The Reedy Maze

The little duckling was happily pecking for tasty water bugs when a sudden splash startled him, and he looked up to find his family gone. The tall, whispering reeds now seemed to close in around him, blocking his view of the familiar pond.

“Peep! Peep!” he cried, his voice small against the rustling stalks, and he began waddling quickly, hoping to catch up. He heard a soft rustle ahead and, thinking it was his mother, hurried towards it, only to find a plump field mouse nibbling a seed.

The sun climbed higher, warming the air, and the duckling’s little legs grew tired from pushing through the tough stems; he was thirsty too, spotting a muddy puddle. He tried to drink, but a sneaky water beetle darted out, nipping his beak, making him jump back with a surprised “Yelp!”

A gentle breeze parted the reeds, revealing a small, brightly colored feather caught on a broken stalk, a feather just like his older sister’s! Excited, he followed the direction it seemed to point, only to find it led to a patch of sweet wild berries that the family often visited, but they were empty.

As the sun began to dip, casting long shadows, the little duckling felt a chill and a knot in his tummy. He stopped, closed his eyes, and listened very carefully, not for rustles, but for the familiar, comforting QUACK of his mother.

Faintly, through the evening air, he heard it! A steady, strong “QUAAACK!” With renewed energy, the little duckling paddled his way through the last few reeds, bursting into the open pond where his mother and siblings were waiting, their quacks now loud and joyful.