Little Penguin Bits

Little Match-Penguin

* I got this idea based on The Little Matchgirl. There's a Disney short film. But, the book story makes more sense.

Whitewood Antarctica was very small. Everyone knew everyone else.

So, why didn't anyone know about the story behind the Little Match-Penguin?

The streets were dark, and grew darker with the setting sun. But, festive lights were still aglow, for tomorrow, Christmas Day would come!

Many penguins were out in the streets, dressed in their wool coats, and soft mittens, in the cold winter weather. A Christmas tree stood tall in the town square, behind the statue of the founder of Whitewood. It's lights were bright and so inviting, installing an instant warmth in whoever passed by. Penguins bustled about, buying gifts, and roaming through the streets on their way home, hopping onto sleds drawn by strong horses, and riding through the snow-covered town. More snow drifted down like stars from heaven, landing like feathers on the ground, lightly kissing the earth.

And yet, amongst it all, there was one spot that was not filled with warmth or happiness or joy. On little penguin, a girl from the looks of it, was wandering slowly through the streets. She was very poor, it seemed, for she only had a brown cloak to keep her warm, and not even a full cloak at that. it was too small for her, and covered with holes and rags, already soaking from melted snow, and making her colder.

When she turned around, you could see the clear traces of abuse, when looking closely. He was forced into deliberate ruination of sociability, [For she was not a she, but a he!] Wearing girls clothes, despite protests. That alone was enough to drive people away, but his ragged appearance was much worse.

He wandered through town, desperate for a spare penny, a not getting a single one, for all he had to offer were matches.

His father was, unbeknownst to the town, a tyrant of house, forcing his youngest son to wear girls clothes, and play with a single doll, which was already broken and ragged beyond repair, and attracted bugs long before it was given to him. it was dug out of the trash.

His father had no job, forcing his wife to work twice as much to keep her family fed. The pay was well, but she wasn't at the house very often, unable to protect her son from the father's wrath. This particular day, he forced his son to go out in nothing but old clothes sent from the relatives who had no use for them, cut up and soaking. He would surely freeze to death. He was forced to make money by selling these matches, but it would never work. Every penguin already had matches, or lighters, and had no need for his wares.

Sighing, the little Match-Penguin roamed down the sidewalk, ignoring the stifled laughter, the audible whispers, and looks of repulsion. His father's plan had succeeded, and Peso was worse off than before, no friends to help him. No one would come near the boy who wore girls' clothes, and dressed in smelly rags.

He watched longingly, as a family of five, two parents, two sons and a daughter walked out of a store. They hopped into a sleigh, with three white horses, loaded down with bags that contained food, and other good. The daughter cuddled a new doll lovingly to her chest.

The Little Match-Penguin's toys had been broken by his father, under the impression that he didn't do his chores fast enough to deserve them. The father wanted nothing but to torture the boy, in and out of the house. He made certain the boy had no friends, and the meanest work in the home to do. he made sure he wore the worst clothes, and was always outside on the hottest or coldest days, dressed in outfits that would make a sailor blush with shame.

He finally tore his gaze away from the family, and continued begging for penny's. Of course, his father knew he would get none.