Today I saw a whole family of ducks, walking along single file, kind of a bobbing little string of fuzz, feet, and heads. The mother was in front six little ducklings trailed behind her. They were crossing Willow Road--which is a very busy local thoroughfare, with four lanes for traffic--but the cars all stopped to let the ducks pass safely. They crossed the road and went up through the grass by the woods and the pond, which hopefully provided a degree of cover.
It was a wonderful sight, and just like the book, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, which I remember from my own childhood, and hope is still being widely read. First published in 1941, the year before I was born, it is still in print.
This story was told (via email) to one of my step-grandchildren, an active and enthusiastic two-year-old. He enjoyed it apparently, and said to his mother at the conclusion: "That's funny." Whenever he is at our house, he looks for ducks particularly--but also geese, which are less favored. And, there are ducks in a pond at his pre-school, which are frequently inspected, too.
He also likes trucks a lot, in their many varieties and purposes. A normal boy-child, I think. If he went down to Texas, he would find that nearly everyone drives a pick-up.
Ducks. They are wonderful. I am so glad we have some near here.
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