The pond shone flat and silver under the morning sky. Near the water's edge, something red blinked between the reeds — an apple, plump and perfect. Duckbert swallowed it in one click. Then his stomach grumbled like distant thunder, already empty again. He waddled toward the meadow, already hunting.
Duckbert found a picnic basket half-hidden in the grass and went to work. Snap — one sandwich. Snap — two. Snap — three. Two jars of pickles followed, each lid popping loud enough to startle the sparrows. Vinegar soaked into his feathers and hung in the air like a second weather.
Clover called from the next patch, sweet and green. Duckbert lunged forward — but his belly knocked against the earth first. He settled onto his stomach, neck stretched, and chewed at the blades he could reach. Each nibble was followed by a slow, heavy breath that fogged the air.
Three tubs of vanilla ice cream sat on the farm stand counter. Duckbert hauled them home with his beak, one after another, never stopping. Sweet cream ran in thick rivulets down his chest and hardened on his feathers. When the last spoonful vanished, he tipped onto his side and couldn't find the strength to rise.
Someone had left a chocolate strawberry cake in the middle of the meadow. Duckbert nudged it with his beak until it rolled to the center, then attacked. Huge bites collapsed the frosting. Golden crumbs fanned out around him in a perfect circle — a border he would not cross again.
His belly had grown wider than the lily pads. When he tried to stand, his orange feet lifted completely off the ground and clicked against his middle. His chest rose once, fell — and then waited. He sighed, a soft warm sound, and did not try again.
The pond stayed very quiet that morning. No splashing. No quacking. The reeds leaned over the water and whispered to each other in the breeze. Somewhere nearby, a dragonfly hovered, waiting for a sound that never came.
They gathered close — quiet, patient, heads bowed. One of them reached out and drew a single feather over the duck's beak, like tucking in a blanket. The sun warmed the meadow. A dragonfly settled on the empty cake plate and waited.