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THE DOG, THE DUCK, THE WOODPECKER, AND THE HEN

A dog, a duck, a woodpecker and a hen, were traveling through the cornfields. They had lost their home due to their owner having died, and, the property had been sold to a contractor who builds strip mall complexes. They had decided, out of the 100 animals on the ranch, that they were not going to be forced into places where they would be penned, abused, or worse. So, they set off to find a new home, or, at best to avoid captivity. Each of these animals ate different kinds of food, and, they had been going through the cornfields for days. They had eaten some corn here and there, but, it was not enough to keep them healthy or satisfied. So, they had come to sit in the middle of this massive cornfield, to discuss their needs and next moves. The dog was the hungriest of all, as his food had always consisted of meat and it's by-products. He was getting on in age, and was holding the others back. Of course, he was also the only one that couldn't fly. Hens can fly, but, only about 10 feet high, so, she also was lacking in that area. The woodpecker was the hyper one, he would come up with ideas that made the others wish that he wasn't with them. Of course, they were all kind animals, so, did not say anything, they let him have his say. Besides, they were open to any idea... Suddenly, they heard a great noise out of the distance. They looked at one another, and, the duck decided that he best have a look, so, off he flew... He was back in moments to tell the others that a combine was coming rapidly in their direction. Fearing for their lives they each took off in separate directions instinctively, forgetting about their pact to stay together no matter what... After about 20 yards they all realized what they had done and each went back to where they had come from. The noise was much closer, so, they decided to follow the duck to safety. He took off slowing in flight, circling as needed, that the slower ones could catch up. He spotted a pond, and circled and circled. Finally, all four were there. They looked around,they were on a ranch such as they had never seen the likes of. It was huge, it was beautiful and the animals were well groomed, and well housed... They were in awe, and, sat or perched, admiring it all. At that time, a young boy came running up to them scaring them. He stood, looking at them as they tried to think of what to do. The boy said, "Hey, you are sad lookin' animals, where'd you come from?" They wished that he could understand their language, but, they knew it was useless. The old dog decided to use his charm, went up to the boy, crying in his most pathetic cry... The boy looked in the old dog's eyes and understood hunger when he saw it. He told them, "Follow me, I will get you some food and water." They each knew enough to follow him. He took them to the great barn which they had been admiring, and, when they got inside, they saw several of the horses, cows, pigs and other animals from their old home. Suddenly there was neighing from the horses, mooing from the cows, snorts from the pigs, barking from the dog, cackling from the hen, screeches from the woodpecker, and, quacks from the duck... The boy looked on, listening to the excited chatter of the animals. He was a smart boy, and, knew inside that these animals all knew one another... He went to get his father, who had just finished with the combine for the day, telling him about the animals, how hungry they were, and, how they all seemed to know each other. The father came to assess the situation, recognized the dog whose name was Duke, and gave him a good stroking. Duke had always been fond of the rancher, he had come to his master's house on many an occasion. He let out a yelp of happiness, one which he hoped would convey his and his feathered friends plight. The rancher, indeed understood, telling the boy, to make a place in the nearest stall for them, and, to make sure that they were fed and watered daily... And so, Duke and his feathered friends lived on the best ranch in the country for the rest of their days, never wanting for anything. Duke became the owner's favorite dog, spoiled beyond all of his wildest desires. The duck became a father, the woodpecker did the same, many times, and the hen produced eggs that were as pure as eggs can be....

2 comments:

Don said...

Cute story Lyn :)

Lynda said...

Ha! Thank you , Don! Was just the product of the keyboard, don't know from where it came...