So my daughter has been falling asleep to the same story, every night now for longer than I can remember. (This is the story that comes after
the reading of books and the nursing of baby brother and the standing on of heads, etc.)
It started as a retelling of some duck book --
Little Duck Lost?
The Fuzzy Little Duckling?
Little Quack's Hide-and-Seek? -- there are so many books about lost ducks, it's hard to keep them all straight. And then the story kind of merged, to have elements of each.
And then it took on a life of its own.
I'm not saying this is great writing -- much of the details have been added by my daughter, which is not to say that she's not a great writer, only that she's three -- but it's become a family tradition. It evolved to a point where she was apparently satisfied with it, and there it has stayed.
I know this story like I know the Nicene Creed at this point, and at night I close my eyes and listen to the rhythm of the words while my daughter, in true liturgical fashion, calls out her responses. It's no creed, our little duck story -- for one, it lacks the beauty of the language, and, well, the whole theological underpinning -- but nevertheless, here it is:
The Story of the Mama Duck and the Baby DuckOnce upon a time, there was a mama duck and a baby duck. And one day, they decided to play hide-and-seek. So the mama duck said you hide, and I'll try to find you. And she covered her eyes and counted one...two...three...four...five! Ready or not, here I come! And she swam off to look for her little baby duck.
She swam and she swam through the reeds and the tall grasses that grew alongside of the pond, and as she swam she called out: "Baby duck! Baby duck! Where oh where is my little baby duck?" But there was no answer. So the mama duck swam on.
She swam and she swam until she came to where some frogs were resting on their lily pads, eating some grapes.
"Little frogs! Little frogs!" called the mama duck. "Have you seen my little baby duck?"
And the frogs said, "Ribbit, ribbit. No! We have not seen your little baby duck. Would you care for a grape?"
"Oh, no thank you," said the mama duck. "I am looking for my little baby duck."
"Perhaps you should ask the fish," said the frogs.
"Thank you," said the mama duck. "I will try that."
And so she swam off, looking for her little baby duck.
She swam and she swam until she came to where the fish were leaping and darting through the water, eating some blueberries.
"Little fish! Little fish!" called the mama duck. "Have you seen my little baby duck?"
And the fish said, "Splash, splash. No! We have not seen your little baby duck. Would you care for a blueberry?"
"Oh, no thank you," said the mama duck. "I am looking for my little baby duck."
"Perhaps you should ask the birds," said the fish.
"Thank you," said the mama duck. "I will try that."
And so she swam off, looking for her little baby duck.
She swam and she swam until she came to where the birds were nesting in the trees, eating some apples, and some oranges.
"Little birds! Little birds!" called the mama duck. "Have you seen my little baby duck?"
And the birds said, "Tweet, tweet. No! We have not seen your little baby duck. Would you care for an apple, or perhaps a slice of orange?"
"Oh, no thank you," said the mama duck. "I am looking for my little baby duck."
And she swam off, looking for her little baby duck.
She swam and she swam until she made it all the way back home to her nest. And she swam up to her nest, and she peeked inside, and...what do you think she saw?
It was her little baby duck, eating some toast!
And the mama duck scooped the baby duck up and said "Oh, my little baby duck! I am so happy I found you!"
And the baby duck said "Quack!"
And the mama duck said "Oh, my little baby duck! I love you so much!"
And the baby duck said "Quack!"
So the mama duck and the baby duck cuddled up together and had some toast. And then they snuggled in tight, and went to sleep.
The end.
(I found the baby duckling picture here, isn't it cute?)
