Baridi's Story

‘It’s a shame to let that egg go cold,’ said one father penguin to another, as he egg sat. ‘It will never hatch now…’

‘I know,’ sighed the other. ‘We have to keep the colony going! What are it’s parents playing at?’

‘I’m not sure,’ admitted the first. ‘Some say they are possessed by phantoms…’

‘Oh well, we can’t do anything for the egg now,’ this finished the conversation.

A large white egg was lying by itself on the cold ice, abandoned by it’s parents. Not many of the penguins paid any attention to it. It often happened that eggs were abandoned, it was part of nature.

Soon the time came when all the chicks were hatching out. All the penguins were busy protecting them from predatory birds, and didn’t notice that the abandoned egg was still there, in a shallow dip in the ice. Suddenly it was illuminated by a brilliant white light! A few penguins turned to stare. The egg cracked, and a small grey chick waddled out. It didn’t seem at all cold, much to some penguin’s amazement. The chick looked around unconcernedly, and began to slowly inch across the ice. All of a sudden a large bird with a cruel looking beak swooped down, towards the single penguin chick. The adult penguins stared in astonishment as the chick emitted more of the radiant glow, and the bird turned as if pulled back by invisible cords. As the chick moved towards the colony of penguins, some edged away from it, half afraid of this Spirit Penguin. For they now knew what this miraculous chick was. A Spirit Animal was an animal specially chosen by Mira the Sky Mother. This animal would be the protector of all it’s kind. But when it reached a certain age it would leave Antarctica and the Earth, and go to the Mythical, Magical and Miraculous land of Jamaa.

As the chick which had been christened “Baridi” by the other penguins, grew older he became a strong, powerful and kind penguin. One day however, a dark mass came seething on the horizon. The penguins were struck with fear.

‘Phantoms!’ ‘Phantoms!’ ‘Phantoms!’ ‘Phantoms!’ ‘Phantoms!’ ‘Phantoms!’ were the words going from beak to beak across the colony. Only Baridi seemed unconcerned. He looked at he mass which was coming closer, close enough for each penguin to be able to discern the electrical flashes of blue, pink and yellow which rippled across each phantom. Baridi made his way to the front of the colony, and watched as the older penguins let the young chicks into the centre of the group. Suddenly, just as had happened a year before, when he was but a chick, a brilliant white light emitted from Baridi, and the phantoms recoiled as if struck. As Baridi advanced, the phantoms retreated. Soon, they were no longer in sight. But the penguin colony could just see Baridi in the distance. He made his way back to the group and had just got there when a shaft of golden light hit the ice in front of him, and a grey-blue heron descended, apparently from the clouds.

‘Who are you?’ asked Baridi, awestruck, and almost afraid for the first time in his life.

‘I am Mira, the Sky Mother. I have been watching you, Baridi. It is time for you to come with me, and help restore peace to Jamaa!’

This was a great honour. But Baridi had grown to love the colony. Could he possibly bear saying goodbye?

‘Sky Mother, it is a great honour!’ said Baridi, flapping his wings a little. ‘But I love it here, how can I possibly leave?’

Mira shook her head sadly, ‘Nothing in this earthly realm stays for ever, little one. Your time here must come to and end, I must tell you. It may seem harsh, but soon you will learn to love Jamaa, and from Jamaa you can help this world.’

Baridi looked from the colony to Mira, and back. Eventually he decided.

‘You are right, Oh Mother of the Sky. I shall come with you, and may I be happy in Jamaa, and not regret my decision.’

Mira nodded her feathered head in approval, and contentment; this penguin would become a great Shaman, one to be loved by all Jammers. ~Ancient Animal Jam Legend, created by Kinyonga and StarryGem