Zadie’s Reed-Built Parade — Every morning, Zadie marched the three ducklings around Cattail Cove, counting, “One, two, three!” while their tiny feet slapped the damp bank. Read the full story →
Every morning, Zadie marched the three ducklings around Cattail Cove, counting, “One, two, three!” while their tiny feet slapped the damp bank. She had set herself a grand challenge: build a parade path with her own bill and webbed feet, a path so clear that even the wiggliest duckling could follow it without tumbling into the chilly water. She packed mud smooth, pressed flat stones into place, and tied reed ribbons between daisy stems until the cove smelled green and sweet.
Until one day, a fast wind came skimming over the pond—whoosh, flap, rattle! Because of that, Zadie’s reed ribbons snapped loose and danced across the ripples. Because of THAT, the ducklings cheered and chased them in three different directions, straight toward the slippery cattail roots. Zadie’s heart thumped like a frog drum, but her feet knew every stone she had set. “Follow my steps!” she called.
At last, she gathered the reeds, twisted them into little archways, and planted them deeper in the mud. The ducklings paraded through, proud as captains, and Zadie lifted her beak at the path she had made herself. Next time you spot the three little followers, see if you can trace the safe parade from one, two, three.
