The Penguin's Secret Garden

The Penguin's Secret Garden - Author : Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

On a bright, cold morning at the edge of the wide white ice, a little penguin named Pip waddled out of his warm nest. He was small and round, with a sleek black back, a snowy white belly, and soft grey fluff on his head. His big dark eyes sparkled as he looked across the frozen world. "What will I find today?" Pip chirped, and off he went to explore. 1

Pip loved to slide on his tummy across the shiny ice. He loved to hop over small snow hills on his bright orange feet. But most of all, Pip loved to peek into cracks and corners where nobody else looked. "Every crack hides something," he said. The wind blew soft and cold, and the ice shone like a giant silver plate under the pale blue sky. 2

One day, near a tall wall of ice, Pip heard a tiny drip-drip-drip. He followed the sound to a narrow crack that glowed with a strange, soft light. Pip squeezed his round fluffy body through the gap. On the other side, he gasped. There, under a clear roof of ice, grew the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. 3

Red, yellow, and purple flowers nodded on thin green stems. Tiny leaves curled like little spoons. Warm light filtered through the ice above and made the petals shine. "Flowers? Under the ice?" Pip whispered. "How can that be?" He sat down very still, afraid to blink, afraid the colors might vanish like a dream. 4

Pip came back the next day, and the next. Each time, the flowers were still there, blooming in their secret hideaway. He brought nothing and told no one. "This is my garden," he said softly. "My secret garden under the ice." He counted the flowers every morning. There were seven bright blooms, and one small bud waiting to open. 5

Pip learned to be careful. He never stepped on the stems. He brushed snow away from the ice roof so the sunlight could reach the petals. "You need light," he told the flowers. "And I need you." He hummed a little song to them, and the garden felt warm and safe. It was the best secret in the whole wide world. 6

Then one afternoon, a shadow slid over the ice. A young seal named Splash poked her whiskered face near the crack. Her fur was silver-grey with dark speckles, and her big brown eyes were full of wonder. "What is that lovely smell?" Splash asked. "It smells like... flowers! But flowers can't grow here, can they?" 7

Pip's heart thumped. His round body went stiff. "No! Don't look!" he cried, flapping his little orange feet. But Splash had already squeezed one flipper through the crack. Her warm brown eyes went wide. "Oh! Oh, they're beautiful!" she breathed. Pip felt hot and worried all over. What if she told everyone? What if she broke a stem? 8

"Please go away," Pip said in a small voice. "This is my secret garden. I found it first." Splash pulled her flipper back and tilted her speckled head. "I'm sorry," she said gently. "I didn't mean to scare you. I only wanted to see." But Pip was too worried to listen. He stood in front of the flowers like a tiny guard, his big eyes watching her. 9

Splash did not leave. She floated quietly at the edge of the ice. "Pip," she said after a while, "a secret is safer when a friend helps keep it. I promise I won't hurt your flowers. I could even help." Pip blinked. He had never thought of that. "You would help me?" he asked. "You wouldn't tell?" Splash shook her whiskers. "Not a single seal," she said. "I promise." 10

Pip thought hard. The garden was so precious. But the wind was growing colder, and snow was piling up on the ice roof. "All right," he said at last. "But you must be very, very careful." Splash nodded. She slid over to the crack and used her smooth, strong back to push the heavy snow away. The sunlight poured in, and the flowers seemed to lift their petals and smile. 11

"They're getting warmer!" Pip squeaked with joy. Splash used her flippers to clear a little path so cold air could not sneak in. Pip chewed tough bits of seaweed and laid them around the stems to keep them snug. "Teamwork," Splash said happily. "See? Two friends are better than one." The small bud began to open, and Pip forgot all his worry. 12

From that day on, they met at the garden every afternoon. Splash kept the ice roof clear and told funny stories about the sea. Pip hummed his songs and counted the flowers, which had grown to ten. "The flowers like your stories," Pip said. "And I like sharing this with you." The secret garden was no longer his alone, and somehow it felt even more special. 13

One morning, a crowd of penguins waddled by the crack. "What's that smell?" one asked. Pip's heart thumped again, but Splash winked at him. "Just ocean air," she said, and the penguins waddled on. When they were gone, Pip laughed, and Splash laughed too. "Our secret is safe," she said. "Good friends keep secrets," Pip agreed, and he felt warm all the way down to his orange feet.