Waterbirds

It was the middle of February, and spring was already beginning to come to the lake. Some of the birds who lived there had stayed through the long, cold winter out on the ice, but many of them had flown south for a few months to find warmer weather. Mallory the mallard duck was one of those. But now, the days were getting longer, and the ice had finally melted away from the water, and it was time for everyone to come back to their summer homes by the lake.

This was Mallory’s first year flying back to the lake in the spring, and she was excited to see what would happen. She certainly couldn’t remember this time of the season from a year ago, since she hadn’t even hatched yet then!

And on this bright, sunny afternoon, Mallory completed her long flight from the south and landed with a refreshing splash right in the middle of the lake.

“This is going to be a good year, I hope,” she said, as she looked around at the old familiar setting.

Just a moment later, another duck, Rufus, landed just across the lake from Mallory. Mallory had known Rufus since they had hatched. They had grown up together on the lake the year before, and while they used to got along, things hadn’t quite been happy between the two of them. There had been a few nasty arguments the autumn before, and they had parted ways on a bad note before the winter.

“I wonder how he’s is doing,” Mallory said to herself.

She quacked across the lake to him. “Well, hello there, Rufus.”

“Ah, so you’ve made it, I see,” he laughed. “I almost didn’t expect you to make it back!”

“Thank you very much,” replied Mallory, slightly annoyed. “Actually, I had quite a lovely winter in the south.”

“I suppose you did, but it certainly wasn’t as nice as mine. You see, I’ve been staying in southern France, and there’s no place like that where a duck can gain a taste for good food and decent company. I’m almost beginning to regret coming back here. If only it didn’t start getting so awfully hot there.”

“And I don’t suppose any of your ‘decent’ friends would have stayed there with you either,” retorted Mallory.

Rufus only frowned, and swam away.

Mallory was very annoyed with him for being rude, and a bit annoyed with herself. She had hoped that being away for a few months might have healed their arguments.

“Oh well,” she said to herself. “I’m not going to let him ruin my spring here. There are plenty of other birds to talk to.”

For the rest of the day, Mallory spent her time swimming back and forth around the lake for good spots to catch some food and saying hello to some other friends who were just arriving as well. She went to bed with a happy heart. It was good to be home again.

The next morning, Mallory awoke to bright sunlight shining on the water. It looked like it was going to be another lovely day.

“I think I’ll try and make up with Rufus today,” she thought to herself.

Not a minute later, Rufus himself happened to swim by. He glared at her and scowled.

“You’re a bit close to my spot, don’t you think?” he quacked.

“Your spot?” replied Mallory. “I wasn’t aware we had assigned seats.”

Rufus didn’t look like he was in the mood for making up, so Mallory swam off in the other direction.

“This isn’t going to be easy,” she said. “He seems to be even meaner than he ever was last year.”

She swam back and forth a few times along the pond, thinking about what to do. She didn’t want to have to deal with an annoying duck every day. Life was complicated enough as it was. Perhaps she could find another lake, or move down to the river?

No, that wouldn’t do. She had been hatched and raised on this lake, and she wanted nothing less for her own chicks later this year.

“I know!” she thought. “I’ll ask some other birds for help.”

So Mallory began to look around for some other bird who might be able to help make Rufus behave. Suddenly a massive swan glided down onto the surface of water, making great waves across the lake as she landed.

“The swans! Of course!” exclaimed Mallory. “They’d be able to help if anyone can.”

Mallory had always admired the swans the year before. They seemed so elegant and graceful and tall. Surely Rufus would have to admit that not even his winter duck friends could match a swan in majesty. She quickly paddled over to the swan.

“Excuse me,” she said.

“Well, hello there, little duck,” replied the swan. “What brings you into my presence?”

“You see, I have a problem,” she said.

“I see that,” replied the swan. “After all, you’re not a swan.”

“No, not like that,” Mallory said quickly. “I have a problem with another duck!”

“Oh?” said the swan. “Is he stealing your attention? Or growing more feathers than you?”

“No, he’s being mean to me.”

The swan thought for a moment. “Yes, yes, I know how you feel. I’ve had a few birds say mean things to me before, back when I was a cygnet.”

“Is there anything I can do about that?” asked Mallory.

“Why certainly. You simply make him stop. If he won’t listen to you, then you must fight him!”

“Oh, but I’m not sure I could do that,” replied Mallory. “What if I couldn’t beat him?”

The swan squinted for a moment, as though she were a bit puzzled. “Well that would be unfortunate,” she shrugged.

Suddenly, another great swan came gliding down (or perhaps more accurately, crashing down) into the water nearby.

“Just a minute, I have to deal with this one!” said the swan.

Within a moment, the two swans were shouting at each other so loudly that they could be heard far beyond the lake. When they started to flap their wings at each other’s heads, Mallory quietly slipped away. Maybe the swans enjoyed that life, but she didn’t think it would be a very good solution for her.

“On second thought, I do remember the swans having quite a lot of arguments,” she said to herself. “Maybe they weren’t the best people to ask.”

Then she saw a group of moorhens swimming in the shade of a tree by the side of the lake.

“Hmm, the moorhens. They always seemed to be happy birds. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them fight!” said Mallory.

She swam over to them. At first, they all scattered away when they saw her. Then they slowly swam back.

“Hello, moorhens,” said Mallory. “I think maybe you can help me with a problem I have.”

“We can try,” replied one of them.

“One of my friends has been really rude to me recently. I was hoping we’d have a fresh start when we came back after the winter, but he’s still annoying me. How can I make him stop? I noticed you moorhens never seem to get in fights.”

