The Pesky Polar Bear Read online

  At first, all Zoe could see was a small, fluffy white bundle. Then the bundle moved, and a little white face with big dark eyes and furry ears was staring back at her. “It’s a baby polar bear!” cried Zoe.

  Chapter One

  Panda Playtime

  Zoe Parker shivered and pulled her coat around her. “Brrr! It’s really chilly today!” she said.

  “Chi Chi and Mei Mei don’t seem to mind!” replied Stephanie, the panda keeper. “Their thick furry coats must be keeping them nice and warm.”

  It was a wintry Sunday morning at the Rescue Zoo, and Zoe was helping Stephanie in the panda enclosure. They each had a watering can and were sprinkling water over the bamboo plants. The Rescue Zoo pandas, Chi Chi and Mei Mei, liked lots of different fruits, nuts and seeds, but the juicy, green bamboo growing in their enclosure was their favourite thing to eat. And, like all pandas, they munched lots of it!

  “They’re really playful this morning, aren’t they?” said Zoe, as Chi Chi chased her little sister across the enclosure, squeaking excitedly as she dashed right under Stephanie’s feet! Stephanie cried out in surprise, wobbled and almost lost her balance, grabbing on to a tree to keep herself from falling over.

  “That was close!” she laughed. “I’ve almost tripped over them once already this morning, the cheeky little things.”

  Zoe loved helping Stephanie look after the pandas. Whenever she had any spare time at all she could be found in the zoo: helping out the zookeepers or playing with the animals! But Zoe wasn’t a visitor, like most people who passed through the zoo gates – she actually lived at the Rescue Zoo! Her Great-Uncle Horace was a famous explorer and animal expert, and he had built the zoo so that all the lost, frightened and injured animals he met on his travels would have somewhere safe to live.

  Zoe’s mum, Lucy, was the zoo vet. Lucy and Zoe lived in a little cottage at the edge of the zoo, so that whenever an animal was poorly or injured, Lucy was close by and could quickly help them. Zoe thought she was the luckiest girl in the world to have so many amazing animals right outside her front door!

  “Yum. I wasn’t sure I’d like bamboo, but it’s very tasty!” chirped a little voice behind her. Zoe turned to see a little, furry creature with big golden eyes nibbling happily at a green shoot. Glancing over to check that Stephanie wasn’t close enough to hear, she whispered with a smile, “Naughty Meep. If Chi Chi and Mei Mei spot you eating their bamboo, they’ll be very cross!”

  Living at the Rescue Zoo wasn’t the only special thing about Zoe. On her sixth birthday, she had found out that animals can understand people. And Zoe had discovered that she had a special ability to understand animals, and talk back! No one else knew the secret, though – it was between her and the animals.

  Zoe had lots of animal friends, but Meep was her best friend. He was a small, soft and very cheeky grey mouse lemur. He had come to the zoo when he was just a baby. He was too tiny to be on his own, and so had stayed in the cottage with Zoe and her mum ever since!

  Meep finished his bamboo and scampered up on to Zoe’s shoulder. “The pandas didn’t see! They’re too busy playing,” he chattered.

  Zoe laughed as the little pandas rolled along the ground, squealing excitedly. They were so cute! When the sisters had first arrived at the Rescue Zoo, they hadn’t got along very well, but now they were great friends and always had fun together.

  “That gives me an idea,” Zoe whispered to Meep. “Maybe we could ask the pandas if they have any ideas about how we can celebrate Mum’s birthday!”

  It was Lucy’s birthday in a few days time. Zoe thought that must be why her mum always seemed so happy at this time of year. Most people didn’t like wet, cold, shivery January – but Lucy loved getting wrapped up in warm layers, going for snowy walks and cuddling down with a mug of hot chocolate in the evening.

  Stephanie called to Zoe from the other side of the enclosure. “Zoe, I need to fetch some special plant food for the bamboo. I won’t be long.”

  Perfect, thought Zoe. Now I can talk to the twins without Stephanie being around.

  Zoe had to be careful not to let her secret slip! “OK,” she replied, waving. “Bye!”

