Far, far away lay a land buried deep in snow. Among all the grown-up penguins were three little chicks — a big one, a middle one, and a little one. The middle of the huddle was the warmest spot, so every day they shoved for it. "Move over! The middle's mine!" "No — mine!"
Finally, in a huff, the three chicks stomped off in three directions. "Keep your warmth — I'll make my own!" But the moment they pulled away, a gap opened in the huddle and the icy wind came whistling in. From a little way off, old Grandpa watched it all.
Grandpa waddled over. "Just try standing on your own a while, little ones." The big chick stood alone — and a shiver ran right through him. The middle one stood alone — teeth going chatter, chatter. The little one stood alone — and his nose turned to ice. All three came running back.
"Now try standing together, all three of you." The chicks pressed in close, head to head. All the way to ten — and not one of them felt cold, warm as a snug quilt! But far away, in one corner of the sky, a black storm was quietly gathering.
And then the storm hit. The wind came howling, everything a blinding white! All the penguins packed themselves into one enormous huddle, and it began to turn, round and round, ever so slowly. "Keep turning! Nobody stays out in the cold alone!"
The big chick's turn came round at the outer edge. The wind bit hard, but he held on — because standing back to back with him was the middle chick. Then, suddenly, he spotted the little one, stuck fast in the snow! The two of them dashed over and pulled him back in.
By morning the storm was gone, and across the whole sky shimmered the green-and-violet polar light. The three chicks never quarrelled again — instead they sat the littlest one right in the middle, the warmest spot of all. "Alone we shiver — together we're warm!"