Outside The Big Pond

 

Outside The Big Pond 

By Paul McCann

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

 

   

 

 

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