Lori the Penguin

It was just another brilliant day for Lori the penguin! The Friendship Festival had ended a few days ago, but Lori had big plans for today. After finishing her balanced Fishy-Os breakfast, she put out the fire in the hearth, gleefully left her cave, and wobbled out onto the slushy snow. All the way across the thin dirt road was Rachel the Fox's den. Rachel was outside taking down the Friendship Festival decorations that plagued the whole cave neighborhood.

Lori waddled out into the road a bit, with a smile. "Good morning Rachel!"

Rachel sighed. "Oh, hello Lori..."

Lori watched Rachel brutally tear down each decoration, one by one. "So uh, you're taking the decorations down already?" Lori felt a little nervous, just like last year, but tried to cheer up. "I think your cave looks great with them! I mean, I leave the decorations on my cave all year. You should do the same, right?"

Rachel sighed again, but louder. "I'm going to leave these atrocities nailed to the outside of my walls all year. NOT."

The ending of Rachel's sentence was so loud, it knocked some of the melting snow off of Lori's roof! She was quickly buried... Lori remained happy however, and dug her way out of the snow with her flippers, and promptly forgave Rachel, who didn't even respond this time.

Lori didn't let Rachel's attitude ruin her day, though. For Lori, every day is like the Friendship Festival! On the way to the post office, she came across Ferris the Arctic Wolf, who was very busy shoveling snow out of his log den's lawn.

Lori happily waddled over to him. "Good morning, Ferris! I see you're busy shoveling snow... Mind if I lend a flipper?"

Ferris stopped shoveling for a second. "Honestly, yeah, I do mind. Well, before the Festival started, I was all excited, saying stuff like, nothing could ever ruin the Friendship Festival this year. And well, I was totally wrong. I opened my valentines and... My girlfriend broke up with me and I just can't get over it, okay?"

Ferris started shoveling again, faster this time. "Just, I would feel better if you didn't like, be so nice every day. I mean, you're super nice and cool but you're also... Really, really annoying... so uhh, see you later, Lori..."

Lori felt bad for Ferris, but she tried not to let his misfortune ruin her day. She took a different turn today, to the igloo neighborhood. The first person she met was the polar bear Teddy, who was removing decorations from his home, like Rachel was.

"Hello Teddy," said Lori. "How are you today? I'm doing great!"

Teddy stopped taking down the decorations so he could respond to Lori. "I guess I'm doing okay... I lost my 56th hockey game today. I don't think I'm cut out for sports... The only reason I keep playing is because of you, Lori, cause you keep telling me to keep trying. Thanks, I guess..." He resumed taking down the decorations, perhaps with a tear in his eye...

Lori was increasingly nervous. "Well, have a nice day..."

She passed Bella the deer's treehouse next. She was still missing, and there was a note at the door.

Due to a life-threatening injury, Bella Surehoof has been relocated to the Medical Center in Kimbara.

Lori felt bad for Bella. She fell through the ice and broke her leg a while back, right after the Festival ended. Lori wondered if Bella ever got to open her valentines...

Next, Lori met Hector the Koala at his log house. "Good morning, Hector!" She tried to remain bright and cheerful.