Dorcas the Duck

With my hat 'Amanda Marigold' firmly on my head, I have a new story out in the Kindle Store today. It's called Dorcas the Duck and it's aimed at parents to read to their children or grandchildren of around 7 or 8 years of age. The story takes place in England and concerns a Duck called Dorcas who returns to the same pond every year to raise her ducklings. This year however, she faces a challenge.  Can you guess what it is? Here is a taster for you to enjoy. 

Dorcas the Duck

Dorcas the duck came to Hardwick Green every year with her husband Joe.  Each Spring they flew in together and made their landing on the pond at no.1.  Mr. Grace, who lived there with his family, which included two large dogs, fashioned a magnificent pond, covering most of the back garden space.  He loved animals.  Once  he and his wife realized that the two ducks returned to his pond every year, he decided to build them a small, but comfortable duck-house.

Dorcas and Joe were excited about returning to Hardwick Green.  They enjoyed raising a family of ducklings each year, feeding them on the lush, green grass and, when they were big enough, teaching them to fly.

Little did Dorcas know on that sunny day in Spring, that this year things would be different and she would be facing a crisis, which would test her love and endurance to the limit.

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The sun was warm on the ducks’ backs as they flew into HG and settled in at no.1.  The daffodils were blooming in all the gardens up and down the street and tulips were nodding their pretty coloured heads in a gentle breeze. Everything seemed normal until Dorcas noticed the wonderful duck house, which Mr. Grace had constructed.  The joy of it made her heart flutter.

“Look, look Joe.  Just look at that beautiful house.  It wasn’t there last year.  We can raise our family of ducklings in there and they won’t get cold or wet, will they.”

Joe looked at the duck-house.  It was very well erected and fulfilled all the conditions necessary.  It had a sloping roof to take the rain away towards the back and a little ramp, which led from the doorway at the front, gradually down to the pond below.  ‘The ducklings will love that,’ he thought.

Dorcas and Joe settled in to their Spring home and Mr. Grace and his wife waited for the ducklings to arrive.  At the end of March, there were thirteen ducklings and a very proud mum and dad at no. 1 Hardwick Green.  The water in the pond was full of ripples and never still as Dorcas and Joe swam round and round with their pretty brood.

Ducklings grow very quickly and by the end of the first week, they had doubled in size.  They were very playful indeed.  They were also getting adventurous and Dorcas was finding it difficult to keep them all together.  She took them for walks, being careful to make sure that they all followed her in single file so they couldn’t get lost.

One day she took them up the road to the paper shop.  Mr. Patel, the owner, worked very hard.  He was in the shop from morning till night, selling newspapers, sweets and crisps and chocolate bars.  He knew all his customers by their first names.

Dorcas left the ducklings outside the shop with strict instructions not to move. “Stay together and don’t move.  I’ll be back in just a moment.  Mr. Patel doesn’t want thirteen pairs of muddy feet all over his clean floor.”

Into the shop she went, with her backside wiggling from side to side.  She really was a pretty duck.  Mr. Patel liked her very much.

“Good morning Dorcas.  What would you like today?” he asked her kindly.

“Good morning Mr. Patel.  I’d like a newspaper for Joe and a bar of chocolate for me.  It’s hard work raising this brood of ducklings and I need some more energy.” She replied proudly.

Mr. Patel could understand the duck’s language even though it sounded odd to his own ears.  It was more of a quacking than a talking, in fact.  He folded up a newspaper for Joe and put a nice big bar of chocolate in as well for Dorcas. He leaned across the counter, and put the items in her basket.  She promised to pay him with eggs as soon as she started laying again.

Mr. Patel smiled and watched her as she waddled out of the shop with her purchases.

Then there was a shriek.

“Where are my babies? My babies have gone!  Oh no!”

There was no sight and no sound of the baby ducklings.  Dorcas was horrified.  She dropped her basket on the ground and sped back into the shop.'

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Now if you want to find out what happens next, you're going to have to hop over to the Kindle Store and buy the story.  The good news is that it's only 99c. If you haven't got a Kindle, you can still download the story to your PC and read it or print it from there. If you're in England, you can go to Amazon.co.uk, enter the Kindle Store and buy it there.

Hope you're enjoying your Sunday.