Bibi was a curious little girl who loved exploring the fields behind her house. She spent her days chasing butterflies, picking wildflowers, and watching the ducks that swam in the small pond nearby. But of all the ducks, there was one she loved the most—a plump, white-feathered duck she named Quackers.
Every morning, Bibi would run to the pond, and Quackers would waddle up to her, flapping his wings in excitement. She would feed him grains from her tiny hands and stroke his soft feathers. Quackers was more than just a duck to Bibi; he was her friend.
One sunny morning, Bibi woke up with a big smile on her face, eager to see Quackers. She quickly put on her shoes and dashed out the door. But when she reached the pond, something was wrong. The water rippled gently under the morning sun, the other ducks quacked and paddled along, but Quackers was nowhere to be seen.
Bibi’s heart pounded. “Quackers!” she called, running around the pond. “Where are you?”
She looked under the tall reeds, behind the big oak tree, and even in the farmer’s nearby field, but there was no sign of her beloved duck. Worry settled in her chest like a heavy stone.
She ran back home, her eyes wide with fear. “Mama! Papa! Quackers is missing!” she cried.
Her parents exchanged concerned glances. “Maybe he wandered off,” Mama suggested gently. “Ducks sometimes explore.”
“But he always comes back when I call him,” Bibi insisted, tears threatening to spill from her big brown eyes.
Papa knelt beside her and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Let’s not worry too much just yet. We’ll search together.”
Bibi sniffled and nodded. With her parents by her side, she felt a little braver.
They checked the pond again, then the nearby bushes, but still, no Quackers. Bibi’s heart sank further. What if something bad had happened to him?
Just then, their neighbor, old Mr. Patel, walked by with his cane. “Looking for something, Bibi?” he asked kindly.
“Yes, Mr. Patel! My duck, Quackers, is missing,” Bibi explained desperately.
Mr. Patel stroked his white beard. “Hmm… I saw a duck that looked a lot like Quackers near the vegetable market this morning.”
Bibi’s eyes lit up with hope. “The market? That’s far! He never goes that far.”
“Maybe someone took him by mistake,” Mama said thoughtfully. “Let’s go check.”
Without wasting a second, Bibi and her parents hurried toward the market. The air was filled with the scent of fresh bread and ripe mangoes, and the chatter of people buying and selling. But Bibi wasn’t interested in any of that. She only wanted to find Quackers.
She looked around frantically. There were baskets of colorful vegetables, stacks of shiny apples, and crates of squawking chickens, but no sign of her duck.
Then, she heard it—a faint quack from behind a fruit stall.
“Quackers?” Bibi gasped and ran toward the sound.
Behind the stall, a small boy held a plump white duck in his arms. Bibi recognized Quackers instantly!
“Hey! That’s my duck!” she cried.
The boy, who looked a little younger than Bibi, frowned. “No, he’s mine. I found him all alone near the road.”
Bibi’s heart ached. Quackers must have wandered too far and gotten lost. She knelt down and called softly, “Quackers, it’s me.”
As soon as Quackers heard her voice, he quacked loudly and flapped his wings, struggling to get free. The boy’s grip loosened, and the duck waddled straight into Bibi’s arms.
Tears of relief rolled down Bibi’s cheeks as she hugged him. “Oh, Quackers! I was so worried about you!”
The boy looked at them and sighed. “I guess he really is yours.”
Bibi nodded. “He’s my best friend. Thank you for keeping him safe.”
The boy smiled. “Maybe I can visit him sometime?”
Bibi grinned. “Of course! Quackers loves making new friends.”
As they walked home, Bibi held Quackers close, feeling warmth and happiness fill her heart. She had learned something important that day—sometimes, even when things seem scary, hope and kindness can bring friends back together.
From that day on, Bibi never let Quackers wander too far. And every morning, when she ran to the pond, her best friend was always there, waiting for her, just as he always had.
