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“Oh, that’s so sad,” Amelia murmured, her blue eyes looking sad for the plight of the duck. “I wish she could stop being so afraid!”
I smiled at her and continued with the story. “As she cried, she grew less afraid but the sadness stayed. She turned her eyes to the sky and with a flap of her wings, and another, and another, the little duck flew up into the air!
‘I’m flying!’ she cried happily. ‘Oh, I’m really, really flying! But which way should I go?’
‘Where are you flying to, little duck?’ a flock of magpies called out to her.
‘I am going to Italy to see my friend!’ the little duck replied.
‘Over there, over there!’ the magpies called and pointed her towards Italy.
As the little duck flew, she looked around and saw the trees taller than the reeds and the buildings taller than the trees. She saw the creatures, big and small, so very different from the other creatures in her pond.
And as she flew, she began to feel lost in the big, wide world.
‘Oh no!’ she cried. ‘Which way do I go?’
‘Where are you flying to, little duck?’ a starling called out to her.
‘I am going to Italy to see my friend!’ the little duck replied.
‘Over there, over there!’ the starling called and pointed her towards Italy once more.
The little duck flapped and flapped its little wings and flew over the trees and over the buildings, over the creatures big and small. And then, she flew over a beautiful pond with calm waters and softly rustling reeds and the sunlight shining on its surface. She looked down and there, she found her dear, dear friend paddling merrily in the pond.”
“Yay!” the kids cheered, looking up from their paintings.
“I’m so happy they found each other again!” Bruce beamed, his fingers sticky with red and blue paint as he looked up at me.
“‘It’s you, oh, it’s you!’ the little duck cried happily.
‘Oh, I’m so glad you came all the way to Italy!’ the beautiful duck smiled. ‘Now, we can play and swim and fly and be with each other for a long, long time!’
And they did just that. The little duck, who has now learned to spread her wings, spent many years with her dear, beautiful friend. Together, they flew and traveled the world, seeing more of its beauty. And they lived happily ever after.”
I closed the book and let out the breath I didn’t know I had been holding in the entire time I was reading the story. The kids looked very satisfied and happy. I looked at Cora and gave her a wobbly smile. She stared back at me with a shy smile. She would never know just how closely her story book had hit home...
I had read many children’s books over the course of my career as a teacher. But I had never before heard of this story of the little duck who was afraid of flying.
It hit much too close to home.
I could very well relate to the little duck and her struggles. I was quite content and happy in my life here in Georgetown. After I moved back two years ago when Grandma Margaret got sick, I settled in here very quickly like the little duck did to its pond. I had everything I ever wanted in here, everything I ever loved.
But now, I was not so sure.
Ididdream of seeing the world in all its splendor before but like the little duck, I was scared to spread out my wings and fly. There was always something holding me back, some excuse that kept me from going out there and doing just that.
I shook my head and smiled to myself at my thoughts.Who would have thought I would learn something from a children’s book?
I let the children talk about their paintings one by one, finding sheer delight in the bright splashes of color. After the last child had finished with his presentation, we sang a few songs and then, it was time for them to go.
Today was the last day of school before the summer holidays and they were all bursting to go out the door and into the warm sunshine. I smiled as one by one, they bid me goodbye.
All except one.
Cora was one of the shy girls in her class and when she tugged gently at my skirt to get my attention, I knew there was something she really wanted to say. I bent down to her eye level as I usually did when talking to my students.
“Hey, Cora,” I spoke gently. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
