Birds of a Feather

Frederic the penguin had had it! In fact, he was so tired that he no longer wanted to be a penguin. He wanted to run and sprint. He was tired of waddling. He hated his black and white feathers. And finally, he was tired of eating fish.

“How boring is that?” he asked.

Frederic decided it was time to go. He needed to explore the world and live a new life. He packed his bags and said his goodbyes.

“Adios, amigos,” he said, trying out his new language.

Frederic hopped onto the closest iceberg and began floating across the sea. He floated until his iceberg melted and he swam to shore.

The first thing he did on the island was dye his feathers purple. Then he fashioned a grass skirt made of leaves and practiced saying words in his new language.

“Hola!” said Frederic.

It wasn’t long before birds on the island began to notice Frederic. They offered him drinks and fruit to his heart’s content.

After a month on the island, Frederic woke up one morning with a stomachache. He had gained weight and was sunburned all over. He burst into tears.

“I can’t handle this anymore!” he sulked. “I’ve got to go back to my people. I want to go home.”

It wasn’t long before Frederic was on his way home to the iceberg. He had learned his lesson. He began eating fish again and never complained about his lifestyle.