Kids Bedtime Stories

Club Penguin Bedtime Story

Cosy up and snuggle down for tonight you travel to the winter wonderland of Club Penguin.

You wake to find yourself in a crowded plaza surrounded by brightly coloured penguins. Wrapped warmly in their winter coats, they hurry to and fro intent on enjoying the outdoor activities before the sun drops below the horizon and dusk settles. Wriggling your toes in the fur-lined winter boots, you sense the gentle motion of the iceberg as it floats on the deep Antarctic Ocean. Laughter fills the air, punctuated by the occasional chirp of an excited juvenile penguin.

Jostled by the crowd you find yourself moving towards a queue of penguins standing beneath a bright red banner. It reads “Sled Racing” in huge, white, snow-capped letters and there is a picture of a penguin riding on a huge red rubber ring. It’s smiling from ear to ear but clinging tightly to the handles on the ring. You are not sure if you want to try this sport, but you have reached the front of the queue and as one penguin hands you a rubber ring, another helps you onto the chair lift and you begin your upward journey.

As you arrive, you notice the path at the top of the mountain glistening in the last of the sun’s rays. Compacted by hundreds of penguin feet, the snow has eventually become ice. Like a glacier. You don’t have the rough textured pads and sharp claws that allow penguins to grip the ice, but your boots have sturdy soles and deep treads. Carefully placing each foot, you manage to keep your balance as you follow the penguins to the start of the run.

Waiting your turn, you take the opportunity to study the course. The slope downwards is quite shallow at first, but it soon begins to get steeper. The increase in gradient means the riders speed up quite quickly, their scarves flying behind them like flags in the wind.

Following the penguins as they race downwards, you are shocked to see the leader suddenly fly up and into the air. You think there has been an accident until you observe the snow has been formed into ramps placed across the width of the course. They are not very high, but the force of gravity combined with the downward trajectory accelerates the penguins, increasing their momentum until, with the aid of the ramp, they are launched high into the air. You breathe a sigh of relief as the rider follows a graceful curve through the sky and, landing safely, continues their race towards the finishing line.

Now, it’s your turn. Two penguin helpers steady you as you sit in your snow tube. It’s very tight around your body and you feel secure, but the helpers insist you are holding tight to the handles. Then, giving you a hefty push and cheering you on, you’re on your way!

Although quite slow at first, it won’t be long before the gradient gets steeper and your speed increases. You want to know if you can steer the tube. At first you try to turn by pulling on each of the handles, but this has no effect. Then, you remember cycling and learning to lean into corners instead of steering. You decide to try. You are delighted to find it works. Leaning from side to side you begin to zigzag down the course. You also find that by leaning back the tube speeds up but there is no way to slow down.

Before you know it, you have reached the first of the ramps. Your momentum sends you high into the air but instead of staying upright like the leader, you begin to rotate backwards. All you can see is the sky and you are worried that you might land on your head, but then suddenly, you land with a bump that takes your breath away. Luckily, your body is jolted upright and you find yourself speeding towards the next ramp. This time you are ready. As you take off you use the handles to pull yourself forwards and the tube levels out. As you soar through the air you wonder if this is what flying is like. You wonder if the penguins are wondering this too. Your landing is far gentler, and you look forward to the next ramp.

Before the next ramp comes into view, you notice the penguins steering towards the middle of the course. You wonder if there is some danger that you haven’t seen but everything looks clear. Then you see that the penguins have lined themselves up with a patch of flattened snow that looks bluer than the rest. As the penguins race across it, they speed up and yell with delight. As you ride past you see what the blue patch is. Ice! The other penguins are far ahead of you now and you see that as they take the next ramp they go much, much higher. Some of them have learned the technique of spinning around while in the air. You decide that you would like to try. As the next blue patch appears you lean over and guide your tube over the ice. You are surprised by the sudden burst of acceleration and you hit the ramp much sooner than you expected. Instead of gracefully taking off, you turn and twist in the air. Landing sideways, the tube bounces and you are catapulted into the soft bank at the side of the course.
Standing up you shake the snow from your clothes, take a moment to slow your breathing then rejoin the course. This time you are careful to avoid the blue patches, deciding to leave them until you have had more experience. Reaching the bottom of the course you cross the finishing line last. Friendly helpers lift you from the tube and brush the snow from your coat. They are smiling and congratulate you on attempting an ice patch on your first go. They admire your courage.

