This charming German children's story, "Pinguin," follows a boy named Ben who receives a penguin named Pauli as a gift. Initially, Ben is excited and tries various ways to engage Pauli. He asks what they should play, tickles the penguin, makes funny faces, puts on a silly hat, sings, and dances – all to no avail. Pauli remains completely silent and unresponsive, not laughing or saying a single word. Ben's attempts escalate from playful to increasingly frustrated. He pokes Pauli, sticks out his tongue, and even mimics the penguin, but Pauli's stoic silence persists. As Ben's frustration grows, his actions become more extreme. He tries ignoring Pauli, which Pauli reciprocates. In a moment of exasperation, Ben imagines sending Pauli into space, and the penguin returns without a word. His anger culminates in a rather dark fantasy where he attempts to feed Pauli to a lion. Surprisingly, the lion refuses to eat the silent penguin. Instead, the lion, annoyed by Ben's loudness, devours Ben himself. In a dramatic turn of events, Pauli, who has been silent throughout, bites the lion's nose, causing the lion to exclaim "Wow!" Finally, Pauli breaks his silence, revealing a surprising depth of understanding. He explains to Ben that he was Ben's gift and that Ben wanted to play. Pauli recounts all of Ben's attempts to engage him – the funny hat, the headstand, being shot into space, Ben's anger, and ultimately, Ben being eaten by the lion. Pauli concludes by stating that he bit the lion's nose and told Ben "everything," implying a lesson learned. The story ends with "alles ende" (all end), suggesting a complete narrative arc where the silent penguin ultimately teaches Ben a valuable lesson about patience, understanding, and perhaps even the consequences of frustration.