The Yellow Duck Celebrates Thanksgiving

Toad came bouncing up to the pond happily. "Guess what?" he cried.

"What?" the Yellow Duck asked. He had never seen Toad look this happy.

"My mom got the biggest turkey in the store," he bragged. "We'll have the best Thanksgiving ever."

"Well, I don't eat turkey," Ms. Fish sniffed. "It would just go straight to my fins."

"If you don't eat turkey, what do you eat?" Toad challenged, wrinkling his nose. "Seaweed? Ew."

"As a matter of fact, my mom makes a wonderful seaweed wrap with croutons and algae," Ms. Fish said. "It is simply delicious."

"That's nasty!" Toad said, gagging. "Ewwww!"

"Like your mother's fly deviled eggs are any better," Ms. Fish shot back. "Talk about disgusting."

"Hey, now, everyone's got different recipes," the Yellow Duck said. "I'm sure ya'll wouldn't be interested in our turkey fish."

"There's a turkey fish?" Toad looked very interested. "What's a turkey fish?"

"It's a fish that lives underwater with big fins like feathers and gobbles," the Yellow Duck said.

"Really?" Ms. Fish quit flicking water at Toad. "Cool!"

"Let's make something for Thanksgiving," Toad said, flopping on his favorite rock. "I'm bored."

"What do you want to make?" the Yellow Duck asked. Then he had a brilliant idea. "I know! Let's make placemats!"

"Placemats?" Toad said. "I was thinking more of rocket launchers."

"No, placemats would be so pretty," Ms. Fish clapped her fins together dreamily. "We could decorate paper with shells, rocks and cat-tails...it would be gorgeous!"

When the Yellow Duck saw the scowl on Toad's face, he quickly interjected, "You could press leaves and bugs and make a mini- jungle." This excited Toad, who loved anything to do with bugs.

"Yea!" Toad squealed.

The three friends took three sheets of paper and got to work. The Yellow Duck dipped his feet in yellow and orange paint and walked all over the paper. Then he used some leftover feathers to create miniature turkeys made from his footprint. "My mom will love this!" he said proudly.

Toad captured several bugs and tapped them onto the paper, where they were still wiggling. "Hold still!" he scowled. When he saw the Yellow Duck and Ms. Fish looking at him, he made a face. "I like a moving exhibit," he said defensively. "Can you imagine eating dinner and looking at moving bugs? That's a lot cooler than dead ones."

"You're disgusting," Ms. Fish sneered. Then she proudly held up her drawing. "I put seashells and glitter all over mine. Mine is beautiful."

"Who are you going to give yours to?" the Yellow Duck asked Toad. Toad didn't look up as he continued sticking bugs to a page. "My mom."

"I don't know who I should give mine to," he said, looking confused. The Yellow Duck didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. He thought about it as he waddled home, eager to show his mom. Then he had a brilliant idea. He opened the door and walked in the house, calling for his mom.

"Mom!" he bellowed. "Come here!"

"What?" his mother said, looking exasperated.

"I made you and Dad a placemat," the Yellow Duck said. "You have to share it because I didn't want either of you to have hurt feelings."

"Aw, thank you," his mother said, giving him a hug. "That's awfully sweet of you. It's darling."

For Thanksgiving dinner, the turkey was served on the Yellow Duck's special placemat and shared between everyone. Happy Thanksgiving!