The Duck Who Wanted to Bounce

There was a little duck who loved to bounce.

Not swim. Not waddle. Bounce.

"I will be the bounciest duck," she said. "Bouncy, bouncy, me!"

So she found a big red ball in the tall grass.

She climbed on top. She wobbled. She flapped.

BOING!

Up went the duck!

She landed right in a puddle. SPLOOSH!

"Ha!" laughed the duck. "Again, again!"

A sleepy frog blinked from a leaf. "You are very bouncy," said the frog, slow and soft.

"Bouncy, bouncy, me!" sang the duck.

BOING! Up she went. Over the reeds. Over the frog.

SPLAT — into the mud.

The mud went squish between her toes. It went splot on her beak. She looked like a chocolate duck now.

"Ha ha!" she laughed. "Muddy me!"

The frog hopped closer. "Would you like to bounce with a friend?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" said the duck.

So the frog climbed up. And the duck climbed up. Two friends on one red ball.

They wobbled. They giggled.

BOING!

WHOOOOSH!

Higher than the reeds. Higher than the grass. Up where the little clouds go pink.

"Bouncy, bouncy, weeee!" they sang together.

Down, down, down they came —

FLOOMP!

Right into a soft pile of leaves.

The duck lay in the leaves. The frog lay beside her. The red ball rolled away, slow and quiet, into the grass.

"That," said the frog, "was the bounciest bounce."

The duck yawned a small yawn. Her feathers were warm. Her tummy went up and down, up and down, soft and slow.

The leaves were soft. The evening was soft. The little clouds turned from pink to grey.

Bouncy, bouncy... slow.

The frog closed his eyes. The duck tucked her muddy beak under her wing.

And the leaves held them warm, soft and slow.