Polycarp and Mr Boozie the otter

Once upon a time, there was a plump penguin called Polycarp. He lived alone in a small whitehouse by the sea. Every morning, when the sun came up, he would waddle along the coast with an otter called Mr Boozie, and go and fish for his morning breakfast. Since Polycarp was very blur and sometimes forgot to throw in his fishing line, poor old Mr Boozie would then put on some worms and tapioca bits and throw in the fishing line. Then they would sit with dark glasses and whistle and wait for the fish to be caught. Polycarp would often burst into song. His favourite was Burong Kaka Tua, which he sang with much gusto, but often out of tune, flapping his wings, and dancing the foxtrot in a silly manner, turning round and round, making poor old Mr Boozie feel quite dizzy actually. Many people - both man and squid alike - would then walk by, making funny or rude comments.

Oh, how strange these creatures are? A silly old penguin with dark glasses and a baseball cap, singing out of tune some strange Malay song, [sometimes with a black and white sarong], and just lazing by the sea.

Polycarp was oblivious to all this, preferring to dance and sing as happily as he could, because whether he sat alone glumly or stayed in his little hut the whole day, people would still talk and make rude comments on him or his lifestyle.

Oh, they would say, Polycarp has no friends except Mr Boozie. He is a loner, he is a failure, he is not very smart and not handsome enough. Better not get close to him or he will infect you with a virus - and then you will become just like him.

Mr Boozie - they would not dare comment on, because he had a fierce temper, and had a habit of chasing everyone who said anything about him all the way down the river and forcing them to do a bungee leap down the cliffs into Siberia! And if he was with his dearest friend Polycarp, they would stand a mile away and peep at them through binoculars, trying to figure out what an otter had in common with a penguin who couldn't swim [Polycarp feared the water you see].

Sometimes, even when it was not raining, the two friends would drink a blue drink called the Blue Lagoon, and imagine themselves to be in paradise, because despite all they tried to do to be perfect, people and animals always thought that there was something wrong with them.

One fine day, a whale appeared near the coast, and poor old Polycarp jumped up and down in glee so much that fell off the pier and landed onto the back of the whale, who then took him for a ride in the seven seas.

Mr Boozie the otter went quite berserk the next day, hunting for his penguin friend up and down the Valley of Fish and Carp, because he knew that Polycarp could not be alone for too long since he didn't know how to cook or take care of himself or fight against his enemies [there were many he had].

One fine day, seven months later, when Mr Boozie the otter was asleep, he had a dream in which Polycarp appeared to him and said : Mr Boozie, a kind whale has taken me on a ride all over the seven seas. I think he is bringing me to paradise, but if not, i will see you later ...

The following day however, as Mr Boozie was sitting alone fishing for his breakfast, Polycarp appeared from the waters, grinning with a few crabs and lobsters and prawns. Hey, Mr Boozie, look what I've got from the seven seas. Prawns, crabs, and lobsters, enough to feed us for a month - he said, pulling a net out of the water.

Mr Boozie stared and stared at his fat friend. Oh, dear, what trouble have you gotten into this time, Polycarp?

Nothing lah, you silly fellow. You worry too much about me. Life is too short for worry.

Is it? asked Mr Boozie, amazed at Polycarp's new found strength.

Yes. The Whale told me everything about life. He has to dive and avoid being killed by men everyday, ships nearly wrecked his life. So every day he has to be on high alert. He is thankful for every day he lives, because in the deep seas - the corals are so beautiful that he doesn't need anything to cheer him up. Orange and red and blue stones. Funny clownfish giggle endlessly near the emerald waters off the Sea of Japan. There is a performance every full moon when the night is filled with sparkling stars. You must go there one fine day.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps - sighed Mr Boozie. Just when he thought he understood his silly penguin friend, he found him to have become a bit different.

I suppose we all can never know ourselves fully ... and that is why the sea and all its creatures are always a bit more delightful than the land with all its stony buildings. In the sea, even a penguin like Polycarp can feel at home.

Tell me Polycarp, how did you learn to swim?
Oh, Mr Wally Bucket did a fast turn, and I slipped from his fins, my fat cheeks got got in his tail, and as I struggled, I fell into the waters, and just floated upwards till Mr Wally Bucket put me gently on his top fins.

Oh, dear, what a strange way of learning to swim, said the otter to the penguin, and both of them then put on a great barbecue of butter lobsters, drunken prawns and hairy crabs, and invited all the animals around to feast upon the food - for few of the animals had ever eaten a butter lobster or a hairy crab before. None had even tasted a drunken prawn!