The Turnaround is a story that teaches children about different kinds of penguins and that getting angry doesn’t help anyone.
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Transcript
On a beautiful snow-covered Antarctic island with steep cliffs, there lived a rookery of chinstrap penguins. The black strap on the chin was like a strap of a helmet. That made them look aggressive. The whole island echoed with their harsh screeches that could even break the stones; true to another name by which they are called - stone-cracker penguins.
Children, after listening to the story look at the map and find out the Antarctic islands.
Stones are what the chinstrap penguins build their nest with and in this one such nest there were two eggs that hatched at the same time.
The chicks soon grew up, one of them was very and calm and quiet, and parents named him ‘Zola’. That stands for calmness in Swahili language, the language of Africa people. While the other was short tempered and the parents’ named her ‘Hasira’, Swahili for anger.
What do you think this story is about?
Well, life on the island went on normally. Penguins were busy swimming, preening their feathers, feeding the chicks, and climbing the steep white cliffs.
Unfortunately, Hasira, would get angry with even a little provocation. She would fight with other penguins, screech at the top of her voice and shoo them away with her flippers when they approached her to play.
She often overheard the other penguins whisper
“She is so mean.”
“She is very unkind.”
“She is so unfriendly.”
But it did not bother Hasira.
Mother tried explaining that she should try to be more friendly, “ You can’t make friends when you keep getting angry. Aggression helps, but only when you are face a predators. Always remember: Kindness with friends , but aggression with the predators.”
But Hasira, would not pay any heed to her advice.
One day, Zola asked Hasira to play with him. Surprisingly, Hasira agreed, but in the middle as she started to lose the game.
Children, how do you behave when you are playing with others?
In anger, she started hitting Zola and tossing him over. Zola starting crying as he was hurt.
Father penguin heard Zola’s cry and came to sort out the fight between the siblings. After listening to both the siblings, father told Hasira to leave Zola alone. On hearing that Hasira grew even angrier.
“He asked me to play, not me!” she screeched. Furiously, she ran towards the ocean, jumped in the icy water and swam deep in it, only to come out to get her breath.
Being furious, Hasira kept swimming and went far away from her island and didn’t look back.
Finally, she approached an island and waddled her way to the shore.
Where do you think Hasira has landed?
She saw hundreds of penguins, bigger than her parents, and the rest of the family members, whose squeaks weren’t as harsh as her own family’s screeches. They were all spread along the shore. She was confused.
They all stopped squeaking and stared at her.
For the first time, Hasira got scared and was about to run away back into the sea, when she heard, “We are Emperor penguins. Welcome to our island dear Chin-Strap penguin.”
Children, do you think emperor penguins are friendly?
Another few moved forward with a friendly smile, “Come join us, it is very cold. We all huddle together on such icy cold days to stay warm.”
“I am fine. Go away! I don't want anybody!” screeched the angry chick so loudly that all the emperor penguins closed their ears.
All the emperor penguins called their chicks and huddled together.
What do you think will happen to Hasira?
Well, by now Hasira was very cold and she collapsed on the shore due to the chilli winds.
When she opened her eyes, she saw hundreds of penguins all around her looking at her lovingly. They all broke into an ecstatic display of happiness with their head swinging and flippers outstretched that their guest was alive.
Emperor penguins helped her recoup and played games with her. No one was ever angry here!
Under the tender care angry penguin, Hasira ,recovered and was ready to swim back home. Most importantly, she learnt to be calm and not fight with anyone.
Have you ever taken care of an animal that is hurt? How did you do that?
“Thanks a lot for taking care of me. I am sorry I was ill tempered when I landed here. You all showed me that being kind and calm makes us also feel happy in return.” bowed Hasira.
“You are welcome Hasira. Visit us soon,” the emperor penguins waved with their wings.
With a sense of happiness that she had never felt before and a smile she started her journey back home.
After swimming a while, a rookery of little blue penguins landed in front of Hasira. Normally, she would have pushed and kicked them aside, but after spending time with the Emperor penguins, she had a change of heart. So, she gently played with those tiny penguins. She even took them for a ride on her back, and had fun.
Suddenly, she sensed a predator.
What do you suggest she should do?
“Is that a leopard seal?” she thought to herself.
She recalled her mother’s words, “ Kindness with friends, but aggression with the predators.”
She quickly huddled the little blue penguins behind a rock, then screeched loudly with her flippers outstretched to display anger.
Thinking it to be a sea animal bigger than him, the leopard seal turned back and vanished.
The little penguins exclaimed, “ Thank you for saving us!”
“You are a hero, “ said another brushing Hasira with its tiny wings.
“You are such a nice and friendly penguin,” squeaked another from behind.
“You are so kind. I would like to be like you,” swam a tiny one who was the angry one in their rookery.
Hasira was flabbergasted by such lovely compliments and felt good. She bade them good bye and swam back home.
Children. Who is your good friend? And what does one quality that you like about this friend?
The whole rookery was delighted to see her alive. They all did their happy dance to welcome her back.
She waddled up to her parents, “Please forgive me I will try and not be angry.” Turning to her brother, “ Zola, I promise not to trouble you, I am sorry !”
Looking at her chick’s eyes mummy penguin knew that Hasira had changed. She patted her with her wings and climbing the steep slopes said, “Let’s go home!”
