Percy the Penguin was a stylish fellow. He always wore a fedora hat that he found in the gift shop of the zoo where he lived. He liked to stroll around the zoo and greet the other animals, especially his best friend Tulia Tough, a very white lady polar bear.
One day, as Percy was walking towards Tulia's enclosure, he heard a loud noise from the zoo parking lot. He saw a cloud of smoke and a crowd of people. He wondered what was going on.
He reached Tulia's place and found her sitting on a pile of ice, looking bored. "Hey, Tulia, what's up?" he asked.
"Nothing much, Percy. Just another boring day at the zoo," she said.
"Well, I have some exciting news for you. There's a taco truck that broke down in the parking lot. Do you want to go check it out?" Percy said.
"A taco truck? What's that?" Tulia asked.
"It's a vehicle that sells tacos. Tacos are delicious Mexican food. They have tortillas, meat, cheese, salsa, and other stuff. You'll love them," Percy explained.
"Sounds yummy. But how are we going to get there? And how are we going to pay for the tacos? We don't have any money," Tulia said.
"Don't worry, I have a plan. Follow me," Percy said. He led Tulia to a secret tunnel that he had dug under the fence of his enclosure. It connected to a drainage pipe that ran under the zoo. They crawled through the tunnel and the pipe until they reached the parking lot.
They emerged from a manhole and saw the taco truck. It was surrounded by mechanics and zoo staff who were trying to fix it. The truck had a sign that said "Taco Tuesday: Buy one, get one free". Percy and Tulia's mouths watered.
"Wow, look at all those tacos. They smell amazing," Tulia said.
"Let's go get some. Just act casual and follow my lead," Percy said. He put on his fedora hat and walked towards the truck. Tulia followed him.
They reached the truck and saw a man wearing an apron and a hat. He was the taco seller. He looked at Percy and Tulia with surprise and fear.
"Uh, hello. Can I help you?" he asked nervously.
"Hi, we're here for the taco deal. We'd like two tacos each, please," Percy said politely.
"Two tacos each? But you're animals. You don't belong here. You belong in the zoo," the taco seller said.
"We are from the zoo. We're part of a special program that allows us to explore the outside world and learn about different cultures and cuisines. We have permission from the zoo director to be here," Percy lied.
"Really? That's very interesting. But do you have any money to pay for the tacos?" the taco seller asked.
"Money? Oh, we don't need money. We have something better. We have Tulia Tough," Percy said.
"Tulia Tough? Who's that?" the taco seller asked.
"That's me," Tulia said. She stepped forward and gave the taco seller a fierce look. She flexed her muscles and showed her sharp teeth. She growled and roared.
"Tulia Tough is the strongest and toughest polar bear in the world. She can break anything with her paws. She can lift anything with her jaws. She can scare anyone with her glare. She can negotiate anything with her flair. She can get anything she wants with her power. And right now, she wants tacos. So you better give us some tacos, or else," Percy said.
"Or else what?" the taco seller asked.
"Or else, she'll do this," Percy said. He pointed to a nearby car. Tulia walked over to it and lifted it with one paw. She tossed it in the air and caught it with her mouth. She bit into it and crunched it like a cookie. She spit out the metal pieces and licked her lips.
The taco seller gasped and dropped his spatula. He was terrified. He quickly grabbed four tacos and handed them to Percy and Tulia.
"Here, take them. Take them and go. Just don't hurt me or my truck," he said.
"Thank you very much. You're very kind. Have a nice day," Percy said. He took the tacos and gave two to Tulia. They walked away from the truck and found a shady spot under a tree. They sat down and ate their tacos.
"Mmm, these are so good. I love tacos," Tulia said.
"Me too. They're my new favorite food," Percy said.
They finished their tacos and wiped their mouths. They looked at each other and smiled. They had such a great time.
But then, Percy noticed something. Tulia had been kind of careless eating the tacos. She had salsa on her nose, cheese on her ears, and lettuce on her fur. She looked like a mess.
Percy laughed at Tulia. He pointed at her and said, "Hey, Tulia, you're wearing your food. You look hilarious."
Tulia looked at herself and saw the food on her. She laughed too. She said, "You're right, Percy. I'm wearing my food. I guess I was too hungry to care."
They both laughed and decided to go for a swim in the cold pool. They got up and ran towards the pool. They jumped in and splashed each other. They had so much fun.
They didn't care about the taco seller, the zoo staff, or the visitors who saw them. They didn't care about anything. They were just happy to be together.
They were Percy the Penguin and Tulia Tough, the best friends in the zoo.
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Another Story of Percy The Penguin Who Has A Fedora Hat - please feel free to read the others on my blog.
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