Percy was a very proud penguin. He wasn’t proud of being a good swimmer, or a fast slider on his belly, but proud of his shell! It wasn’t a *real* shell, of course. Penguins don’t have those. Percy’s shell was a beautiful, smooth, shiny pebble he’d found on the beach. It shimmered in the sunlight and felt cool and comforting in his flipper.
Every day, Percy carried his shiny shell with him. He’d roll it, polish it with his wing, and show it off to all the other little penguins. But Percy didn’t *share* his shell. “It’s mine!” he’d chirp whenever another penguin asked to hold it. “I found it, and it’s too special for anyone else to touch.”
One sunny afternoon, the penguin children were building a magnificent snow fort. They needed something to decorate the top, something sparkly and special. Lila, a kind penguin with bright blue eyes, asked, “Percy, could we maybe borrow your shiny shell for just a little while? It would look amazing on the fort!”
Percy clutched his shell tightly. “No! It might get lost, or dirty, or…or someone might break it!” He turned away and started building a tiny, lonely snow pile all by himself.
He watched the other penguins laughing and working together. They were having so much fun decorating their fort with colorful seaweed and icy pebbles. Percy felt a little pang in his heart. His shiny shell was beautiful, but it wasn’t very fun all by itself.
Slowly, Percy waddled over to the fort. He took a deep breath and held out his shiny shell. “Here,” he said, a little shyly. “You can…you can use it for the top.”
Lila’s face lit up. “Oh, Percy, thank you!” She carefully placed the shell on the highest point of the fort, and it sparkled beautifully in the sun. The other penguins cheered.
Percy joined in building the fort, and it was much more fun than building alone. He laughed as they packed the snow, and he felt warm and happy inside. He realized that sharing his shell hadn’t made it less special; it had made it *more* special, because it was part of something wonderful.
When it was time to go home, Lila returned the shiny shell to Percy. “Thank you for sharing, Percy,” she said. “It made our fort the best fort ever!”
Percy smiled. He held his shiny shell, and it felt even cooler and more comforting than before. He learned that day that the best treasures aren’t the ones you keep to yourself, but the ones you share with friends. And as he snuggled down for bedtime, Percy knew that tomorrow, he would share his shiny shell again.