Emperor Penguins endure the harshest climate on earth… the Antarctic. The Penguins mate for life and share in caring for the single egg that is produced during the winter breeding season. After laying the egg, the female transfers the egg to her mate who balances it on the top of his feet to keep the egg off the pack ice. While the females of the colony head to the ocean to feed, the males gather together in a protective huddle to help withstand the -40° air temperatures and wind gusts that can reach 89 mph during the darkness of the Antarctic Winter. After 64 days of foraging at sea, the females return to the colony, identify their mate’s distinctive call, and then the pair alternate in going back to the sea, in feeding and in caring for their newly hatched chick.
MILTON: Cortie, my Son… it’s time for you and I to have a little chat! Come here boy and listen to your Father! Son… I know what you’re thinking… “Holy crow its cold! And this is our Spring!” Remember Cortie… We’re Emperor Penguins. Emperor Penguins, I say! And do Emperor Penguins let a little cold bother them? No! It would be like saying that Babe Ruth was bothered by an inside fastball! Or that Stephen King was bothered by the dark! Are you listening to me son? Oh, sure… I can see worry written all over your face. You’re thinking… “It’s cold now… what happens in the Winter when the wind picks up some and the temperature dips a bit… and we have to take care of a confounded egg?”
Well Son… {har, har, har} Let your Father put your mind to ease! You see Son; all the guys get together… it’s like a club. One timeBartlett called it the “He-Man Women Haters Club”. But that got him into big time difficulty with Sheila, his bride. Are you listening to me Son?
Yes, it gets a tad brisk… brisk I say, and all of the guys in the colony gather together in a tight formation that we call a huddle. And then we take turns moving into the center of the huddle where it’s out of the wind and a bit warmer. I know what you’re thinking… “What do we do in the huddle for two months in the dark?” Well, Son… mostly we gossip about the ladies and tell jokes.
This is the joke that ‘ol Doc Reid told last year… “It seems that there’s this fellah who was walking down Chestnut St.in Philadelphiaholding a giraffe by the leg. {har, har, har… I love this joke} And a policeman stops him and says, ‘hey buddy, why don’t you take that giraffe to the zoo?’ So the guy and the giraffe set off walking in the direction of the zoo. And about 2 hours later, the beat cop spots the guy and the giraffe walking in the other direction, so he stops them, ‘hey buddy, didn’t I tell you to take that giraffe to the zoo?’ And the guy answers, ‘I did. And we had such a good time, so now we decided to go to the movies!’ {har, har, har… I love that joke!}
That’s a joke, Son! You’re allowed to laugh! {har, har, har… hmmm, this boy’s in the boat; but both oars aren’t in the water!} That’s a knee slapper, Son… in fact Casey Martin laughed at that so hard that he stepped on his egg! Are you listening to me boy? {I think I heard that joke 150 times in two months time and it’s still funny! No one tells a joke better than Doc Reid!}
Now look Cortie… the cold, the wind, the darkness, not eating for two months… it’s not as bad as it sounds. Oh, once in awhile one of the guys in the huddle cuts a nasty fart and tries to lay the blame off on someone else… and some harsh words can be exchanged. But nothing serious… are you following me boy?
I see that there still is concern in your eyes. Hmmm? I know what you’re thinking… “What about the ladies?” {har, har, har} Well son, you have no worries there… your Father is a natural “ladies’ man”! Nod your head son! Women won’t be able to resist you! Oh, it will take a little practice for sure… pay attention Son. The first thing you do is raise your head and look at the sky! That’s when the ladies take note of our golden coloured “bib” and it sets their hearts aflutter. Follow me boy, then you drop your head low first to one side, hold the pose, and then the other side, hold the pose… pretend you’re checking under your wings for B.O. See? Why by the time I checked under my left wing your Mother’s heart melted. I could hear her panties sliding to the floor! That’s just an expression Cortie! You payin’ attention to me boy? {I see there’s a light on in the attic; but no one’s home!}
PAIGE: Milton! What stories are you putting into our Son’s head! Cortland you pay your Father’s stories no never mind!
MILTON: Cortie, I see that your Mother has returned… Paige, I hope you have brought our Son something to eat! He’s a growing boy you know! I think I’ll head out for a swim and grab a little squid for lunch… Remember Cortie… We’re Emperor Penguins! Emperor Penguins I say! We stand in a line with Caesar, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm and J. Edgar Hoover!