Bibi was a little girl who loved exploring the pond near her grandmother’s house. She spent her afternoons chasing dragonflies, skipping pebbles across the water, and watching the ducks waddle along the shore.
One bright morning, as she arrived at the pond, she noticed that something was different. The mother duck, who always quacked happily near the reeds with her ducklings, was pacing nervously along the water’s edge. Bibi’s heart clenched with concern. She crouched near the shore and watched carefully. Sure enough, she counted only six ducklings instead of seven.
“Oh no,” Bibi whispered. “One is missing!”
Determined to help, she walked along the water, calling softly, “Little duckling, where are you?” She searched behind bushes, under the wooden bridge, and even checked between the tall grasses that lined the pond’s edge. But there was no sign of the missing duckling.
Then, Bibi had an idea. If the duckling wasn’t on land, maybe it had wandered into the water! She knelt at the pond’s edge, peering into the shimmering surface. The water was clearer than she expected. She could see tiny pebbles resting at the bottom, plants swaying with the gentle currents, and even a few tadpoles darting around.
As she moved her gaze further out into the pond, something caught her eye. A sudden, quick movement just beneath the water. At first, she thought it might be the duckling, but as she watched closely, she realized something else was there. Many somethings.
Fish! Dozens and dozens of fish! Small silver ones that shimmered in the sunlight, larger golden ones with long flowing fins, and even a few dark-colored ones hiding among the reeds. Bibi gasped in delight. She had never seen so many fish in this pond before!
Forgetting the duckling for a moment, she sat still and watched. The fish darted and danced, swimming in small groups, weaving through the plants, and sometimes leaping slightly above the surface before splashing back down. It was like they were playing their own little game.
Bibi reached her hand into the water and swirled it gently. To her surprise, some of the fish swam closer, curious about her presence. One bold little fish, no bigger than her pinky finger, nibbled at her fingertip before darting away. She giggled.
Then she remembered—the duckling! She stood up quickly and scanned the water again. If so many fish were swimming here, maybe the little duckling had also wandered into this part of the pond.
Carefully, she walked along the edge, keeping her eyes peeled. The water was filled with fish, but no duckling. Then, she heard a tiny peeping sound. It was faint but unmistakable. Bibi followed the sound, moving closer to a cluster of lily pads floating near the middle of the pond.
There, caught between two broad green leaves, was the missing duckling! It was paddling frantically but couldn’t seem to get free.