  As soon as Stephanie was out of sight, Zoe turned to the pandas. “Chi Chi and Mei Mei! Listen – it’s my mum’s birthday soon, and I don’t know how to help her celebrate. Do you have any ideas?”

  Chi Chi squeaked excitedly and grabbed a handful of bamboo, while Mei Mei scampered eagerly to a bush and hid behind it, before peeping out, squeaking her own answer to Zoe.

  Zoe burst out laughing. “A birthday feast of bamboo, and then a game of hide-and-seek?” she said, giving them both a cuddle. “You two are so funny. Those are lovely ideas, but I think they might be better for little pandas than grown-up people!”

  “If Goo was here, we could ask him,” chirped Meep. Goo was the little lemur’s nickname for Great-Uncle Horace, which he found hard to say.

  Zoe nodded. “That’s true, Meep. He always has good ideas for birthdays.” She touched the silver necklace she wore around her neck, which had a little paw-print charm hanging from it. It had been a birthday present from Great-Uncle Horace and was very precious to her – particularly because the special charm opened every enclosure at the zoo!

  Mei Mei nudged Zoe with her nose and squeaked hopefully.

  Zoe smiled. “No, Mei Mei – I don’t know where Great-Uncle Horace is right now,” she explained, tickling the little panda gently under the chin. “I wish I did! I got a postcard from him two weeks ago. He was in Brazil, helping a toucan with a poorly beak, but he probably travelled somewhere else after that.”

  “I miss Goo. I hope he comes home soon,” said Meep a little sadly, and both pandas squeaked in agreement.

  “I miss Great-Uncle Horace too, but don’t worry,” Zoe told them. “I’m sure he wouldn’t want to miss Mum’s birthday!”

  Chapter Two

  A Speedy Arrival

  Suddenly Meep’s furry ears pricked up, and his eyes opened wide. “Zoe! What’s that noise?”

  Zoe listened. “I can’t hear anything, Meep,” she said. “Your amazing ears always hear things much sooner than mine!”

  “It’s a rumbling sound,” Meep explained. “A little bit like when the rhinos are snoring. But it’s getting louder!”

  The other animals nearby were starting to notice the noise too. Zoe could hear curious barks from the arctic wolves, snorts from the walruses and brays from the donkeys. Then there was a rustling sound as all the parakeets fluttered to the tops of the trees and perched on the highest branches to get a better look. They peered down, their beady eyes bright. Then they started to screech and squawk excitedly.

  “Something’s definitely going on, Meep!” said Zoe. “Let’s go and have a look.”

  The little pandas bounced up and down, squeaking excitedly, wanting to know what was happening. “I promise we’ll come back later and tell you everything,” Zoe told them, patting Chi Chi and Mei Mei on their adorable heads. Then she and Meep dashed out of the enclosure and down the path, towards the noisy rumbling sound. “It’s coming from the zoo gates!” Meep squeaked excitedly.

  They raced around the last corner of the path, past the giraffes on one side and the kangaroos on the other. The tall wooden gates, covered in carvings of different animals, were wide open, and a shiny, cherry-red car was rolling through them. It was low to the ground with an open top, and cheery music was playing on the radio – and it was pulling a large wooden trailer behind it.

  “So that’s what was making the rumbling noise!” gasped Zoe. “Wow, Meep – that’s the coolest car I’ve ever seen!”

  Sitting in the front of the car was a man with untidy white hair, merry brown eyes and a beaming smile. P
erched on the back of the seat next to him was a beautiful bird with deep-blue feathers and a long, curved beak.

  “It’s Great-Uncle Horace! And Kiki!” exclaimed Zoe.

  “Yay!” squeaked Meep, bouncing around excitedly on the path. Zoe giggled as her little friend turned three cartwheels in a row. “Goo is back! Zoe, you said he’d be home soon – and you were right!”

  “And it looks like he’s brought a new animal back with him,” Zoe added, nodding at the wooden trailer. Her heart started to beat fast with excitement. Most of the time, Great-Uncle Horace returned to the zoo when he had an animal who needed a new home. The last time he came back, he’d brought a family of beautiful snow leopards – before that, a gorgeous, silky seal pup and a cheeky baby elephant. Zoe knew the zoo’s newest animal must be inside the trailer! But what could it be?