As you leave the course you notice that the plaza is full of multicoloured fairy lights. The sun has sunk below the horizon. The temperature is dropping, and it is getting late. Although it’s spring, and in the Antarctic it never really gets dark, you are hungry and beginning to feel the cold. You make your way towards a building with a large model of a pizza on the roof.

Inside the restaurant, the air is warm and filled with the smell of baking bread and melted cheese. Looking towards the counter you see a group gathered around a penguin in a greasy apron and a crumpled white hat. There are raised voices and arms waving in the air. The chef doesn’t look at all happy. You join the crowd in an attempt to figure out what’s going on. It seems the penguins who prepare the pizzas have disappeared and the orders are beginning to stack up.

Without stopping to think, you make your way to the front of the crowd. You ask the chef if you can help. To your surprise the chef thrusts an apron at you, puts a white cap on your head and pushes you towards the kitchen.

The kitchen is very modern. The walls are painted white, and the ceiling lights are reflected in the stainless-steel equipment that fills the room. The chef steers you towards a large machine called a Pizzatron 3000. It has a nozzle sticking out over a black rubber mat and is making a faint whirring sound. The chef reaches out and presses a large green button on the side of the machine. The whirring sound gets louder, and you notice the mat has started to move. You realise it is a conveyor belt. On the other side of the belt a row of containers is overflowing with various foods. The first is full of yellow cheese, the second green seaweed. The next blue squid and the last, grey fish. Above the containers a large TV screen fills the wall. On the screen is the image of a plain, uncooked pizza base. The last thing you notice is a bottle labelled pizza sauce as you turn to ask the chef what you have to do, but there is no one there. Then without warning the nozzle vibrates and drops a splodge of pizza dough on the conveyor belt. It carries the dough towards you and in front of the row of containers. On the TV screen the image of the pizza has turned red and begins to flash.
As you wonder what is happening, the pizza base continues on its journey towards a slot in the wall. It passes through like a letter being posted while a huge “X” fills the TV screen and a buzzer sounds. The image changes to a pizza base again.

You understand what you have to do. As the nozzle drops another splodge of pizza dough on the conveyor belt, you grab the red pizza sauce. As you spread the sauce on the dough, the pizza on the screen turns yellow. You grab some cheese and have just enough time to drop it on the pizza before it exits through the slot in the wall. Another splodge drops and this time the pizza on the screen goes from red to yellow to green and then blue. You struggle to keep up and the red “X” flashes on the screen as the incomplete pizza goes through the slot. You are frustrated by your lack of skill but are determined to succeed. As the order is repeated you grab sauce in your right hand and the cheese in your left. Then, releasing the sauce, you grab a portion of seaweed in your right hand and then some blue squid in your left. It isn’t very tidy, but the pizza is complete. After a while you fall into a steady rhythm. You can quickly glance at the screen and allow your hands to move instinctively. Practice has made you perfect and when the last pizza has dropped through the slot the TV screen shows a huge golden tick.

The chef is by your side, untying your apron and removing your hat. Thanking you for all your hard work, the chef says the last pizza you prepared is for you to enjoy.

Entering the dining area, you find a room full of happy penguins, talking and laughing and enjoying their food. The restaurant has a wonderful family atmosphere, and you are glad to be included. The chef shows you to a quiet table in a darkened area of the room. As you enjoy your seaweed and cheese pizza you think back to the day and how much you have enjoyed the challenges you have faced. You smile as you remember the exhilaration of flying through the air and your unexpected tumble in the snow. As you are finishing your pizza, the restaurant begins to empty, and the chef starts to turn out the lights. Through the restaurant windows you can see the silhouettes of the penguins as they begin to enjoy the night. You wonder if you should join them, but you are full of pizza and content to just sit and watch. The restaurant is very quiet, and the chef seems to have forgotten all about you. You wonder if you should let him know that you are still here, but you are tired now. Snuggled up in your warm coat, you gently close your eyes and drift away awaiting your next adventure.