The Panda and the Turtle (Book 1)

Chapter 14: Dinner

Meanwhile at the bunkhouses, Vee sat at the table with the Furious Five while Po prepared bowls of noodles for everyone, except Tigress as she had a tray of her own food.

"So I'm like, fine, you may be a wolf, you may be the scariest bandit in Haijin Province..." Po explained as he chopped a radish mid-air and the sliced fall into the pot. Vee, Viper, Monkey, Mantis and Crane listened to Po's story with amused skepticism, but Tigress ignored him completely.

"...but you're a lousy tipper." Po continued.

"Really?" Crane asked, incredulous. "So... how'd you get out of there alive?"

"I mean, I didn't actually say that, but I thought it... in... in my mind." Po flattered as he flipped some bowls and expertly lines them up on his arm. He ladled soup into them. "If he... could read my mind, he'd have been like, 'What?'".

Po slid out the bowls of noodle soup to Vee and the Five minus Tigress, who already had a plate of tofu.

"Order up!" Po announced. "Hope you like it."

Vee took out a pair of chopsticks and took out some noodles. She blew them carefully before she ate them and her eyes widened at the taste before she smiled in delight.

"This is really good!" Mantis said after he took a sip.

"It's delicious." Vee complemented.

"No, c'mon." Po said, bashfully. "You should try my dad's secret ingredient soup. He actually... knows the secret ingredient."

"What do you mean?" Viper asked. "This is amazing."

"Wow, you're a really good cook." Crane complemented.

"I wish my mouth was bigger." Mantis added.

"Tigress, you've got to try this." Monkey said.

Tigress picked up her plate and picked up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks, as she ignored the noodles.

"It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe." Tigress stated.

There was silence as everyone realized that Po had been put down yet again. Then Po shrugged.

"I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet." Po chuckled. "I'm gonna need a lot more than dew. And, uh, universe juice."

He picked up his bowl and took a giant gulp. When he lowered the bowl, a noodle hung from his face that made it look like a long moustache. Vee and Mantis snickered.

"What?" Po asked.

"Oh, nothing... Master Shifu." Mantis joked.

The rest started laughing. Po realized that he wore a noodle moustache. He played it up, as he picked up a chopstick and pretended that it's Shifu's staff.

"You will never be the Dragon Warrior, unless you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth!" Po said as he imitated Shifu.

Vee and the Five laughed. Tigress, however, stayed silent.

Never be the Dragon Warrior unless you
lose 500 pounds and brush your teeth!

"What is that noise you're making? Laughter? I never heard of it! Work hard, Panda. And maybe, someday..." Po continued before he picked up two empty bowls and held them up like ears. "... you will have ears like mine!"

The gag had Vee and the Five in near-hysterics. Suddenly, they stopped laughing as they looked at the door to reveal Shifu had entered behind Po, who still held up the 'ears'. Shifu held Oogway's staff and had one heck of a scowl on his face.