Eileen Kaplan age 9, Williamsport;. PA,

Why doesn’t the penguin fly?

South of the equator, September is a winter month. When Andy arrived on the icy shores of Antarctica, the polar winds were whipping up a bitter blizzard. This did not bother the penguins, they were lined up to greet him, standing erect in elegant tuxedo plumage. Dignity was forgotten when they heard this was an interview. They crowded around, waddling on big flat feet, waving their arms in comical gestures ‑ all talking at once; Things calmed down politely when one was chosen to speak for all,

Of the 17 different cousins, these were emperor penguins. The spokesman stood three feet tall.  He claimed to weigh 90 pounds most of it fat to keep out the cold. "Would you mind explaining your wings?" was Andy’s first question. "Correction", stated the emperor with dignity, "These are flippers ‑ no pinion wing feathers and far too small for wings. Also far more useful to us than wings."

"Can you use flippers for flying?" asked our reporter. "They couldn't lift our heavy bodies," said the emperor. "Besides, who wants to fly tossing around in these winds?" "The albatross does very well flying in these parts," Andy suggested politely.

"That poor bird," sighed the emperor, "We claim a distant relationshipto him. See, our bills, like his, are covered with horney plated. Our sensible ancestors decided to forgo flight long ago. On the ground, we penguins can stick together ‑ we penguins love crowds of company. Who wants to be blown far and wide like the poor, lonely albatross? Not us.

"Then your wings, excuse me, flippers, are merely ornaments," said Andy.

"‑No, no indeed," the emperor protested. He waved towards his friends and relatives. "Show what our flippers can do," he commanded.

The polite and dignified group broke into a merry scramble for the water. one fellow flung himself forward on his immaculate shirt front. He used his flippers to turn himself into a speeding sled. Another used his flippers skid like to skid like a toboggan over a snow drift. Splash, splash. The water was full of frolics and antics. In the water, on the water, under the water the happy birds were graceful as porpoises,

Andy stood and watched with the penguin spokesman, The emperor pointed out a swimmer close to Andy's icy perch, "He is using his flippers to fly underwater. Notice his powerful over arm stroke, He is scouting for fish," the big bird explained.

There was more fun when the well fed penguins returned to land. They sprang out of the water in high dives, one leaped up five feet and landed like a sled on an ice floe,., He used his flippers to break his skid.  Andy explained he would like to stay longer But he had an appointment in California. He thanked them all and shook flippers all around.  The last he saw of them, the handsome birds were waving goodbye ‑ with flippers„ of course.