Herbie and the Stars
By K.G. Carey
One night, Herbie the Penguin was getting ready to go to bed. He was very tired.
Daddy Penguin had just read Herbie and Big Brother Penguin a bedtime story, so both boys were laying on Herbie’s bed, looking up at the ceiling. All Herbie could think about were the stars in the night sky: white, twinkling lights in a big, black sky.
Daddy Penguin said, “It’s time to go to bed, you two. Say your goodnights.”
But Herbie said, “Big Brother, what’s your favorite star in the sky?”
Big Brother Penguin replied, “Well, I don’t have just one favorite star. I like a group of stars called the Big Dipper.”
Herbie said, “What’s the Big Dipper?”
Big Brother Penguin said, “The Big Dipper is a group of stars that look like a big cup with a long handle. Kind of a big dipping spoon in the sky. It also looks kind of like a hat!”
Herbie laughed and said, “There’s a group of stars that make a picture in the sky? How cool!”
But then Herbie got an inquisitive look on his face.
“Is something wrong, Herbie?” Big Brother Penguin asked.
“Big Brother, how far away are the stars from us?”
Big Brother Penguin smiled and said, “Every star is a different distance from us. But the closest star to us, besides our own sun, is called Proxima Centauri, and it would take us more than 6,000 years to get to it with our current spaceship technology. I know because we just learned about this in science.”
“6,000 years?” asked Herbie, amazed.
“Yes,” said Big Brother Penguin. “Proxima Centauri is really far away.”
“So it’s impossible for us to get to Prox—that other star?” asked Herbie.
“It’s only impossible now because it would take longer than a lifetime to get there,” said Daddy Penguin.
“But we might get there some day,” said Big Brother Penguin, hopefully.
“Wow,” said Herbie, as he stifled a yawn. Big Brother Penguin yawned too.
“Okay, boys,” said Daddy Penguin. “It’s late. Time to get you two to bed.”
And with that, everyone said their goodnights, and Big Brother Penguin headed off to his room. Both boys were very tired, and were asleep in no time.
And that is the story of Herbie and the stars.