“Oh, that’s true,” said one of the moorhens. “We never fight, but I don’t think we can make him stop.”

“No, we certainly can’t,” added another one. “You see, we have one rule when it comes to these things. If something is annoying you: swim away.”

“It never fails to work,” said a third one.

“But I still want to be his friend! He’s just a bit of a nuisance. I don’t think we can’t get him to improve,” replied Mallory.

The moorhens sadly shook their heads. “No, you can try, but it just won’t work. It’s a dangerous world out there. Just when you thought you’d found a solution to your problems, you’ll find another problem.”

Suddenly a noise came from the tree from above, and all the moorhens scattered. Mallory looked up to see a squirrel scrambling up a branch.

She sighed, “Those moorhens are missing out on so much. There’s no way they’re right. There has to be a way to make Rufus stop being rude.”

But she was a bit discouraged as well. She had asked all the best people on the lake that she knew of. Could there be anyone else who was better than the swans or the moorhens?

The sun had hidden behind some clouds, and it was now threatening to rain. Mallory swam down to the other end of the lake, still trying to think of a way to become friends with Rufus again.

A few drops fell from the sky, and mallory swam to the edge of the lake among some reeds to take shelter.

Suddenly, she started as she realized that she had almost crashed into another bird.

“Well, hello there,” said the bird, very quietly, and in a gruff voice.

He would have been a very funny-looking bird if he hadn’t been so solemn and professional. He had the longest legs that Mallory had ever seen, sleek grey wings, and a black crest on his head.

“What kind of bird are you?” asked Mallory.

“Shh! I’m fishing,” he replied in a whisper. “And I’m a heron.”

Mallory watched for a few moments. He didn’t seem to be fishing at all. He was standing very still, hardly even breathing.

“But you’re not fishing,” she whispered.

“Just watch,” replied the heron.

Mallory watched for a minute. “This is the silliest bird I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t even know how to catch a fish,” she was just thinking to herself, when all of a sudden, he shot down into the water like a flash of lightning, and before she realized what happened, he was standing in front of her, holding a huge fish in his mouth.

The heron swallowed the fish in one great gulp and turned to Mallory. “How can I help you, Madam?” he asked.

This was the best fisherman Mallory had ever seen. Maybe he could help!

“I’ve been fighting with another duck called Rufus since last year, and I want to find a way to make up and be friends again,” she replied.

“Ah, yes,” said the heron, in a sort of melancholy, wise-sounding voice. “I remember the days of having friends…” He paused for a few moments. “You see, Madam, I think I shall tell you the truth. You’re wasting your energy on this Rufus fellow. It’s really quite a hopeless situation, and you’re not likely to get anywhere with him. Birds will be jerks, as I always say, and if you’re going to get anywhere in life, you’ll just have to accept that.

“Look around you, anywhere in this lake. The only think you’ll find, no matter where you look is birds quarreling. Birds fighting over food, birds fighting over a mate, birds fighting over a nest, birds fighting just because their voices aren’t tired yet for the day. You see, that’s all they’re capable of.

“The only way to rise above the rest of the birds is to look out for yourself. You need to make sure that you’re the only one that matters in your life. Don’t worry about Rufus. I’m sure there are plenty of other ducks around who you can be friends with if you fancy. But don’t get too invested in them. Only give any thought to other birds if it will make you happy.”

“Really? Is it that hopeless?” asked Mallory.

“Not at all. Once you’ve accepted it, you can move on. Look at me. I’m happier than any other bird on this lake, and do I have any friends? I just look out for myself. That’s the way to go.”

“Well, thanks for the advice,” said Mallory.

Mallory swam out back towards the middle of the lake. The rain had stopped, and the sun was shining behind a thin layer of clouds. But Mallory wasn’t satisfied. She didn’t want to believe the heron. Surely there had to be a way to have a good life while caring about other ducks.

Then she looked around the lake. And she could see that the heron was right. In every corner, there were birds fighting. One of the swans she had seen earlier was walking on the bank with an injured wing. There was a large group of geese all honking at each other on the other side. And seagulls were flapping around above her, trying to knock each other out of the sky.

But then she saw something different. In one corner of the lake, there was a little bridge, and by that bridge, something unusual was happening. There was big group of all sorts of birds, but they didn’t seem to be fighting.

Mallory quickly swam over to see what was happening. She soon saw that they were all gathered around the bridge eating something that was floating in the water–oats, it looked like.

“What’s happening here?” she asked one of the Egyptian geese. She had never seen anything like this. There were so many birds sharing this food, and not one of them even so much as made a quack at another.

“We’re being fed!” replied the goose. “Look up at the bridge.”

Mallory looked up, and she saw an old human man scattering oats into the water from high above. She quickly took a few bites herself. It was the most delicious food she had ever eaten.

“But why isn’t anyone fighting?” she asked the goose. “Why aren’t the swans chasing us all away?”

“There’s enough food for everyone,” replied the goose. “And I think we’re all focused on the man who’s giving it to us. When we’re thinking about him, we don’t have to think about fighting each other anymore!”

Mallory was incredulous. This seemed too good to be true. But she took several more mouthfuls of oats.

Suddenly another duck came up beside her. “Hello Mallory!”

Mallory turned around. It was Rufus!

“Rufus, look at this food, isn’t it amazing!”

“Yes, I’ve never seen anything like it, not even in the south of France,” he replied.

And they both looked up together as the man threw a handful of oats in their direction.