Pebble Parade

It was a bright, breezy day at Busy Bay, and penguins popped from their snow-door homes like happy little buttons.

Pippa was the smallest penguin in her crowd, but her ideas were as big as the blue sky. She loved pebbles—smooth ones, speckled ones, and shiny ones that looked like tiny candies. She rattled her bag. "Clink-clink! Today is our Pebble Parade!"

Her friends gathered around. Flip was tall and told silly jokes. Tuck was round and strong like a snowball. Dot was so quick that she could draw a heart in the snow with one fast foot.

"Floats first!" said Tuck, puffing and pushing an ice sled shaped like a fish.

"Banner next!" said Dot, unfurling a scarf that read: PEPPY PENGUIN PEBBLE PARADE.

Flip plucked a little drum from a bucket. "Boom-boom. Waddle in rhythm!" He winked. "Why did the fish blush? It saw the ocean’s bottom!" The penguins groaned and giggled.

Pippa lined up her special stones. "This green one is my starter. This stripey one is my skipper. And this sparkly one is for the grand finish!"

Just then, the breeze sneaked by and went WHOOSH!

The banner flapped and flew. "My letters!" yelped Dot.

Pippa’s pebble bag slid, slid, sliiiid—plop!—into a tiny crack in the ice.

And little Nib, the youngest chick in Busy Bay, toddled after the flying scarf with his wings out wide. "Banner! Banner!"

"Freeze like ice!" called Flip, but Nib kept wobbling toward the sloshy edge.

Dot zipped ahead, drawing a quick loop in the snow. "Nib, follow the swirl!"

Pippa blinked, then had a bright idea. She plucked three pebbles and tapped them on the ice. "Clink! Clink! Clink!" The sound made a happy path. "Follow the clinks!"

Nib giggled. "Clinks!" He turned and waddled along the little music trail.

Tuck slid beside Pippa. "I’ll make a bridge," he said, belly-first. He stretched his flippers across the crack where the pebble bag had fallen.

"I can reach!" said Pippa, lying on Tuck’s sturdy back. Her beak nudged the bag. Almost—almost—got it—

A sneaky snowflake tickled Pippa’s nose. "Ah-choo!"

The echo made pebbles hop out of the bag and roll like tiny bowling balls. "Clitter! Clatter! Clinkety-clack!"

Flip laughed so hard he hiccupped. "Hic—hop! Hic—hop!" His hiccups sounded like little kangaroos.

"Oops!" Pippa said, peeking into the crack. "We’ve made them dance."

"Then let’s dance too!" said Dot. She zipped after the runaway pebbles and nudged them back with her toes, tap-tap-tap.

Together they formed a waddle chain—Flip held Dot, Dot held Pippa, Pippa held the bag, and Tuck held everybody.

"On three," said Tuck. "One, two—whoosh!" With a gentle tug, the bag popped free. Pebbles showered the ice in a sparkly sprinkle.

Dot scooped up the flying banner as it floated by and stuck it in a snowbank. "There! Parade saved."

Pippa breathed out. "We can use the sprinkled pebbles for our path." She set the sparkly stone at the front. "Wiggle, waddle, whoosh?"

"Wiggle, waddle, whoosh!" everyone cheered.

The Pebble Parade began. Flip drummed, "Boom boom, clack clack!" Tuck pulled the fish float, squinting with pride. Dot twirled the banner so it fluttered like a ribbon of sea foam.

Pippa led the way, tapping pebbles as she went. "Clink-a, clink-a, clink!" Penguins joined from every snow-door—Grandma Goose with her tiny bell, Uncle Ice with his loud laugh, even sleepy Puff, who wore a scarf longer than a seal.

They belly-slid down a gentle slope and around a bubbly puddle. "Swish!" went their bellies. "Splish!" went the puddle.

Nib marched beside Pippa, puffing his chest. "I am Captain Clinks!"

"Captain Clinks, turn left!" said Pippa. They turned past a stack of seashell cups and a stand selling kelp sticks. The breeze came back—but this time the penguins held the banner with their beaks. It waved and waved, but it didn’t fly away.

At the end of the path, Pippa held up her sparkly stone. "Grand finish!" The penguins tapped their pebbles together. "Clickety-clickety—CLICK!"

The sound raced across the ice like a happy tickle. Seagulls nodded. The sea said, "Shhhhhh," but only because it was busy clapping with waves.

Pippa gave Nib the stripey pebble. "For a brave captain."

Nib beamed. "Clink you," he said, which made everyone laugh.

They named the slope Sneeze Slope and promised to parade again the next bright, breezy day. And if you ever visit Busy Bay, listen closely—you might hear it: "Wiggle, waddle, whoosh!" and the cheerful clink of a thousand happy stones.