Outside The Big Pond

br /> "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">

On the top of Beacon Mountain black smoke had been billowing for a
week from the mouth of Bluecaps volcano. Now and then small fireballs
shot out from volcano.
People had started to evacuate their homes with the recent activity and
the situation was being monitored closely.
Bluecaps dam was one of the major concerns because it held the town's
water supply and another worry people had was the safety of all the
creatures in the pond and forest.
Diddle Dawdle Valley cradled Bluecaps Pond at the foot of Beacon
Mountain.
And the pond was surrounded by Golden Oak forest.

There was a little duck that lived all alone in the pond.
Nobody bothered at all with this little duck that had been abandoned by
its owner. Being a domesticated duck the wild ducks in the pond
detected there was something strange about it and so they ostracized
it.

Day after day the lonely little duck swam back and forward through the
pond watching for any sign of an eruption from the volcano.
It was a worried little duck. There was nothing else the little duck
could except worry about the volcano.
The duck swam in circles all day.
It swam from one side of the pond to the other. It dived under the
water for food. It kept one eye open for a fish and the other eye open
for any sign of an eruption.
Finally the duck through to itself,
"Oh quack quack worry worry. Quack quack how boring it is. What a
depressing life I have. "
How sad the little duck was. It no other ducks to keep it company and
one day the duck thought,
"Well that's it. I've had enough of all this. From now on there will be
some changes around here."
The duck jumped out from the pond and waddled off slowly towards the
Golden oak forest. The duck began to sing a little song to
itself,

"For so long they thought I was strange and now its time for a
change
so I'm looking for a different pond. Hey I don't want to quack all my
days
with some who don't understand my ways so I'm off with a waddle and a
song. "

With nothing to loose the duck made its way into the oak forest in
search for some friends. Night fell in the thick forest and the duck
rested itself on a large rock beside a tall tree.
The duck was so tired that it fell fast asleep.
In a sound sleep the duck dreamt about finding friends and being
happy
The poor duck never heard or seen the hungry wolf creeping over to his
side with hungry eyes and a shiny fangs that were seriously fixed on
the little duck.

Just before the wolf pounced the ground started to shake and
crumble.
There were some things that began to tumble from the sky.
The earth was spitting fire and somehow not one of the projectiles hit
the duck
The wolf was hit by a hot rock spewing black smoke and ran away with
its tail between its legs. Trees in the forest began to fall and were
swept away by a lava flow that was slowly making its way down from
Bluecaps volcano.
The ground around the little duck was being opened up.
Forest creatures were rapidly running away for the safety of the
pond.
Not aware of what was going on the little duck slept soundly.
Now the volcano had erupted and a river of lava was flowing fast and
freely down the mountainside destroying everything in its path.
Spitting sulphur and sizzling with smoke and sparks the bubbling lava
had a mind of its own. Going wherever it pleased. Nothing could stand
in its way.

Huge fireballs hailed down from the Volcano.
Some just missed the little duck that never batted an eyelid.
In the middle of the eruption a change came with strange thunder and
lightening in the sky. There was flashing and crashing all
around.
Tornados twisted up the horizon and eerie columns of white fury made
their way to Diddle Dawdle valley. Swirling and twirling the storm came
and went.

Still the little duck slept as comets and shooting stars cut through
the
Sky overhead.

The lava flow was drawing closer to where the little duck slept.
Further up the mountain the dam had burst and a rushing wall of water
suddenly swept through the forest. A ten-foot wave washed through the
forest and within a short period the entire forest was under
water.
Still the little duck slept.

Just as the first rays of sunlight hit the water a small motorboat made
its way across the new waterscape. Low and behold two gentle hands
reached out from the boat and picked up the little duck that suddenly
awoke.
"Oh Daddy look a little duck Can I keep him please Daddy can I?"
The little duck wriggled and quacked and the little boy held on
tightly.
"OK son put him in the basket until we get home."
His dad replied.
The motorboat sped through the water and finally came to a stop where
it was moored to as post at the end of a small jetty on a small island
that
Overlooked the mountain and forest.
The boy grabbed the basket from the boat and ran straight into small
cottage on the island .He pulled the duck from the basket and held it
up.
"Look Mummy." The boy screamed.
"How wonderful son " his Mum answered.
"Dad said I could keep it." The boy said.
"Ok son then you better put it with all the others."
His Mum said.
The boy raced out the back door and placed the duck into the
manmade
Pond that seemed to stretch for miles.
What a surprise.
The pond had many kinds of ducks and waterfowl.
Right away the little duck was greeted by some of the tame ducks that
swam over. For the first time the little duck quacked in harmony.
There were geese and pelicans and even some flamingos.
There were fish and frogs and even a little duck who though it was a
swan.
The lonely little duck was now happy and at peace. It quacked like it
had never quacked before.
Everyone got along very well in the big pond and the little duck
thought to itself,
"Somehow I don't know how but my dream has come true ".
After a while the little duck had some little duckies of its own and
they all loved to listen to stories and mysteries of a life outside the
big pond.

THE END