i thought i'd share this long, sad story. read it, any would find that it truely is a moving story. this is 10o percent true, because it happened in my own backyard.
we have a good sized pond on our property, and ducks seem to never pick our pond. so when we finally got a couple, a drake and a duck, we were wicked excited(we have other ducks on our pond that are single). soon after the duck laid 8 eggs(we named the duck Saige), the drake (who we've named Hudson) left Saige for another duck.
now Saige would be a single mother of eight. when she was sitting on her eggs, shed scarcely get up to eat, drink, or swim. i got worried, so i left duck pellets near her nest for easy feeding. i'd put them around her nest when she slept. when the eggs finaly hatched, i was over-powered with joy!
8 little baby ducks!! how cute!! then, from day one of their lives, a stupid fox kept stealing the ducklings, and eating them!
i tried to help Saige and the rest of her ducklings, but nothing worked. day after day, more ducklings were gone until Saige was left with one duckling left.
then, when Saige was flying for whatever reason, she was shot down and killed by a hunter.
but dont worry, that hunter got in BIG trouble for huntin on private property. now the little duckling was all alone. anytime i tried to get close to him, he'd "run" away, or tried to hide. i had named him Hoodsie. Hoodsie had not learned how to swim yet, or hunt for his own food, or walk very far due to the fact that since Saige was too stressed to leave her nest and leave her babies unprotected, so she never had time to teach them. and, to make matters worse, the other ducks were pecking at him hard! when i though Hoodsie was at his end, my lab found him. he picked up the duckling carefully in his mouth, and brought him to his nice, cozy, heated bed. Jack lied around the duckling for extra warmth. soon, Hoodsie begain following Jack were ever he went. when Jack got something to eat, Hoodsiw would get duck pellets to eat. Jack goes swimming everytime he goes outside, so Hoodsie soon caught on. Jack and Hoodsie soon went swimming together all the time. they ate together, played together, swam together, slept together, they were with eachother all the time! when Hoodsie grew up to become a drake, he started to live on his own in the pond. jack would wake up and scratch at the door at 5 am, wanting to go outside and see Hoodsie. i knew soon Hoodsie would fly away and start a new family. so, if he ever came back, Jack gave him his bell, and i tied it nice and loose around Hoodsie's neck. when Hoodsie did fly away, Jack was heart broken. still, everyday at 5 am, he'd scartch at the door, and look for his little buddy, poor jack didnt even want to think he was gone. then one day in early spring, Jack must have heard Hoodsies bell, because he ripped throught the screen, and bolted for the pond. i was running right at Jacks heels. i stopped. There was Hoodsie, the biggest drake i've ever seen. i mean he was HUGE!!!!!! he was half the size of Jack, a yellow lab! Jack ran straight for Hoodsie. Hoodsie quacked happily and wattled as fast as he could to Jack. Jack nearly tackled him, and started to lick him. it was the happiest moment of my life! Every spring, Hoodsie comes back and stayes `til fall, then he flies south. Jack waits for him every day; ears perked up and a grin on his face.
I'd like to thank Jack, for saving a life, Hoodsie, For putting spunk back into a 16 year old dog, and lastley, my wife, for letting Jack keep his little buddy in the house.
we have a good sized pond on our property, and ducks seem to never pick our pond. so when we finally got a couple, a drake and a duck, we were wicked excited(we have other ducks on our pond that are single). soon after the duck laid 8 eggs(we named the duck Saige), the drake (who we've named Hudson) left Saige for another duck.
I'd like to thank Jack, for saving a life, Hoodsie, For putting spunk back into a 16 year old dog, and lastley, my wife, for letting Jack keep his little buddy in the house.
