The Secret Life of Ducks

Barnaby sat on top of his bulging suitcase, bouncing up and down to make the latches click shut. "I think I packed too many bowties!" he quacked to his friend Beatrice. All around the pond, hundreds of ducks were busy folding tiny shirts and checking their flight maps. A family of humans walked by the water, shivering in their coats. "Look at the ducks leaving," the father said. "They are migrating because they hate the cold water!" Barnaby and Beatrice looked at each other and giggled quietly. But the humans were wrong. Captain Drake, the leader of the flock, blew his silver whistle. "Alright team, check your gear! Do you have bread? No! Do you have worms? No! Show me your equipment!" With a loud flap of wings, the whole flock lifted into the air, soaring high above the trees. They flew past the snowy mountains, but they didn't look for a warm beach to land on. Instead, they flew higher and higher, aiming straight for the greyest clouds. Barnaby clicked open his suitcase mid-air, but there were no clothes inside! He pulled out a bucket of glowing orange paint and a giant fluffy brush. "It's time to get to work!" he shouted happily. The ducks weren't escaping the cold; they were on a mission to paint the sunset! Barnaby and Beatrice dipped their brushes and splashed brilliant pinks, purples, and golds all over the gloomy grey sky. They swirled and swooped, turning the dull clouds into a masterpiece. When the sky was full of color, the ducks floated gently on the breeze, admiring their art. "Best sunset of the year," Beatrice sighed happily. They didn't migrate to stay warm; they migrated to make sure the world stayed beautiful.