The Boy and the Farm Ducks

On a bright sunny morning, Oliver pulls on his yellow rubber boots, settles his straw hat with the red band, and carries a small bucket of duck food across the farm to the pond. There his favorite friends wait: Mabel, the mother duck with white feathers, a bright orange bill and a little red ribbon around her neck, and Pip, the fluffy yellow duckling who paddles in circles and splashes water everywhere. The ducks quack happily at the sight of their breakfast, and Oliver feels proud that they trust him.

But one morning the pond water turns murky and green, covered with leaves and twigs, and the ducks no longer want to swim. Oliver fetches a rake and a net, clears the weeds and debris, and opens a small pipe so fresh water can flow in from the stream. When the sun goes down he notices another problem: the ducks huddle under a bush, shivering in the cool night air. So he gathers wood, straw and tools and builds them a shelter with a slanted roof and a soft straw floor. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book.