You know what today is, right? Today’s the day for posting contest entries for Susanna Leonard Hill’s Valentiny holiday contest. This story was harder to write than my December holiday story: I had several false starts. But I ended up with a sweet story about friendship. Say hello to Penguin and Bear!
Penguin was delighted to be invited to Bear’s Valentine’s Day party. She had to pick the perfect present, because a friend like Bear deserved something special.
Penguin chose a delicate vase with a bouquet of sweet-smelling flowers, then wrapped a sparkly pink bow around it. Stunning!
At the party, Bear was in the center of a crowd. This could take a while, Penguin realized. She put down her bouquet so she could grab some punch.
When she came back, her bouquet was gone. “Did you bring that salad?” Moose asked. “DEE-LI-CIOUS!”
“I’m . . . uh . . . glad you liked it?” Penguin said. At least she still had the vase to give to Bear.
Then something hurtled down from the ceiling. CRASH! The vase shattered.
“So sorry,” squeaked Flying Squirrel. “I messed up my landing. Oh dear, what a mess!”
“Yes, it’s all a mess,” Penguin agreed. She blinked back tears as she picked up the pink bow—all that was left. So much for giving Bear a special gift! All she’d done was mess up. Some friend she was!
“Penguin!” cried Bear. “Is that for me?” Bear slipped the bow over her ear. It twinkled like diamonds. “How do I look?”
Penguin stared. Then she found the right word: “Perfect!”
Teresa Traver 
Penguin’s gift was perfect! I’ll never look at a bouquet again without thinking of salad. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Great entry! Moose eating the bouquet was funny!
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Adorable! Had me going until the end.
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I love that penguin was so kind to the animals that ruined her gift, and it all turned out in a great surprise ending anyway.
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Very cute! Enjoyed it.
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Poor Penguin. Glad it worked out in the end.
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The bouquet salad detail is fabulous, and I’m so glad Bear liked her pink blingy bow!
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Such a cute story. Loved all the characters, and such a sweet ending.
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I’m glad it all turned out well in the end for Penguin. Cute story!
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Poor Penguin! She tried! And it really wasn’t her fault that Moose mistook her bouquet for salad (hahaha!) or that Flying Squirrel crash-landed on her vase! But I’m glad the sparkly bow turned out to be perfect! If she hadn’t put her present together so thoughtfully to begin with, she mightn’t have had anything left to give! Thanks for joining in the Valentiny fun, Teresa!
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