Deep in the Whispering Woods, where the trees giggled and the mushrooms hummed, hid the Dark Knight. But he wasn't very scary, not at all! He was quite little, really, for a knight. And rather round.

You see, this Dark Knight was a plump little penguin. And he wasn't hiding from a dragon or a wicked wizard. He was hiding from…laundry!

"Oh, bother that basket!" he huffed, his voice a squeak. "Those socks and sweaters won't wash themselves!" But the Dark Knight, whose real name was Pip, much preferred practicing his princess-saving salutes.

He puffed up his chest, which mostly involved pushing out his belly, and drew his wooden sword. "Fear not, fair maiden! I shall rescue you!" he declared to a particularly surprised-looking squirrel.

The squirrel, tail twitching, scurried up a tree, dropping an acorn on Pip's head. "Oof!" Pip wobbled. "A fearsome beast, that!" he declared. But deep down, he longed for a real adventure.

He longed to hear the chime of the Princess's bell, the signal that called him to her side. Princess Penelope only rang the bell when she needed something truly important. Like a knight to reach a cookie jar on a high shelf, or…

…to shoo a spider out of the royal bathtub. But today, the bell remained silent. Pip sighed. He practiced his knightly strut, his flipper-feet slipping on a pile of leaves. He even attempted a dramatic pose, leaning on his sword…

…which promptly snapped in half. "Oh, crumbs!" he cried. Just then, a tiny jingle reached his ears. The Princess's bell! Pip scrambled up, his heart thumping a happy dance inside his chest. This was it!

He waddled out of the woods as fast as his flipper-feet could carry him, his little cape flapping behind him like a proud flag. He reached the castle, out of breath but bursting with excitement. "I'm here, Your Highness!" he called.

Princess Penelope awaited him, a twinkle in her eye. "Ah, Pip!" she chirped. "Just the knight I need!" She pointed a finger towards the highest tower of the castle. "My kite is stuck!"

Pip, a little disappointed it wasn't a dragon, but always happy to help, saluted. "A knight's duty is never done!" he declared, and began the long climb up the tower stairs. Because even penguin knights have to do laundry…

…and rescue kites. And maybe, just maybe, Pip thought, one day, he would meet a real dragon. But for now, he had a princess to assist. And that, he knew, was quite enough adventure for one day.

The End