The Duck Who Wanted to Bounce

There was a duck named Doodle who did not want to swim.

Doodle wanted to bounce.

"Ducks float," said the frog. "Ducks do not bounce."

But Doodle flapped and hopped and puffed up round.

"I will bounce!" said Doodle. "Watch me, watch me go!"

FWUMP.

Doodle landed in the mud. Splat, splat, splat.

The frog giggled. The turtle giggled. Even the little snail on the leaf giggled a slow, snaily giggle.

"Try again!" said the frog.

So Doodle tried on a lily pad. Boing! The lily pad flipped. WHOOOSH — Doodle slid across the pond like a fuzzy little sled.

"Wheee!" said Doodle.

"Ducks float," said the frog. "But you, Doodle, you slide!"

Doodle wanted to bounce.

She waddled to a big round pumpkin by the water. She climbed up, up, up, and wobbled at the top.

"Now I bounce!" said Doodle. "Watch me, watch me go!"

BOING!

The pumpkin rolled. Doodle rolled too — over the grass, past the frog, past the turtle, right into a big soft pile of leaves.

POOF! Leaves flew everywhere. Yellow leaves, red leaves, one leaf right on Doodle's head.

Everybody laughed. Doodle laughed loudest of all, a happy little quack-quack-quack.

"You did not bounce," said the frog softly. "But you flew through the leaves!"

Doodle looked at the pond. Doodle looked at the leaves. Doodle wiggled her tail one more time.

Then she waddled to the water and slid in, soft and slow.

The pond was cool. The pond was quiet. The little waves rocked her, soft and slow.

"Maybe," said Doodle, with a sleepy yawn, "ducks float after all."

The frog blinked his sleepy eyes. The turtle tucked in his sleepy head. The little snail was already dreaming on his leaf.

The pond held Doodle, warm and slow.

And the pond rocked her, soft and slow. Soft and slow. Soft, and slow.