Polar Bear Lane

There was once a young penguin, called Jasper by friends
he was very rebellious, and the rules he did bend.
Not always have penguins had the absense of wings,
but long, long ago, they could fly as you'll see.

All perguins wer e taught at a very young age,
"Don't ever fly by polar bear lane."
But Jasper didn't listen, he just didn't care.
He wanted to fly, and he meant everywhere.

He did not understand, he asked all the time,
"Why polar bear lane? Why there can't I fly?"
"We told you it's bad, that it is not safe,"
They waggled their wings, "Stay away from that place."

"But what is so wrong? Why can't I go?"
"It's a danger, I fear, you are too young to know."
"Im old for my age, now tell me the same!"
"Just stay away from polar bear lane."

Away Jasper waddled, feeling sad and alone.
They were not watching, so he didn't go home.
He jumped off the ground, started flapping the air.
They could have told him, it just wasn't fair.

He lifted straight up and reached for the sky
The wind caught his wings, and he barely had to try.
Jasper soared through the clouds feeling so much more free.
"Why in the world are they so mean to me?"

Of course then he flew, to where was forbidden,
He didn't need all their silly permissions.
What could be so bad about polar bear lane?
What could be so horrible that he was too young to name?

Curiosity had won, no turning back now.
He had to find out, what the lane was about.
So he landed on the ice and slid on his belly,
ever so quietly with his wings to propell 'em.

Jasper stopped at a hill to peer around the side
he saw polar bear lane and let out a whine
Huge fury beasts..- white, with big teeth
Surely they dont feast, not on penguin meat?

Then, as if to answer- he saw with sudden horror
a penguin in bear's teeth, being dragged around the corner
Jasper was in a panic, he'd been followed by a friend
He froze in his spot as the bear entered his den

"If only I had listened! I wish I had behaved!"
"Now my friend's in trouble!" he cried and crept into the cave
He had no choice but to follow, this was all his fault
He prayed his friend was safe, he hoped he wasn't caught.

Then floating through the air, he heard a mellow music play
It tickled at his ears, and numbed his thoughts away
He soon forgot his friend, his purpose, and all else.
The sound was sole existing, it's hum was all he felt.

Then soothing slumber grasped, poor Jasper's sullen body.
Elsewhere-later he awoke, confused and feeling groggy.
His body hurt, his wings were bent, his head now held an ache.
He settled down upon the ground and despaired at no escape.

Just in time to end his crying, a sliver of light shone through.
Inch by inch, behind the door, stood a polar bear.......no two!
Horror filled his penguin self, seeing crimson on their snouts.
Too scared to run, he raised a wing, and behind it he did crouch.

"We see you there, our feathered friend, no need to hide-no jest!
Please come with us, we mean to help, our time you see is pressed"
Jasper did not move, their red mouths spoiled their lies.
The truth about his friend, could no longer be denied.

"We have to go, you need to come, don't make us play our pipe."
"You will sleep, and they will not, then we may have to fight"
A stomping sound from down the hall.... "they're coming now--you hear?
Just get up now and follow us, it's them you have to fear."

So Jasper rose and left the room
What else could he have to loose?
He followed them through frozen halls.
And he could not see anything at all.

The drum of steps stopped........ he halted at once.
The tunnel's echo delivered, muffled sounds and light grunts.
Now what to do? There were bears up ahead
His little tummy twisted, as his body filled with dread.

But the noise faded fast, and it was quiet once more.
Then came a sound, the opening of a door.
He followed through, and it was shut behind.
Lights were turned on, so bright they could blind.

Jasper looked around, no longer inside the cave
They were somewhere else, and delightfully, so was James!!
Over-joyous feelings flooded through Jasper's worried soul
James was sitting at a table eating fish and rolls.

"Thank God, that you are safe. I surely thought that you had died.
I followed in to save you, but I almost lost my hide."
"The last thing that I remember, is a soft and sultry song,
I thought the bears would get me, but I guess that I was wrong."

"You were not incorrect in assuming you'd be dinner."
"We knew that both of you would hurt, well unless we also entered."
The two that were just polar bears, got bright, and vision blurred.
Suddenly, they were short men, so short it was absurd.

About two feet, was their new height, and both of them were bald.
James nor Jasper had ever seen the like of them at all.
"Who are you two, who rescued us, and how can we repay?
Without your help, I must admit, we'd not have lived another day."

"We are the men who dwell beneath, and build the forests high.
We care for all the creatures and we need some help sometimes."
"What could we, who are so young, really ever offer you?"
"This may sound odd, I must admit, but listen up you two!"

"There is a creature in the forest, called a turkey bird,
and every year around falls end, they are hunted, have you heard?"
"We have never seen a forest, we know not what that is,
nor do we know of this 'tukey-bird' you speak to us of, friend."

"Big men take guns and shoot their brains and kill them where they stand.
Every year, they surely come, and ravage all the lands.
We are sick and we are tired of watching all those deaths.
Soon enough I am afraid, there will be none left."

"The turkey-birds are almost gone? No longer will they exist?"
"They need some help to save themselves, would you help with this?"
"Of course we will, but I don't know, what is it, can you name?"
"We ask of you your wings, my friends, to make fair the turkey's game."

Jasper and James just stood stunned... and really quite amazed.
What on earth, now should they think, about the question raised.
"You want to cut off my wings to give them to a turkey?
I am affraid, because I know, that it will really hurt me."

The little men laughed, as a book they pulled out.
"These are our spells, this is what we're about."
"Within this book, is told such a way,
to take all penguin wings from henceforth today."

"But I love to fly, I don't know what I would do,
if you were to tell me, my flying days were through."
"Don't worry young ones, for if you agree,
you wont remember... the wings, the bears, or me."

"Please tell us more, for we do so want to help.
And will only we forget...or will everybody else?"
"No one will remember the time penguins could fly.
No one will remember, and no one will ask why."

Jasper scratched his head and offered a meek 'yes?'
He would feel real bad if no turkey birds were left.
If he wouldn't remember flying, then he guessed he couldn't miss
the feel of flowing air, how he loved to swoop and swish.

"You're doing a fine service, I want you two to know,"
the little men boasted as they began to grow
They hummed that lulling toon, and Jasper began to faint.
He tried to stay awake at least for curiosities sake.

But it was to no avail, and soon he too did slumber
Tomorrow no one would ask, and never would one wonder-
What ever happened to penguins with wings
No one will remember the changing of those things.