They Never Quacked Again

Every spring before 2009, ducks flew above my house and into the neighborhood pond. And every spring before 2009, my sisters and I would bring old bread and Cheerios to feed the ducks. 

As time went on, the pond grew dirtier and polluted. Green gunk appeared on the surface, and the bottom of the pond wasn’t visible anymore. Trash collected on the sides of the pond, and yet, the ducks still came and quacked their way through spring and summer. 

Seeing the contaminated pond, my sisters and I decided to save the ducks. Was it a stupid idea? Yes. But those ideas are usually the ones that turn out the best. 

We grabbed our old bread and box of Cheerios, and headed out towards the pond. On the way, we schemed. We came up with crazy plans, brilliant plans, and plans that sounded just impossible. 

When we arrived at the pond, my sisters grabbed the bread. They tore it up into tiny pieces and started tossing the bread at the ducks. Slowly, but surely, the ducks waddled their way away from the pond and towards us, their source of food. 

“We can keep them,” my sister reassured me. “They can live in the pond in our backyard.”

Four ducks toddled on the sidewalk, following my sisters and I. Four ducks whose heads bowed down every so often to reach the tiny pieces of bread on the ground. 

“We can’t do this,” I told my sister. “This is stealing. We’re going to be arrested for stealing ducks.”

“Relax,” she replied. “It’s fine. We’re doing them a favor.”

But I didn’t relent.

Relax. 

I tugged on her sleeve, and I poked her. 

We’re going to be arrested for stealing ducks. 

I pleaded until my sister groaned and finally agreed. 

In the end, my sisters and I let the ducks go. We took off with the bread and Cheerios, leaving the four ducks in the dust. Leaving them to their filthy and murky pond. 

The next spring, the ducks didn’t come back. 

And every spring after 2009, the ducks never flew over our house and into the neighborhood pond. 

~ Mary Jane L.