The Yellow Duck takes Cooking Classes

When the Yellow Duck went to the pond that afternoon, he couldn't help but laugh. Toad was squatting over two round stones with a spatula in one hand and a fork in the other.

"What are you doing?" the Yellow Duck laughed.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Toad said snidely. "I'm cooking scrambled eggs."

Five eggs sat on the stone. The Yellow Duck laughed even harder. "You didn't even crack the eggs! And you need milk to scramble them!"

"You don't know anything about cooking," Toad said, eyeballing his rock. "I wonder how you make the heat go higher."

"I do too know about cooking!" the Yellow Duck protested. "My mom taught me how to make scrambled eggs, toast, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

"You're both idiots,"Ms. Fish yawned. "I can cook in my sleep."

"What can you cook?" Toad growled as he tapped an egg gently. To his horror, a fine crack appeared.

"I can make seaweed salad, seaweed bread, duckweed muffins and stewed leaf and rock soup," Ms. Fish replied haughtily as Toad hopped around in vain trying to scoop up the egg now oozing down the rock.

"That doesn't sound appetizing," the Yellow Duck said.

"You don't sound very appetizing," Ms. Fish retorted.

"That didn't even make any sense!" Toad said, rolling his eyes. He checked the back of the rocks to make sure they were plugged in.

The Yellow Duck had a brilliant idea. "What if we take cooking classes?" he asked excitedly.

"I don't need cooking classes," Toad said, as he delicately tried to coax one egg back onto the rock.

"I'm a master chef," Ms. Fish primly replied. Toad lost hold of his egg and it fell to the ground, splattering him in the face.

He looked up at the Yellow Duck with yellow yolk running down his face. "It might be a good idea," he muttered. "Where would we take cooking classes?"

"Ms. Cow teaches them by the old barn," the Yellow Duck said. "We could sign up and start on Thursday!"

In the end, that's what they decided to do. When Thursday came, the three friends found themselves face to face with a bowl, a spoon and several ingredients.

"This looks complicated," Ms. Fish admitted.

"Should we leave?" Toad asked.

The Yellow Duck wasn't sure.....

To be continued........................................

The Yellow Duck gets a Valentine

The Yellow Duck was putting his valentines in Toad and Ms. Fish's Valentine Day mailboxes when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Pinky, the new duck in his class. Pinky was a pretty duck, with big blue eyes and soft pink feathers. The Yellow Duck had no idea what to say to her. He wasn't very good with girls. Well, he was friends with Ms. Fish, but Ms. Fish wasn't really a girl. Not a duck girl anyway--she was just Ms. Fish.

"Hi Pinky!" the Yellow Duck said awkwardly. "Why are you here? I didn't know you knew I hung out at the pond."

"Some of the girls in class told me," she said shyly. "I wanted to bring you a valentine."

"Oh, thanks," the Yellow Duck said, taking it from her. He felt bad. He hadn't gotten her a valentine outside of class. His mom had made him give everyone in the class valentines, but this was different. This was an extra valentine outside of class, and he didn't have one for her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get yours yet," he lied, shuffling Ms. Fish's and Toad's Valentines behind his back. "I didn't see anything I liked at the store."

"That's ok," Pinky said, smiling shyly. "You can give it to me tomorrow."

"Why not Wednesday?" the Yellow Duck asked, feeling nervous.

"Because then I'll have it before Valentine's Day, so I can open it Valentine's Day morning!" she exclaimed.

"Oh," the Yellow Duck said, confused. "That's good." Pinky batted her eyes at the Yellow Duck as Toad and Ms. Fish walked up. "I just loveeee Valentine's Day," she cooed, as the Yellow Duck turned red. "Don't you?"

"I guess," the Yellow Duck said, embarrassed. "I can't wait for my valentine tomorrow!" she grinned. Then she turned away and flounced out of the pond. The Yellow Duck stared after her, wondering what he was going to do about a Valentine. Then he heard Toad and Ms. Fish laughing at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Come on guys," he said. "It's not like that. She's new."

"I can't wait for my valentine!" Toad mimicked as he skipped around the pond. He giggled as he bounced up and down on his log. "Yellow Duck's in love! Yellow Duck's in love!"

"Yellow Duck's in love! Yellow Duck's in love!" Ms. Fish sang along.

"Guys, come on," the Yellow Duck pleaded. "It doesn't mean anything."

"Don't be stupid," Ms. Fish said. "She walked over here to give you a valentine. She likes it."

"I walked over here to bring you valentines," the Yellow Duck said as he dropped them in their boxes.

"That's different," Ms. Fish said. "We're your friends. She likes you."

"She does not like me!" the Yellow Duck bellowed.

"Then why are you so annoyed that we say she does?" Toad asked pointedly. When the Yellow Duck didn't answer, he giggled happily. "Love," he sang. "The Yellow Duck's in love."