  “Hello, Zoe and Meep!” cried Great-Uncle Horace, switching off the ignition and climbing out of the car. Zoe rushed over for a hug, and her great-uncle picked her up and swung her round. “Goodness, Zoe, I think you’ve grown even taller since Christmas!”

  “Uncle Horace!” called a happy voice behind them. Zoe turned to see her mum running over, her dark curly hair escaping from its ponytail. A crowd of excited zookeepers followed. “We heard the commotion and guessed you might be here. I’m so glad to see you. We’ve missed you!”

  Great-Uncle Horace hugged Lucy. “I’ve missed you all, too! It’s so good to be home. We’ve travelled a long way.”

  “Where did you go this time?” Zoe asked eagerly.

  “Well, after we helped our toucan friend in Brazil, we travelled to America! What an exciting place it is, Zoe – one day I’ll take you there. First we went to New York, where I saw the famous Statue of Liberty. Then to San Diego, where I tried surfing! Well, some paddling anyway. And then we went to Hollywood, where all the film stars live.”

  “Is that where you got your new car?” asked Lucy with a smile.

  Great-Uncle Horace nodded enthusiastically. “Do you like it? It has all sorts of clever gadgets. And a very useful compartment where I keep my custard creams,” he added, showing Zoe how it popped open and then taking out a biscuit for each of them.

  Meep started nibbling at his biscuit right away, but Zoe had other things on her mind. “Great-Uncle Horace,” she asked hopefully, “what’s inside that wooden trailer?”

  Great-Uncle Horace winked at her. “I can see you’re eager to meet our new arrival, my dear!” he said. “She’s come all the way from a zoo in California! They didn’t have enough room for her – although she’s small now, she’ll grow to be very big one day. So they asked me if I might be able to help. Of course, I said yes straightaway.”

  Zoe’s mind was racing as she tried to guess what the animal was. A baby hippo? They were very small, but grew to be huge! Or a rhino maybe?

  “There’s a little window in the side of the trailer, Zoe,” said Great-Uncle Horace, pointing. “Why don’t you go and peep inside?”

  Zoe felt nervous and excited all at the same time. What could be inside the trailer…?

  Chapter Three

  A Friend for Bella

  At first, all Zoe could see was a small, fluffy white bundle. Then the bundle moved, and she saw a little white face with big dark eyes, furry ears and a black snout that was twitching with curiosity. “It’s a baby polar bear!” cried Zoe.

  “That’s right! She’s just eight weeks old,” explained Great-Uncle Horace. “I knew the Rescue Zoo would be the perfect home for her, because we already have the most beautiful polar bear enclosure, with plenty of space for a new cub. And inside the igloo, we’ve just refurbished the swimming-pool area with a brand-new viewing platform, of course – and added the wonderful new play area!”

  “Now Bella will have another polar bear to play with!” said Zoe happily. Bella was a gorgeous polar bear who had come to the zoo a year ago, and she was one of Zoe’s special friends.

  Great-Uncle Horace nodded. “I think we should go and introduce them right away! Zoe, why don’t you hop in?”

  “I’ll find Jonny and tell him the news. He’ll be so excited!” said Lucy, grabbing her walkie-talkie. Jonny was the polar-bear keeper who looked after Bella.

  Zoe climbed into the shiny red car and fastened her seat belt. Meep perched on Zoe’s shoulder, and Kiki flew overhead. As the car rumbled slowly through the zoo, Great-Uncle Horace beeped the horn and waved happily at all the visitors they passed. Everyone smiled and waved back.

  The polar-bear enclosure was a wide, flat, snowy landscape dotted with tall fir trees, with a huge white igloo in the middle. There was the new play area outside the igloo, with lots of wooden platforms and ramps, tyres and brightly coloured rubber toys. Inside the igloo was a deep blue pool, and the new raised viewing platform ran all around it, where visitors could watch Bella splashing, swimming and diving. A snow machine blew soft white snowflakes over the whole enclosure, and kept it at the perfect temperature all year round. As the car pulled up outside it, Zoe saw Jonny rushing over to the fence. He was always wrapped up in a warm jumper and bobble hat, even when it was the middle of summer, because he spent all day surrounded by ice and snow. “Mr Higgins! Welcome back!” he said, grinning. “It’s such good news that Bella’s going to have a friend! She’s definitely ready to live with another, younger bear.”

