Penguin Comes for a High Tea

This artwork is created inspired by two things- a true story of a Penguin friendship with a fisherman and second, a lesser known nursery rhyme called “Have you ever seen, a Penguin come for tea?” Dont miss the cute goodies on the table made from semiprecious stones and tiny seaglass.

The first story: In 2011, Joao Pereira de Souza, a 71-year-old Brazilian fisherman, rescued a Magellanic penguin covered in oil and near death on a Rio de Janeiro beach. He named it Dindim, cleaned its feathers, and nursed it back to health. After months of tender loving care of Dindim by Joao and his wife, Penguin was again left at the sea to find its own firends and family of fellow penguins.

Despite being released, Dindim returned annually, swimming thousands of miles from Patagonia to visit his rescuer on a tiny village on Bazilian shoreline near Rio, and stayed with them for a few days before swimming back to his community. This went on for 8 years. In the 9th year Dindim did not return, and never after that. It is speculated that sadly either he met a tragic death, or more likely and happily that he found a partner to spend rest of his life with, and got busy with raising a family. As you may know, Penguins are monogamous for life.

A film named My Penguin Friend was made some years later, with Jean Reno playing as Joao. Its a must watch movie, avialable on Youtube.

Second, the nursery rhyme: “Have you ever seen a Penguin come for tea” was a beautifully enacted by my granddaighter Rahma and her class of KG in the British School of Manila during a Christmas show. For weeks Rahma would walk like a waddling Penguin singing this rhyme, and so it got into my head too, and I would be found humming this kids song while working.