Mama's Amazing Escaping Ducks

"Merrie! Merrie, come quick. Mama's ducks are out again! If they get into the garden we will lose all the seedlings and Mama will be ever so upset! Come on!" Aggie hollered as she ran, flapping her apron at the ducks, which just made them flutter before her like autumn leaves.

Merrie came out onto the front porch and stopped to inahle the scent of Mama's beautiful red roses, climbing their way up the white wrought iron railing. Mama fussed over those roses as if they were her newborn babies. She fed them, trimmed them and gently took their dead heads every day. It was a ritual she performed every evening, as a nice ending to the day.

Merrie wasn't really ignoring her sister, Aggie. She was just taking her time before going to help. Mama's ducks got out about three times a week and eventually they would head back to their pretty little pond under the weeping willow. It seemed as if the ducks just liked to lead Aggie a merry chase from time to time.

Merrie made sure the front gate was closed tightly, just to be safe and went around the corner of the house to see how Aggie was coming in her race with the ducks. As Merrie stepped around the back corner of the house, Aggie disappeared around the other corner, following the gently quacking of the flock.

 Merrie stopped wandering and stopped to assess the heather growing along the back of the house. It was growing out of it's bricked in area. Mama would soon be having the girls trimming it back to manageable proportions. Merrie picked a sprig and inhaled the lovely fragrance. She loved the look of the overblown plants, trying to escape the confines of the herb garden and take on the world.

"Merrie! Help me, please!" Aggie was sounding desperate so Merrie went over to the duck enclosure and propped the gate open. She stepped back to wait for the ducks to appear around the corner of the house where the heather was growing. No time at all passed and there they were, still fluttering ahead of Aggie, quacking among themselves. Merrie could hear Aggie panting before she saw her, following along behind Mama's ducks.

 "Oh thank goodness, Merrie. You finally heard me. Oh, there they go. Good duckies, go home, that's it." Aggie sat down on the grass, red-faced and puffing, as Merrie closed the gate behind the last of the ducks. Merrie came and sat down beside her putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Gosh, Aggie. You know those ducks just want to take a walk once in a while. They wouldn't know what to do if they really got out. Come on." The girls got up, brushing off their dresses.

"Aggie, let's go fix some lemonade, Mama will be back from shopping soon. She will be even hotter than you are from chasing the ducks." Merrie laughed and ran to the house, Aggie following along, laughing as well.