Confrontation

Yes, well. Matters have moved on since last Christmas.

The gap-year polar bear students had returned safely to their family in the Arctic, full of stories of their adventures on the opposite side of the globe.

During the year, after lockdown ended and we were all free to travel, the polar bears, grateful to the Antarctic penguins for their kindness to the students, invited the penguins to come and see them on their home turf, so to speak. 

Two whales,  who had freely travelled the globe under water, were asked to pass on the invitation, (which did take a few weeks, it has to be said, but no longer than some of the commercial couriers might have taken). The penguins were thrilled to be asked, they thought 'why not?', asked Grandpa penguin to accompany them, packed their bags and set off.

However, the welcome was not as they had expected: the polar bears discovered that, although the permitted maximum of three households  together was perfectly acceptable, not one of the penguins had bothered to take a lateral flow test before travelling and hadn't even booked one for their arrival. They couldn't possibly be welcomed into the polar bears' home until a negative Covid-19 status had been established.

Dr Swan has come along to ensure that they obey the regulations to self-isolate and must remain in their accommodation on the chilly wastes of the corner of the Flum Christmas Cake until they can resume their holiday plans.