The Pull of the Penguin

There! A penguin! Elaine Parker stared out at the dark, distant dot on the ice.

The low autumn sun sat between sea and sky, splashing pink and violet across the craggy mountains. Elaine breathed in the pure, crisp air, enjoying her escape from McMurdo Station.

Work on the Ice

The past summer in Antarctica, Elaine had spent long hours inside the plain, practical buildings of the McMurdo research station. Her job was to look after the fire extinguishers and fire alarms in the machine shops, sheds, boiler rooms, dorms, and warehouses of this remote outpost. But on her days off, Elaine loved to strap on skis and explore the sparkling ice and crystal caves beyond the station. Sometimes she was so filled with the wild beauty of Antarctica that she started to sing — or yodel!

With winter coming, she’d be heading home soon. But before she left there was one more thing Elaine wanted to do. She was determined to see a penguin — up close. She’d heard tantalizing tales from the biologists, about how penguins played and took care of one another, how they were curious and often approached people. She had spotted a few, but only from far away. But that night after dinner, someone said there was a lone penguin on the ice on the far side of the station. Elaine rushed out, hoping to get a closer look.

On the Ice

Now her neck tingled with excitement…and cold. The day had been sunny and warm (for Antarctica, meaning around 20°F or –6°C, still below freezing). But a frosty wind circled, a warning. Elaine knew the weather could change in a heartbeat. A sudden storm could drop the temperature by 50° in just a few minutes.

She gazed across the icy plain. Although it looked solid, this ice sheet was in constant motion, squeezed and warped by the glacier — the vast river of ice sliding slowly down the mountains toward the ocean. The glacier’s tremendous pressure created jagged cracks and zig-zagging ridges of ice. Crevasses — deep blue cracks in the ice — lurked beneath the snowy surface. Rows of blue and red flags marked a safe path through this hazardous zone.

A frosty gust of wind blasted, and she reached up to cover her bare earlobe. Oh no, where was her hat? Elaine had left her backpack—with her warm parka, hat, and emergency radio — back at McMurdo! Normally, she carried that orange pack everywhere. But hearing about the penguin, she’d dashed out without it. Her stinging ears were in danger of frostbite. This was trouble. She was out on the ice alone, without her gear.

Maybe the cold had slowed down her brain, but Elaine didn’t consider the danger. All she could think of was the penguin. Watching the swaying bird shape coming closer, she spied a flash of yellow. It was an emperor penguin!

Elaine tried to ignore her ears and lowered herself to sit on the snow. It was against the rules to approach a penguin, she knew. So she had to wait and see if the bird would come to her. The bitter wind blew through her clothes. Elaine held her breath, concentrated on the penguin waddling toward her, and willed it to keep coming. Soon the bird stood right in front of her. Its eyes were level with hers, its beak almost touching her nose.

She admired the golden-orange stripes edging the bird’s beak. She tried not to blink as the penguin eyed her closely. Then it reached out its beak, leaned in, and tapped her cheek.

Elaine’s heart leapt with the thrill. The penguin bent forward, then dipped its beak inside her collar. It tickled! Elaine couldn’t help it — she giggled.

Her laugh startled the penguin. Flipping onto its belly, the bird tobogganed away. It slid across the ice into a billowing cloud of snowflakes. Elaine stood and stomped her feet, trying to warm her toes. Well, that was that. She’d lost her penguin, a storm was brewing, and it was past time to head back to McMurdo.

Just then the screen of snow parted. Elaine got a glimpse of her bird friend, and felt the pull of the penguin. Surely she’d be safe out here just a little longer! She leaned into the blowing snow and followed the bird farther out on the ice, away from the base.

A Friend in Need

Suddenly…Whoosh! A strong gust knocked her off her feet. She tumbled over and over, sliding like a hockey puck across the slippery plain and into the whirling snow. Then the wind picked her up and slammed her face-down onto the ice.

Elaine was pinned down by the wind and scared to move. She squinted through icy eyelashes, straight down into a neon-bright blue glow. Oh no! That beautiful blue was the color of danger. It came from a deep hole below her. She was lying on a thin skin of ice above a blue crevasse.

Elaine heard a tink as tiny cracks shot through the ice. Icy cold seeped into her belly. Crunch! The crust gave way slightly, and she dropped a little lower. If she broke through, she’d drop into the crevasse, where nobody would ever find her. The storm swirled and Elaine’s thoughts spun.

Then, as quickly as it began, the wind died. In the sudden quiet, Elaine felt someone near. She peeked up.

Her penguin stood peering down at her. Seeing Elaine move, the bird walked away, then stopped and looked back. It seemed to be inviting her to follow.

As Elaine tried to decide on her next move, she heard a snap. Cracks spiderwebbed around her. She made up her mind. She would trust this bird.

She spread her arms on the ice like wings, keeping her body flat and spreading her weight across the fragile surface. She breathed out a steamy cloud and pushed forward on her belly, inching along. Ahead, the penguin wove a trail between the cracks. Elaine scraped along behind, slow-motion tobogganing. Icy shards collected along her arms and scratched her nose and cheeks. She lost track of time as she focused on following the penguin’s path.

Finally, with one last pull of her arms, Elaine crawled after her penguin onto solid, white ice. Safety! Standing on quivery legs, she turned to look back. In the distance, an Elaine-shaped imprint marked the spot where she’d landed, right over a giant crack.

Phew. Elaine bent over, her hands on her knees. Once her heartbeat had slowed to normal, she turned toward the penguin. How could she thank her friend?

But the bird was already gone, retracing its steps across the maze of cracks. As Elaine watched, the penguin paused atop a ridge. It stood up on its toes, stretched its wings wide and pointed its beak skyward.

“EHEHEH-UHUHUH-EHEH!” it trumpeted. The ecstatic cry sent shivers up Elaine’s spine.

She threw back her head and yodeled her reply: “Oh yoyodelayeeoheoheeoheeoh!”

The penguin waited until the last echo faded. It looked back at Elaine across the terrible, beautiful ice. Then it was gone.

Elaine pulled out her knife and cut a strip of fleece from the bottom of her jacket. Wrapping the fabric around her head, she sighed with relief, and turned at last toward McMurdo Station. She knew her way back from here.

Her penguin guide would rejoin its colony for the long winter ahead. Elaine, thanks to that bird, would head home with a story that she’d never forget.