Quirky's Tale

• Jocelyn Shan, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2007

The waves crashed relentlessly against the shore of the beach, cascading sand and shells everywhere. One particular wave, however, brought something quite unusual. An infant penguin was washed onto the spectacular beach. The baby penguin had unwittingly ventured into the sea and had been immediately swept by the ocean currents onto an unfamiliar section of the beach where the sand was golden and the water sparkled. This, however, was where the humans were. Baffled, the penguin waddled around in frightened circles. Finally overcome by exhaustion and fatigue, the tiny penguin collapsed onto the fine sand.

Something was rocking the poor, miniature creature. It opened its beady eyes in surprise, only to see the warm and caring eyes of a human child. The child patted and fussed over the now comforted young animal. Soon, the penguin settled in and was sleeping soundly, soft snores emitting from its mouth. The young girl carried it into her room, cradling the penguin and put it down beside her bed in a basket. Feeling warm and safe, the penguin wondered whether it was possible to feel more content than in this heavenly bliss.

Time continued on its stately march and the penguin grew up rapidly. Jackie, the once young girl, decided to call it ‘Quirky’. In the morning he was fed milk and then Jackie disappeared. By noon, Jackie’s mother arrived home from work and nourished him while they sat on the couch together. Soon afternoon arrived and Jackie rushed into the house merrily. She played with him until it was dinner time. Quirky was fed warm milk for the night but would unconsciously fall asleep soon after. Quirky grew so accustomed to his life in a human home that he almost forgot how he had arrived at their home in the first place. He did not miss his fellow penguins or yearn for their company because he had never seen one of his own kind before.

Quirky grew and Jackie grew along with him. However, while Jackie was growing stronger and healthier, Quirky was gradually becoming extremely weak and frail. His eyes were sad and dreamy and he refused to be comforted by Jackie. Finally, she realised his crisis. He would soon pass on to the next world but he had not yet seen another penguin. His memory did not hold the face or body of another penguin.

By the time they were on the other side of the beach, Quirky’s life was slipping away from as a pebble would slip away from a peach. A lone penguin stood near the water’s edge. An air of melancholy hung in the atmosphere as its shoulders drooped terribly low. Quirky hobbled up to the penguin, a spring in his step that had left him during the past few days. Quirky looked into her eyes with mixed feelings while she looked back sadly. Quirky saw a penguin for the first and last time in his life. And with his last sight, he drew his last breath contentedly.