ALPHIE THE ALBINO

POLAR BEAR

Written by C. Michael Forsyth Illustrated by Brett Forsyth

Dedicated to Kaye Forsyth, the world's best

wife and mother.

Alphie knew he was special

from the day he was born.

"You are special," his mother said as she cuddled him.

You see, Alphie was an albino. An albino has no pigment, which means color.

This is a regular zebra.

And this is an albino zebra.

As Alphie grew up, he found that it was hard to make other bears understand his difference.

"I don't get it," said Patricia.

"You look just like the rest of us."

"What do you mean," cried Alphie. "All of you have black eyes. My eyes are pink."

"We can't tell," said Patricia. "We're color blind."

"What's a color?" asked Percy the Polar Bear.

"Can you see what makes me

special?" Alphie asked Big Bob.

Alphie's uncle Big Bob knew everything there was to know about being a polar bear.

"Sorry, I can't talk now," replied Big Bob.

"I'm busy trying to pull this killer whale out of the sea."

Oscar Schwarz the Polar Bear was the oldest and wisest

bear in the whole Arctic Circle.

"Mr. Schwarz, can you see what makes me

different from the other bears?" Alfie asked.

"Speak up. I can't hear you," answered Mr. Schwarz.

"I SAID, CAN YOU SEE WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT?" Alphie shouted.

"No, I can't see much at all these days," said Mr. Schwarz. "I'm 37 years old. That's 160 in human years!"

Alphie sighed. I'm going to find someone who can tell that I'm special, he thought.

"Can you see that I'm special?" Alphie

asked Stanley the Seal.

"Oh my God, a polar bear!" screamed Stanley and he dove away.

"Can you see that I'm special?" Alphie asked Kyle the Killer Whale.

"Your uncle ate my brother," Kyle roared and tried to swallow him.

Alphie traveled farther and farther, looking for someone who noticed that he was special.

The brave polar bear marched on and on.

Finally, Alphie came across a group of scientists.

"Scientists! They can tell I'm different,"

he said to himself in delight.

Alphie walked right up to a scientist with a beard. But all the scientist said was, "Look, guys, a polar bear." And he wrote in his journal, "Saw a polar bear today."