Claire C. Katie R.

April 18, 2014

Math 5


The Story of Deirdre the Duckthling


Once upon a time in a land far, far away (because its the most creative way
to begin a story), there was a duckthling. A duckthling is not a proper duck, but I
guess you could classify it under that category. In this story we will be discussing the
life of one specific duckthling named Deirdre. Every duckthling possesses different
physical qualities. For example, Deirdre had four long springy yellow giraffe legs
(minus the brown spots) and freakishly big cube-shaped orange feet. Not to mention
she also had a blue and green torso, a lighter green cubed head with blue and white
racing stripes at the neck, and a bright orange beak. Actually, Deirdre was made up
of perfect geometric shapes. In fact, her tail was a perfect rainbow pyramid.
Although that fact might seem a bit alarming, it was much better than the other less
fortunate duckthlings, who were complete blobs that had to literally be nudged
around by a friend or mimic something of a slug. Deirdre was a most interesting
sight, but with all the other duckthlings looking just as strange, she thought that she
was perfectly normal.
One day as Deirdre was pecking at some grass, she noticed a little garden
snake. She decided to follow the little fellow for no reason in particular; after all she
was young and not so wise. The snake, which was probably very frightened by the
sight of Deirdre, was simply trying to wiggle away. But all Deirdre wanted to know
was what the little snake was up to.
Where are you going Mr. Snake? Why are you slithering away? Do you want
to play tag? Is that why you are trying to slither away? Am I it? asked Deirdre. But
Deirdre couldnt talk to the snake or understand him because she wasnt the Boy
Who Lived or was related to Slytherin. Deirdre wandered farther and farther away
from the yaq as she followed the snake. A yaq is the word used to describe many
duckthlings, like a school of fish or a pack of wolves.
Deirdre followed Mr. Snake until she reached a lake. In the lake swam a raft
of ducks, (raft = a group of ducks, yaq = a group of duckthlings) all proud with their
white tails turned upwards like little white flags. Deirdre watched them swim and
said to herself, I am a fairly good swimmer and very far away from home. I could
learn the customs of the natives and settle here. Im sure that one of them will be
willing to help me make a new home. Now I dont exactly know why Deirdre was
talking to herself, she must have thought that the snake could understand her. So the
brave duckthling waded into the water and paddled over to a family of ducks parked
in the middle of the lake.
ROLL CALL! quacked the mother duck. She counted her eight children, Jack,
Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, Quack, and a colorful thing that she had never
seen before.
Hi, my name is Deirdre. Can you teach me your ways of life so that I can live
here in this lake with all of you ducks? By the way, have you met my friend Mr.
Snake? He doesnt really talk that much. Actually, he doesnt talk at all. I dont know
why, but I dont judge him just because he is handicapped and has lost all of his
limbs. Dont ask him what happened to his arms and legs because he will get really
upset and try to slither away. But thats okay, I left him at the shore. Anyway, back to
the point, how about you let me live here and I can pay you back with my famous
grass salad! blurted out Deirdre before the mother duck could say anything. Turns
out that the mother duck really loved grass salad, so they made a deal to let Deirdre
stay with them.
Unfortunately, since Deirdre looked very different than the other animals, the
other ducklings teased her. Whenever mother duck went underwater to bob for
algae, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack would torment Deirdre
with hurtful names.
Long legs! shouted Jack.
Rainbow rump! teased Kack.
Carrot feet! screeched Lack.
Blockhead! honked Mack.
Duck-THING, snickered Nack.
Green giant! screamed Oack.
Zebra neck! hollered Pack.
UGLY DUCKTHLING! screamed Quack, because that is really how they saw
her as, an ugly duck. The title stuck, and soon the name evolved into The Ugly
Duckling. Eventually all of the animals in the lake adapted it and soon everybody
referred to Deirdre as The Ugly Duckling. When mother duck was killed in a freak
diving accident, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack forced Deirdre
to wear a red dunce cone hat to humiliate her even more. When Jack, Kack, Lack,
Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack had finally mastered the art of flight, they would
fly circles around the lake and tease Deirdre.
Now what will I do? said Deirdre one day, I will probably never see my
real family again, my adoptive brothers keep on bullying me, and my TRUE home is
somewhere far away! I dont even know where Mr. Snake is! sobbed Deirdre. How
I wish I could fly like them! she cried. Ever since she was a little duckthling, Deirdre
had always wanted to fly like the lucky duckthlings that were fortunate enough to
have wings. It made her even more depressed when she saw that even her mean
brothers could fly. She scolded herself for being filled with envy, but still longed to
soar through the air like the other normal birds.
Just then, a thin green line appeared suspended in the air. Deirdre squinted
and leaned closer
Hello Ugly Duckling.
MR. SNAKE! exclaimed Deirdre, How are you doing that?
Im dead, Ugly Duckling. The only reason you can communicate with me is
because the dead can talk in any language they want. Its a very complicated
system, explained Mr. Snake.
No, how are you flying? I need to learn how so that I can show Jack, Kack,
Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack that just because Im not like them doesnt
mean that I cant do what they can!
DEIRDRE, IM A GHOST, OF COURSE I CAN FLY. Im sorry, but I cant teach
you. The only reason why I can fly is because Im dead, and with that, the little
flying snake evaporated into a shimmering mist. Deirdre wanted to fly like Jack,
Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack, but now she realized that she could
never touch the sky. Years went by and Deirdre still couldnt find a way to defy
gravity.
Finally one day, Deirdre hatched a plan to fly. She waddled to the base of a
cliff a mile away from the lake. Deirdre started to hull some fallen trees. She pushed
and pulled 100 pines until they were all stacked neatly at the base of the cliff.
Well, that was pointless! screeched Jack.
On the contrary, do you know whats really pointy? screamed Mack.
What?
Ugly Ducklings beak! Deirdre showed no sign of annoyance. She nailed
each tree by the roots to the side of the cliff. After a year and a day she finally had
tacked all the trees. With amazing speed she climbed to the top of the cliff.
Too bad you couldnt have just FLOWN up here! teased Oack.
Weve been waiting for you for ages! hollered Pack. Deirdre stood at the
edge of the cliff. The wind whistled past the miniscule hole in her head that was her
duck ear.
Wow, you really are a true blockhead, now what are you going to do? asked
Mack. Then Deirdre dived off the side. She was falling above the trees, only shedding
a single tear as she flew down in a straight line. In her mind she was flying as fast as
any of the other birds. Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack stared.
They couldnt believe their little birdie eyes. Then they couldnt believe their weird
little duck ears.

THUD


Deirdre had proven to Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack
that even though she was different, she could still do the same things as them. At the
same time she fulfilled her dream to fly even though it meant taking her life. Jack,
Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Oack, Pack, and Quack shouldnt have judged and made fun
of Deirdre because she was different than them. Deirdre died following her dreams,
but some dreams are worth dying for.