STRANGE LITTLE DUCK

story by Jody Terio, artwork by Anupa Perera

The whole family was busy eating the tender roots of the cat tails in the pond when Strange Little Duck noticed a new species of plants which had just appeared. The purple flowers were so pretty. Then he discovered that under the surface of the water were lots of juicy little tendrils. He nibbled on one carefully...yum! It tasted sweet. He waited for a minute to make sure he didn’t get a tummy ache. All good!

“Hey everyone, come on over here. These are really yummy.”

His older brother said “We don’t eat those plants. We don’t even know what they are.”

Strange Little Duck watched an argument break out amongst the ducks because there were so few cattail shoots left in the pond. After he had his fill of tendrils, he meandered down the country road. As he was leaving the pond, he noticed that a few of the younger ducks were gliding along the water towards the purple flowers and he knew they would soon be eating some of the yummy fresh tendrils. Strange Little Duck smiled.

As he waddled along the road he could hear music playing. It was a boppy little tune and as he turned the bend he saw three pigs playing a catchy jazzy riff - very, very catchy. Strange Little Duck stopped in front of them, tucked his feet in and enjoyed the rhythms, the melodies and the sun on his back. After the pigs had played a few tunes, Strange Little Duck got an idea. He went over to the roadside, pulled up a long green hollow reed, listened for a good entrance, and then blew through the reed softly. The band stopped and stared at him.

‘We don’t want new players in our band.” one of the pigs said.

“We don’t even know what kind of instrument that is.” another one chimed in.

Strange Little Duck stood there silently while the band waited for him to leave. Then he started to play the reed again, very softly and gently. It had a lovely airy, breathy sound and the pigs listened while looking at each other uneasily. Then the bass player began to follow the new lilting rhythm. Slowly the guitar player added soft strings to the tune, turning it into a jig and the drummer swished his drums.

The music was delightful and the pigs were happy. Some grasshoppers heard the new tune and joined in with back up reeds. Its was magnificent and the pigs were pretty happy.

After a while Strange Little Duck quietly put his instrument down and waddled along the road leaving the band playing away. The sun was just beginning to set over the hills. Strange Little Duck was filled with such joy at the sight of the hills that he decided to paint a picture. He peeled off some bark from a tree and sat down in a flower patch right by the side of the road. He crushed up the coloured flowers and laid them gracefully onto his canvas. It was magnificent fun.

He was working away when a tractor came racing down the road at full speed. A farmer yelled. “GET OFF THE ROAD”. Strange Little Duck didn’t move because he was in the middle of executing a delicate action. Then the farmer yelled again. CRAZY DUCK GET OFF THE ROAD,” as he was passing.

He pulled over, “Don’t you know you could have been killed?”

Strange Little Duck pointed to the beautiful sunset.

“I know the sun is setting, it was right in my eyes, I didn’t even see you - I could have ki-"

“Do you want to sit and watch the sunset with me?”

“Hummpph.. Hummppphhh... Hummph.” The farmer grunted. “I am in a hurry to get home to unload the hay from my truck.... hummmmmmmmph ---What are you drawing?”

“The sunset.”

“That doesn’t look like a sunset. It looks like a bunch of colours.”

“Well... it’s my way of seeing it,” said Strange Little Duck gently.

The farmer shut down the tractor and sat down. “You know my wife and I, we used to do this every night.. What happened to the time? It just flew by. I used to just love the sunset but life swooped in and now I work work---”

“Shhhhhhhh,” said Strange Little Duck firmly.

They sat quietly until the sun’s last ray disappeared behind the hill. Then Strange Little Duck got on the farmer’s tractor and they rode all the way to the farmer’s house up the road. The wife came out and began to scold the farmer for taking so long.

“The supper is cold, the horses need to be fed, the-”

The farmer said “Shhhhhhhhhh” very gently.

The wife said “don’t shhhhh me, take this chicken feed out to those noisy chickens.”

Then the farmer put his arm around the wife and squeezed her gently, “Don’t worry. There’s lots of time to do it all.” She smiled and they went into the house. Strange Little Duck continued down the road. He wasn’t sure where he was going next but the crickets were singing and the frogs nearby chimed in. It was a very pretty sound.

Strange Little Duck was getting tired and was on the lookout for a quiet place to tuck himself in for the night. He noticed a large oak tree that had dropped some leaves from its summer stores.

