Delilah and the Goodnight Parade

Every evening, when the pond turned pink and orange, the ducklings lined up. Delilah always led the way. She was bright yellow all over, except for one perky white feather sticking straight up on top of her head. Whenever Delilah walked, that feather bobbed like a tiny flag.

Behind her marched Barnaby, then Bella, then little Pip, and right at the end came Bo. Bo was the smallest, with feet so round he waddled from side to side like a little clockwork toy.

"Time for our goodnight parade," Delilah announced. "Tail feathers tidy, everybody. Follow my white feather!"

Off they paddled into the cool water.

First, they swam to the muddy bank where three fat green frogs sat in a row.

"Goodnight, frogs!" Delilah called, bowing her head.

"Ribbit, ribbit, goodnight!" the frogs answered together.

Next, the parade circled through the tall rushes where the blue dragonflies rested on the reeds.

"Goodnight, dragonflies!" called Delilah.

The dragonflies fluttered their shiny wings with a gentle rustle. "Sleep well, ducklings."

Finally, Delilah led them under the sweeping green branches of the old willow tree.

"Goodnight, Willow," Delilah whispered to the bark.

The willow dipped its leaves into the water with a soft splash. Delilah turned around to check her parade before heading home to the nest.

She counted out loud. "One, two, three..."

Delilah paused. She blinked and counted again. Barnaby was there. Bella was there. Pip was there, chewing happily on a bit of green duckweed. But the tail end of the line was completely empty.

"Where is Bo?" asked Delilah.

Pip swallowed his leaf. "He was behind me. But then he was yawning. And then he wasn't behind me anymore."

"Don't worry," said Delilah bravely, giving her white feather a confident twitch. "I'll retrace our parade. Stay right here by the willow."

Delilah turned right around and paddled back the way they had come. First, she hurried to the rushes.

"Excuse me, dragonflies," Delilah asked politely. "Did a very small duckling pass by here?"

A shiny blue dragonfly hovered down to Delilah's beak. "He went past, Delilah. But he stopped to look at a dandelion puff, and then he kept walking back toward the mud."

"Thank you!" Delilah said, and she paddled faster.

Next, she reached the muddy bank. The three frogs were just settling down to sleep with their eyes half-shut.

Delilah called softly, "Mr. Frogs, have you seen Bo?"

The fattest frog poked his head up. "Croak. He came this way, little one. He was rubbing his eyes with his wing. He said his feet were too heavy to lift, and then he waddled toward the big lily patch."

"The lily patch!" Delilah whispered.

She swam out into the smooth water where the giant green lily pads floated like dinner plates. The pond was very still now. The water barely rippled. Delilah ducked under a big round leaf.

There was Bo!

The smallest duckling was curled up in a little golden ball, tucked right under the curled edge of a broad green leaf. His round bill was tucked beneath his wing, and he was snoring the teeniest duckling snore. Pff, pff, pff.

Delilah nudged him gently with her beak. "Wake up, little Bo. The parade isn't finished yet."

Bo opened one sleepy, dark eye. "Delilah? My feet felt like sleepy stones."

"I know," Delilah said with a warm smile. "Just keep your eyes on my white feather. It will guide you all the way back."

Bo stood up, gave a giant duckling yawn that stretched his beak wide, and shook his tail. Step by slow step, Bo followed Delilah's bobbing white feather across the water.

They gathered Barnaby, Bella, and Pip from the old willow, and all five ducklings marched up the grassy slope together.

Mother Duck was waiting in the hollow of the bank. She lifted her wide brown wing, and one by one, the ducklings tumbled underneath. Barnaby snuggled, Bella sighed, Pip curled into a ball, and Bo rested his heavy head right against Delilah's side.

Mother's feathers smelled like sun-warmed moss. Out on the water, the frogs grew quiet. The willow branches stopped swaying. Under the dark, warm wing, Delilah rested her head, and every little duckling closed their eyes.