin plan.

First thing Wednesday morning, a bus drove up and stopped right in front of the penguin house. It was a great big yellow school bus with a great big banner: “San Diego Demons – Hockey Champs!”

The school kids piled out. They looked and they laughed and they poked and they pointed.

All except two brown boys who stood very still.

“Let’s go see the deer!” the first boy said.
“Let’s leave the school bus here,” the second one said.

Then they took their friends and they took the driver, and the first boy smiled and the second one waved.

Well Perkins the poet hardly knew what was happening. Paula looked at Pammy and Pammy looked at Pearl. Plotkin was pointing to his plan. They were penguins on top of penguins and more penguins.

“Today is the day,” he said, “and we’re going home!”
Peterson shook his head. “It’s impossible, Plotkin!”
“It’s preposterous,” Penny said.

Plotkin smiled. “It’s just a matter of positive penguin thinking and the proper penguin plan!”

Pammy and Perkins, Penny, Peterson, and Phil stood on the bottom.
“Now it’s Peggy, Pedro, Paula and Pearl,” Plotkin said.
Pedro took a running jump and landed on Peterson. He had one foot on Peterson’s head and another on Phil. Peterson could hardly see what was happening.

Three penguins held Pickney and three held Percy.
“One, two, three … ” Plotkin said, and they tossed them up.

Ten penguins carried a ladder. Very carefully they placed it against their Penguin Pyramid.

Plotkin climbed slowly. It was a long way up, especially for a penguin. Finally he reached the top. There were no more penguins. There was only the sky.

Plotkin’s feet squushed Pickney’s beak and squashed Percy’s head. The whole Penguin Pyramid started to sway. First they swayed left and then they swayed right. Plotkin went one way and then went the other. It looked like all of them would come tumbling down.

“Think positive, penguins!” Plotkin said. “Think positive!” And slowly, very slowly, the Pyramid stopped and stood perfectly still.

Plotkin wiped his brow.

Plotkin smiled. And then he remembered the ice and he remembered the snow. And Plotkin knew it was time to go.

Plotkin hopped over the bars and unlocked the gate. There were penguins all over the place. There wasn’t a single penguin left in the penguin house.

Every penguin took a seat and Plotkin took the wheel. The bus was filled with penguins and ice skates and hockey sticks. There was a penguin at every window.

Plotkin drove past the elephants and past the zebra, past the tiger, around the monkeys and right by the panda.

The first boy was smiling and the second boy waved.

Out the main gate and onto the highway.

Plotkin drove and drove some more. And then he looked at Perkins and said real loud: “We’re on our way south, to the south of south, to the ice and snow, where penguins come and penguins go!”

Plotkin drove to the sea, and in they dove.

© Lyubomir Ivanov Yambol Peak

They swam and swam and swam some more. Then swam and swam some more. Swam through the day. Swam through the night. Past the boats and past the bears. Past the melting iceberg. Until there were penguins all over the place.

Plotkin’s father was there, his mother and brother. And all of a sudden Plotkin started to smile. “One more time,” he said.

And then Pammy and Perkins, Penny, Peterson, and Phil stood on the bottom.
“Now it’s Peggy, Pedro, Paula and Pearl,” Plotkin said.
Pedro took a running jump and landed on Peterson. He had one foot on Peterson’s head and another on Phil. Peterson could hardly see what was happening.

Three penguins held Pickney and three held Percy.
“One, two, three … ” Plotkin said, and they tossed them up.

Ten penguins carried a ladder. Very carefully they placed it against their Penguin Pyramid.

Plotkin climbed slowly. It was a long way up, especially for a penguin. Finally he reached the top. There were no more penguins. There was only the sky.

Plotkin’s feet squushed Pickney’s beak and squashed Percy’s head. The whole Penguin Pyramid started to sway. First they swayed left and then they swayed right. Plotkin went one way and then went the other. It looked like all of them would come tumbling down.

“Think positive, penguins!” Plotkin said. “Think positive!” And slowly, very slowly, the Pyramid stopped and stood perfectly still.

Plotkin wiped his brow.

And all of the penguins started to cheer, for high in the sky was South Pole Plotkin and the Impossible Penguin Pyramid.

Plotkin smiled and Plotkin waved. For they had come home to the ice. They had come home to the snow.

And it was just a matter of positive penguin thinking and the proper penguin plan.

© Mickey Friedman 1981 revised 2007







© Lyubomir Ivanov: Penguins at Hannah Point




We are at Penguins United know how many good and worthy causes there are. And legitimate requests for your charity.

But we at Penguins United are working hard to save the ice, and save the planet. Our planet and yours.

If this work is important to you, think about helping us. Penguin8 is our Treasurer and chief fundraiser, but between you and me, he has only been able to come up with a crate of sardines and a free pass to Disney World.

We have some pretty big ideas for the future. Help make them happen!





If you’d like to contact us, you can easily send us an email:




[CONTACT-FORM]

Trackback URI | Comments RSS