“The Lonely
Stuckling”
By Frances H. Allen
There once
was a lost and lonely little duck that would swim in the stillness of the
swampy waters. Each day he would wonder what tomorrow might bring for he grew
weary of his days. Adversity was often his only friend for the other little
ducklings would mock him and call him “Stuckling”. You see Stuckling tried hard
to get ahead, but whenever he felt he had accomplished something he would soon
find himself back at the beginning. Stuck in the very same place with the very
same struggles he had always had. One would think such struggle would cause a
little duckling to become bitter, but for Stuckling it was the opposite. The
more little Stuckling would endure the more loving and compassionate he would
become. He wouldn’t blame the other little ducklings no matter how it hard it
would become. The more they mocked him the sorrier he felt for them. He knew
that not everyone could understand the struggle he went through the way his
hero could. Stuckling often thought about his hero and he desired to be so much
like him. His hero was a crane named Chadwick who was strong, tall, and mighty.
Many would call him Chadwick the Great for he had done mightier things than
anyone could ever imagine.
One day when
Stuckling was swimming alone through the swampy waters taking in the sunshine
he realized something didn’t seem right. He looked behind him and noticed an
over cast coming towards him. He looked up and saw that there was a heavy storm
rolling his way. Stuckling panicked and started to swim faster than he had ever
swum before. He stroked and stroked harder and harder than his little wings
were ever used to. Before he knew it he had been swept up by the rushing
current behind him. The longer he struggled to keep his head above water the
lonelier he felt. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t fight the storm or
the rising rapids that had swept him up. The next thing he knew he was moments
away from coming in contact with a large boulder that lied ahead. Before he
could blink he had struck the enormous rock and fell unconscious. The storm
carried the unconscious Stuckling a few more feet before it had subsided.
The next
morning stuckling woke with the heaviest feeling in his head as it throbbed
from where he had run into the boulder. It took him a little while before he
was aware of what had happened. Stuckling looked around him at the unfamiliarity
of his new surroundings. He grew worried as he realized he was in a place he
had never been before. Suddenly Stuckling heard a sound approaching and he
paused stiff with concern. It wasn’t long before he could comprehend what the
sound was- slow, heavy footsteps. “Alligator!” He panicked and ran as fast as
his little feet could carry him. He could feel the rushing of the alligators
breath as he chased and chomped after little Stuckling. Stuckling ran and ran!
Faster and faster! The more he ran the more frightened he felt. Stuckling
finally found just enough strength to cry out for help as he ran. Thump!
Stuckling ran into something. He speedily picked himself back up startled by
the impact. It was oddly soft for being something so sturdy.
He looked
up and in amazement saw that it was Chadwick the Great that stood before him.
Stuckling swallowed hard before gaping his mouth open wide. Chadwick chuckled
at the wide eyed little duckling. It wasn’t long before that no good alligator
had caught up with them. His nostrils flared and his eyes full of rage.
Stuckling was frightened and hid behind Chadwick. The next thing he knew
Chadwick the Great had spread his mighty and majestic wings wide and stood
tall. The alligator stopped dead in his tracks and the rage in his eyes turned
into fear faster than Stuckling had ever seen anything change before. The
alligator hauled out of there quicker than Stuckling could regain his breath.
Stuckling
stared into the empty space of where the alligator had stood moments before.
Then he remembered who stood before him. He looked back up at Chadwick the
Great and stuttered trying to get his words out. “You-you-you-you’re
Cha-Chadwick the Great!” All Chadwick did was chuckle and smile at the amazed
little duckling. Then with a mighty and steady voice he said “And you dear
little one are who they call Stuckling”. Stuckling now stood in even more amazement
that Chadwick the Great knew who he was. “You know who I am?” Stuckling said in
his small and timid voice. Chadwick told little Stuckling that he had always
known, and how he had always cared for him. Stuckling stood confused. He had
never met Chadwick in real life before. All he had were the stories he had heard.
Stuckling could only respond with a brief “Finally” as tears filled his weary
eyes. Chadwick saw the heaviness of Stuckling’s lonely little heart. He scooped
up the tiny and frail little duckling and said “Dear one, I have always been
with you.”
Stuckling
sat shocked in the mighty wings of Chadwick and said “You have?” Chadwick
reassured him so. You see Stuckling never realized that every stroke or step he
had taken was well known by Chadwick for Chadwick had taken them first.
Chadwick had always been watching little Stuckling and knew the heaviness of
his little heart. Stuckling sat under the love and warmth of Chadwick’s wings
for hours and Chadwick spoke kind things to Stuckling. Things little Stuckling
had never heard before. The more he listened to the kind words of Chadwick the
more the heaviness in his heart would lighten up. Stuckling deeply wished to
stay with Chadwick forever, however Chadwick finally stood again. He cleared
his mighty throat and told Stuckling that he must return back to the home of
his swampy waters. Stuckling grew saddened at this. Chadwick told him he must
do so that he might tell the other ducklings about him.
Before
Chadwick spread his mighty wings to take flight he reminded Stuckling to
remember the kind things he had spoken to him. He told Stuckling to share these
things with the other little ducklings back home. Stuckling started to weep and
panic, but Chadwick paused and reminded Stuckling that he would always be with
him. Chadwick took a strong leap and spread his wings in flight. He glimpsed
back at Stuckling once more, smiled and said “remember me and the kind things I
have told you”. Stuckling pulled himself together, took a deep sigh, and started
to head back home. Stuckling’s heart was far fuller of joy than ever before,
and he was eager to tell others all the wonderful things of Chadwick the Great.
From that day on Stuckling was never the same and he dreamt of the day he might
see Chadwick the Great once again.
The End
