The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-11
A PET PENGUIN.

! A PET PENGUIN.
| TIE Curious Present Uncle Fred Brought
the Children When He Came Home
/ For two whole years Uncle Fred, who
was a captain in the navy, had been
away with his ship. and had sailed
hundreds and hundreds of miles Now
he was home once more, and had
brought something for his little
nephews and nieces, whom he never
forgot.
"And what do you suppose have?"
asked Uncle Fred, turning to Hal and
Dick and Mary and Kit, who stood
around his chair.
"a doll" cried Mary clapping her
hands. "a real French doll that says
mamma and papa"
''Pooh" said Dick ''Men don't buy
dolls do they, Uncle Fred?"
Not often,'' replied their uncle.
laughing: land this time it is not a
doll. Now everyone may guess once. :"
''Is it alive?" asked Hal, very much
interested.
EYES," answered Uncle Fred: "that
was a good guess; it is something
alive"
The children clapped their hands and
shouted for joy.
ga monkey" cried Dick.
eyes. monkey" said Hal, who
thought that pet monkey would be
the finest thing in the world.
"a parrot guessed Mary, but Kit
Al. L ~, -
''Well, what do you think it is?"
asked Uncle Fred. turning to Kit.
81 don't know" answered the little
girl. ''unless-unless it is baby ele-
plant"
Uncle Fred laughed at this, but shook
his head. mo. no." he said. ''you are
all wrong. Come out in the garden now
and I'll show you"
So Hal and Dick and Mary and Kit
followed Uncle Fred into the garden,
where he opened big box, and took
out the Misunderstanding thing ever seen.
You could not tell exactly whether it
was meant for a bird or not. Uncle
Fred set it on the ground, and it walked
around as though it had been used to
the place all its life.
ooh, what is it? what is it," came the
anxious chorus. as the children gathered
around to view the new pet.
st is fowl" explained Uncle Fred,
'that is called a penguin
'Dear me-" said Mary, watching it
from distance, isn't it queer? Hasn't
it got funny wings? Won't they grow
any more?'
NO replied Uncle Fred. ut is
bird that never flies. but lives in the
water most of the time. A sailor
caught this for me on an island in the
Pacific ocean. We kept it on board. the
ship. and it is quite tame now"
''What did you call it?" asked Mary.
who was very much interested in the
strange creature.
GA penguin" said Uncle Fred.
81 don't like that for a NAME" Kit
said, slowly; sit is too hard. Look at
him wobble when he walks. Zacklv
Ikea littleboby that has just learned
That's good idea. Kit" returned
Uncle Fred. ''Why don't you call him
Old Wobble?"
eyes" shouted the children. "we'll
name him that. Hello. Old Wobble!
But the penguin did not seem to
know his new name. and walked down
the path without paying any attention
to his owners.
All that day Old Wobble kept the
children amused. He was such a curl
Gus and solemn fowl, so different from
all other kinds He walked into the
chicken-yard, and scared the hens so
that they ran away cackling. Then he
went swimming in the little pond,
where there were lots of ducks. But
the ducks did not know what to make
of him. so before long Old Wobble had
the whole pond to himself, which he
seemed to enjoy very much. None of
the ducks or chickens seemed anxious
to make friends with him, but
Old Wobble didn't seem to care.
He swan around the pond. and
dived down TO the bottom, and
seemed so very contented that the chill
dren were afraid Old Wobbie would
never come out of the water. But
when supper-time came Old Wobble
was glad to come ashore and get into his
box again.
Il IS long time since heard Of him.
but the last news was that Old Wobble
was well and happy. and source cf in
terest toevery body that came from the
surrounding neighb3rhood TO see MIN
He even became so wise as 20 know his
name. and everybody thought that it
suited him exactly. for he did wobble
very much when he tried TO walk
Harper's Young People.