The Yellow Duck sighed as they kept teasing him. He had no idea what to get Pinky for a valentine.

That night, he went to the store with his mom and picked out a card with a teddy bear on it. "Girls like teddy bears," he thought. "She'll like this." He went home and signed the card, then put it in his backpack to take to school.

At school the next day, Pinky came running up to him.

"Do you have my valentine?" she asked.

"Right here," he said, handing her the card. She beamed and kissed him on the cheek. "See you later valentine!"

The Yellow Duck stared at her in shock as she skipped off and heard Toad cackling behind him.

"I told you she loved you!" Toad bellowed. "I told you!" He laughed manically as he held his bulging tummy.

"Well," the Yellow Duck said. "At least I have a valentine. I suppose you're stuck with Ms. Fish." And with that, he sauntered off, smiling. Toad quit laughing and thought for a minute. "Hey," he said. "That wasn't funny at all. That's just gross." He stared at the Yellow Duck's retreating back and hopped to his feet. Toad ran after the Yellow Duck, yelling, "Wait! Be my valentine instead! I don't want any girls! We'll stick together, you and me! We don't need any valentines!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Yellow Duck goes to the Rodeo

"Wow!" the Yellow Duck said as he looked around. "This place is great! There's tons of rides, lots of games, food and best of all, the rodeo!"

"I like the mutton bustin," Toad said. "It's my favorite part."

"I like the barrel racing," Ms. Fish said snottily. "It only has girls."

"Remember, we have to be at the tent at 4 p.m.," Toad said nervously. "We can't be late."

"Why are you in such a rush?" Ms. Fish asked curiously. "You never care about being on time."

"I just don't want to miss the show," Toad said.

The three friends spent the early afternoon riding rides and eating cotton candy. They visited the petting zoo, where Toad got into a shouting match with a pig and Ms. Fish got into an argument with a cow, who thought Ms. Fish's bowl was her personal drinking water. After the morning of excitement, they headed to the tents to watch the rodeo begin.

Toad was twitchy with excitement and kept hopping up and down in his chair. The Yellow Duck grinned. "This is a lot of fun!" he said.

Ms. Fish made a face. "I can't believe that fat cow tried to drink me!" she groused. "It's going to take me two weeks to get the snot and slobber out of my bowl."

"So Toad, are you excited about seeing the concert?" the Yellow Duck asked. Toad didn't answer. He turned around to see Toad's seat empty. "Hey, where did he go?" the Yellow Duck asked. Toad would have never left before a show like that.

"Probably to go eat flies or bugs or something," Ms. Fish said in disgust. "The boy is always eating."

As the minutes ticked by, Toad didn't return to his seat. The Yellow Duck looked around worriedly as the rodeo began. After watching team roping and bronc riding, he grew very concerned.

"I'm worried about Toad," he said softly to Ms. Fish. "What if he's been kidnapped?"

"I couldn't worry too much," she said, her jaw dropping open. "He's right there!" The Yellow Duck looked where she was pointing and his eyes bulged out in surprise. Toad was in line with the kids waiting to ride sheep for Mutton Busting. He was wearing a jersey with a number on it and a helmet.

"Oh no!" the Yellow Duck cried. "Is he supposed to be down there? Is he going to get hurt?"

He stood up and waved his arms and yelled to get Toad's attention. Toad grinned and waved. Then he pulled on his helmet and got into position.

"Our next rider is Toad Green, number 17, on Bushy the sheep!" the announcer called. When the signal went off, Toad jumped on the back of the sheep. The sheep bolted and ran into the arena. Toad hung on with his skinny green fingers as he bounced around the sheep's back. The sheep ran into a wall and started running even faster. Toad became a speckle of green in white as the sheep circled the arena.

"He's literally crazy," Ms. Fish said in awe, watching as the sheep ran in circles. "He's absolutely nuts. Completely bonkers."

"I think we got the point!" the Yellow Duck said. He was worried about Toad.

"I'm surprised he's not sick," Ms. Fish said.

Finally, the sheep stopped, and a triumphant Toad slipped off where he laid on the ground. A hush fell over the crowd. After what seemed like an eternity, Toad stood up and lifted his arms in victory. The crowd roared, clapping and cheering. Toad grinned and hopped his way back to his seat.

"That was cool wasn't it," Toad grinned. "I rocked! That sheep was so fun! Wasn't that a great time?"

"You had me so worried!" the Yellow Duck said. "How did you arrange all that?"

"I just showed up and asked if I could ride, and they said yes," Toad said. "You should ride tomorrow."

"I think I will," the Yellow Duck grinned. "That seems exciting!"

"We have to come back tomorrow?" Ms. Fish whined. "I don't want any more slobber in my bowl."

"Then don't go to the petting zoo!" Toad said. The two began to bicker companionably as the three headed home. As they argued, the Yellow Duck grinned to himself. He couldn't wait to go mutton bustin.