The Yellow Duck Needs a Costume

"Halloween is coming up," Ms. Fish said. "What are you going to be?"

"I don't know," the Yellow Duck said, scratching his head. "What are you going to be?"

"I'm going to be a princess," Ms. Fish announced.

"Why am I not suprised," Toad, who lived in a log next to the pond, said.

Ms. Fish looked offended. "Look!" she exclaimed, pulling out a box.
"This is the stuff for my costume! See, this is a crown-" she held up a crown made of seaweed and cat-tails, "and this is my wand!"

This time, she held up a branch that had been covered with grass and had a rock tied on top of it. "And this is my beautiful dress!" Now she pulled out a plastic bag that she had cut fin holes out of and covered in glitter. As soon as she pulled it out of the box, glitter began to fall off and float through the water. Toad and the Yellow Duck were not impressed.

"Princesses don't have wands," Toad said, laying on his log. "They have specters."

"No, that's wizards," Ms. Fish argued. "If you're so smart, what are you going to be for Halloween?"

"A bump."

"A bump?" the Yellow Duck asked.

"A bump."

"Why are you going to be a bump?" Ms. Fish said. "That's the stupidest costume I've ever heard of."

"I'm going to be a bump on a log, " Toad said, grinning proudly. "I think it's quite clever."

"It's a terrible pun," the Yellow Duck said.

"All right, what are you going to be?"

The Yellow Duck thought, and thought. He thought so hard it felt like his feathers would pop right off his head. But still, he couldn't think of anything.

"I have no idea," he said. "What do you think I should be?"

" A policeman!" Toad shouted.

"A prince!" Ms. Fish squealed.

"A fireman!" Toad bellowed.

"A wizard!" Ms. Fish screeched.

"A superhero!" Toad hollered.

"The Pond President!" Ms. Fish called out.

The Yellow Duck shook his head. He rubbed his wing over his feathered head.

"I don't like any of those," he said, disappointed. "I wish I did. I just don't know what I want to be."

"We could go to a costume shop," Toad suggested.

"Yes!" Ms. Fish squealed. "I'll fill up my bucket and you can wheel me along in the wagon."

"I'd have to check with my mom first," the Yellow Duck said. He waddled home as fast as he could and asked his mom if she would take him and his friends to the costume shop.

"Not today dear," she quacked. "We can go tomorrow."

The Yellow Duck was disappointed. He slowly waddled back to the pond, dragging his web feet along the dirt.

"What could I be?" he wondered to himself. "What would be a good costume?"

He saw his friends playing in the distance. Toad had built a small ship and was sailing around as Ms. Fish tried to splash waves onto his boat. The boat was just the right size for the Yellow Duck to get on. All of the sudden, it came to him! He was so excited he waddled over to the pond as fast as he could.

"Hey!" he shouted. "I know what I want to be!"

"What?" Ms. Fish and Toad asked enthusiastically.

The Yellow Duck posed dramatically on top of a log and said, "I want to be a pirate."

"A pirate?" Ms. Fish asked, looking disgusted.

"A pirate!" Toad shouted, looking delighted.

"A pirate," the Yellow Duck said, looking proud of himself. "I'm going to be a pirate."

So the next day, the Yellow Duck and his mom went to the costume shop. They got a big white shirt, an eye patch, a head scarf and a fake sword for the Yellow Duck's costume. He was very excited. He could barely wait to go trick-or-treating! He laid out his costume in his room, wiggling in happiness.

"Only two weeks left," he said happily to his teddy bear. "And then I won't be the Yellow Duck, I'll be Captain Yellow Belly, the terror of the high seas! Aye aye!"

The teddy bear stared at him with big button eyes.

"You can be my first mate," the Yellow Duck said happily. "First Mate Teddy reporting for duty!"

It was going to be a long two weeks........