Duck, Duck, Duck

The white ducks (Pekins) were supposed to be for food, while the Mallards were to be Little Z's pets.


The ducks have turned out to be much more interesting than I ever expected. For example:

* One day, the Mallards set about teaching the Pekins to fly. [Pekins are flightless birds.] A few Mallards quacked at the watching Pekins (giving instructions, certainly), went for a running start and then up, up into the air! Then, flew in a circle, and landed back by the Pekins, and said, "Quack. Quack quack quack. Quack." [That's how you do it. Now, it's your turn.] Then the Pekins, while the Mallards stood and watched, would run and run as fast as they could and flap their wings, but never get off the ground. They waddled back to the Mallards, disgruntled, but the Mallards encouraged them to stick to it and try again. They demonstrated again. And so on. The Pekins tried again. Same result. We think that the Mallards, getting ready for their flight south, clearly do not wish to leave their friends, the Pekins, behind.

* The ducks run through the sprinklers in hot weather, just the way small children do- except that, instead of squealing like little girls when they run through, they quack enthusiastically. Then they wiggle their tale feathers and quack a lot and say, "Let's do it again!"

* There was a turf war one day between the chickens and the ducks. The ducks were outnumbered, three to one. Corn was at stake. Lots of corn, laying on the lawn there, free for the taking. A plucky rooster was guarding it all, pecking at whoever wanted a bite or two. The chickens all bickered amongst themselves, but the ducks soon discovered that, if they worked together as a team and ganged up on all of the chickens, they could win the corn. So, they did. They worked together and drove away the chickens, charging at them full steam and quacking with vigour. The ducks won. Teamwork takes the day!

* The ducks actually cross the road way more often than the chickens do.