Once upon a time there was a duck–billed platypus named Penelope. In case you don’t know how to say that name, it’s Pa–nell–o–pee. (Not Peen–lope.)
Penelope went to school and had a bunch of friends. Plus, she had a platypus sister. Her sister was older so they weren’t in the same class.
But there were lots of other kids in Penelope’s class, all different kinds of animals. Penelope liked them all. That is, until Bruce the Goose started at her school.
Penelope had played with geese before. She thought it would be just fine. At recess that day, Penelope went to play in the pond. Bruce waddled over and honked to get Penelope’s attention.
“You need to get out right now,” he told her.
Oh no! Was there something wrong with the water? Was it a monster?
Penelope leaped out of the water as quick as she could. But then Bruce went right in!
“Be careful!” she called. “it’s not safe.”
“Of course it’s safe,” Bruce said.
“Then why did you make me get out?”
“Geese have first choice,” he explained. “That’s the rule. So I traded you—my spot on dry land for your water spot.”
Geese did NOT have first choice. Penelope crawled toward the water to go in again. Bruce honked extra loud, which made her jump back as far as she could. (Which wasn’t too far because she had stubby little duck–billed platypus legs, not so good for jumping.)
“This is not fair,” Penelope said.
And then something happened. The same thing that always happened when Penelope thought something was not fair. A little bit of poison shot out of her foot. It wasn’t killer poison, but it was the hurting kind. It landed splat on Bruce’s left wing.
“Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!” he cried.
The teacher, Miss Griffin, heard his crying and raced over.
“That horrible platypus stung me with her poison,” he tattled. “You have to punish her.”
But Penelope couldn’t help herself. It was just what happened to duck-billed platypuses when they got upset. Which meant Bruce had to have been mean first.
The one who starts the trouble is the one who should get in trouble. That’s the rule—the real rule.
“Come out of the water, Bruce,” Miss Griffin said. “I’m sending you to the principal.”
“Yeah, Bruce,” Penny said. “You’re going to the principal.”
Bruce waddled out of the water. But then something happened to Penny. She started to feel bad. Even if it wasn’t her fault, she’d still hurt him—on his first day at school. And now he was going to have to go to the principal on his first day. Plus, her big sister’s class let out for recess right then. She wasn’t even upset about not being in the water anymore.
“Wait, Miss Griffin,” Penelope said. “You don’t have to punish Bruce. He didn’t know the rules for our school. And I think getting hurt with platypus poison is all the punishment he needs.”
“If you’re sure,” Miss Griffin said.
Penelope nodded. She was sure. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Bruce,” she added. “Want to come meet my sister?”
He honked again, but a softer honk this time. A honk that meant, “Okay.”
So Penelope took Bruce over to meet the big kids. And here’s something funny. He already knew the goose named Joshua in her sister’s class. It was his cousin!
After that, Penelope taught Bruce a bigkid card game called Spit. She let Bruce win, since it was his first day, and she still felt a little bad about the hurting poison.
But next time, he’d have to win fair and square, because she’d play her best.
THE END