  “Well, this little cub is very sweet, so hopefully they’ll get along right away,” said Great-Uncle Horace, hopping out of the car and holding open the door for Zoe and Meep. “Let’s open the trailer so she can have a look at her new home.”

  Jonny and Great-Uncle Horace unfastened the bolts on the trailer door, and it swung open. Without a moment’s hesitation, the little cub tumbled out. She looked around excitedly, her dark eyes bright, her little snout sniffing curiously and her fluffy tail wiggling. But then she scampered away out of the gate and down the path, away from the enclosure!

  “Oh dear, she’s off!” laughed Jonny, dashing after her.

  “She’s a bit of a handful, Zoe!” chuckled Great-Uncle Horace, turning to her and shaking his head.

  Jonny managed to catch up with the little bear, who was dashing from enclosure to enclosure along the path in the zoo, peering eagerly through each fence to look at the other animals. Jonny tried to guide her back towards her own enclosure, but the bear was too excited to pay any attention. She raced from the gazelles to the llamas and the peacocks, squealing happily at every new sight. Eventually Jonny bent down to try and scoop her up and carry her – but the cub scampered right through his legs, and dashed off in the other direction!

  “Quick, Meep!” whispered Zoe, and they both hurried after her. Meep was tiny but very fast, and he reached the excited little bear first. “Wait!” he chattered. “You’re going the wrong way!”

  “Your new home is back there!” added Zoe as she reached Meep and the cub, panting. She glanced behind her to make sure Jonny wasn’t close enough to hear. “Trust me – you’ll love it.”

  “It’s full of brilliant toys to play with,” said Meep.

  “And a great big pool to splash around in. But best of all, there’s another polar bear, just like you. Her name is Bella!” explained Zoe.

  The bear suddenly stopped and stared at Zoe, her big eyes very wide. Then she gave a squeal of excitement, turned and dashed back towards her enclosure. Jonny cheered as she raced through the open gate and into her new home. “You must have said the magic words!” he joked, smiling at Zoe.

  Zoe grinned. She just hoped the little polar bear would be happy at the Rescue Zoo!

  Chapter Four

  A Snowy Surprise

  “I’ve finished!” said Zoe, jumping up from the table and carrying her plate into the kitchen. “Can I go and visit the new polar bear now?”

  Her mum laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat your dinner so quickly, Zoe! Of course you can, but don’t stay out too late – remember you’ve got school tomorrow. I’ll make you a hot chocolate before bed.”<
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  Zoe flung on her coat, hat and scarf, and gave her mum a kiss before she rushed outside with Meep. In the evening the zoo was lit by tall, curving lamps that shone a gentle golden light on to the paths. All the visitors had left by now, but most of the zookeepers were still around, finishing off their jobs before they went home too. Lots of Zoe’s animal friends were still awake, and chirped, squawked or trumpeted when they saw her go past. It wasn’t just the nocturnal animals, who slept during the day and woke up at night. Tonight every enclosure seemed to be buzzing with chatter about the new arrival!

  “It’s a polar bear cub!” Zoe told Bertie, the excited little elephant, who was desperate to know what the new arrival was. “I’m going to visit her now!”

  When Zoe arrived at the polar-bear enclosure, she was relieved to see that Jonny had already gone home for the evening. That meant she could chat to the polar bears without worrying that he might overhear her! She pulled out her special necklace from underneath her scarf, and held the paw-print charm against a little panel in the fence. There was a quiet click and the gate swung open for her.

  As Zoe stepped inside, she felt the icy air blow gently against her cheeks, and her nose and ears tingled with the cold. “I’m glad I wrapped up warm, Meep!” she said.

  Meep’s teeth were chattering, so Zoe picked her little friend up and popped him in her coat pocket. Meep snuggled down happily, and peeped his head out so he could still see what was going on. “It’s toasty in here!” he chirped.