“Perfect place to rest. Excuse me Oak Tree. May I sleep here under you?” he asked the tree politely.

A long pause (trees are usually slow to respond) then the giant tree spoke. “This is not the usual place for ducks to sleep as I am not near any water.”

“Well your little nook here looks very comfy.” Strange Little Duck was flattening out the leaves.

“Where are all your friends?” asked the tree.

“I’m making new ones every day. You are my newest one.”

“I see” said the oak. “You are a strange little duck.”

“I know,” Strange Little Duck sighed.

“And I will take care of you for the night,” the tree said kindly.

They watched the stars come out then they both slept peacefully.

THE END.

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story by Jody Terio/Art by Anupa Perrera

Today we bring you the letters “E” and “F”!! Can you find them all?

Ellie and Frank Fox have to wait five whole minutes for the ‘Fun with Florence’ TV show to start. Frank fluffs up his fur and Ellie puts on her festive fleece frock for frolic and free-dance time. Florence tells fairy tales, fables and fantastic tales from Europe. Sometimes their elephant friend Eve joins them but not every day. Eve is from France so she wears a fashionable fedora and says “fantastique!” A LOT!! Eve also knows the name of each episode they have seen because elephants never forget.

Ellie prepares food during the break and Eve, Ellie and Frank eat and eat and EAT until they finish all the eggs, french fries and frangipani scented frittatas. Eve finds eating eggs with a fork to be quite a feat because the eggs keep falling off. She finally figures how to eat a few. Everyone loves the fruit and fried figs for dessert even though they are a little expensive.

Sometimes right after eating, Frank farts. It smells pretty funky but no one is fazed. When the fumes are gone, Frank smiles and everyone forgives him. Back to watching Fun with Florence every day between four and five o’clock in the afternoon. Last Friday there was an extra special episode about flags and each of them made one. Eve’s favourite episode was the one where they took feathers and made them into a fan. She was the first to finish and found the exercise ‘formidable’! Ellie really liked the Fish episode the best because it’s her favourite food. The foxes and Eve the elephant promise at the end of every episode to be Forever Friends.

THE END

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THE STORY OF HENRY

HENRY

Lucille loves Henry the goose. And he’s very attached to Lucille.

Henry is old, Henry is sick, Henry is dying.

Henry has been there all of her eight years. Lucille does not know any life outside of Henry. Henry was already there when Lucille was born.

Dad says he was at her birth. Standing at the doorway. He wasn’t allowed to come in the room.

Henry was at Lucille’s mother’s funeral. He looked very sad. Lucille doesn’t remember but farmer dad tells her Henry didn’t leave her side while she lay in the bassinet.

Knowing he is going to die, Lucille shows pictures to Henry about his life.

We see a picture of Henry when he is young, he is standing against the barn with his mother and siblings.

We see Henry protecting baby Lucille from the sun with his wing.

We see Henry and Lucille in the vegetable garden with farmer dad. Henry is eating the weeds. Lucille is putting small plants in the soil.

We see a picture of Henry and Lucille in the pond swimming.

We see a picture of Henry swimming while Lucille lays on the river bank. We see a picture of Lucille swimming while Henry lays on the river bank. This was their favourite summer hang out.

We see Henry sleeping in his little hay bed in the barn.

Sometimes in winter, farmer Dad would let Henry come in the house and sit by the fire while Lucille did her homework. This made Henry very, very happy. Lucille stroked Henry’s back while she learned her alphabet. And her arithmetic. Henry liked this.

We see Henry sleeping on the floor beside Lucille’s bed in winter.

Lucille closes her picture book. Henry is breathing heavily now.

Lucille asks Henry what he needs to let go. Does he want her to leave or stay?

When farmer dad asks if she would like him to help Henry to die now. Lucille asks Henry if this is what he wants and listens to Henry carefully. Then she says ‘let’s wait a bit.’

She reaches out and hugs Henry. Henry puts his head on her shoulder and he closes his eyes for the very last time. Lucille feels his head drop.

‘Goodbye Henry, you have been a good good friend.’

She and farmer dad take Henry’s body to his favourite tree near the river bank. They bury him and put up a little gravestone.

It says:

Henry 2007-2021. He was a good good friend.

Afterwards, Lucille asks her dad if he thinks that Henry is happy now that he doesn’t have to carry around that old body. Dad answers, ‘I think so.’

This is our tribute to Henry who will be remembered.

The End

story by Jody Terio