The Duck That Laid an Ostrich Egg

The duck that laid an ostrich egg
Was taken quite aback
To find her duckling, when it came,
Did not know how to quack!

And though he flapped his little wings
And tried his best to speak
Like mother duck; no quack but 'squawk!`
Came from his open beak.

Now mother duck was very sad;
She did not know quite why
Her new-born, though he try so hard,
Did not know how to fly!

So she pushed him gently down
Towards the water. 'Jim,'
(His name) she said, 'now come on, do;
You must know how to swim!'

With that she dived into the pond
And paddled all around;
But Jim stayed watching from the bank,
His feet still on the ground.

'Now come on, Jim, his mother cried,
'This really is too bad;
You cannot fly, you will not swim,
It makes me very sad.

'I would have hoped a son of mine
Would try at least to please
His poor Mama, but it appears
That you would rather sneeze;

'For when you speak, you do not sound
Like other ducks I know.
I wonder whether to accept
That you are simply slow?'

She teased, cajoled, she fairly swore,
But nothing worked. And so
She left him where he stood, and watched
As he began to grow.

And Jim the ostrich, as they do,
Grew taller than the reeds
Where coots and moorhens make their nests
And children take the seeds

Of rushes for their class displays
To help them with their sums
Or eggs of ducks or even geese
To give them to their mums.

And as Jim heard his mother's words
His heart filled with dismay;
And so he turned his back on her
And simply ran away.

And as he ran he realised
At last what he could do,
And stretching out his neck and legs
Across the land he flew.

For as he ran he moved so fast
The world passed by apace
And Jim was filled with joy to feel
The freedom of his race.

You see, an ostrich cannot swim
Nor can an ostrich fly,
But when Jim ran, all were amazed
To see him passing by.

For ostriches have legs so long
Of wings they have no need
For nothing else upon the land
Can match their running speed.

So if you too one day should find
An ostrich in your nest
Be open to what comes, and don't
Put nature to the test;

And don't assume your children will
Become like you one day,
But let them grow and let them run
And let them find their way.

For not all people are like us
Nor should we want them so.
Perhaps you'll have an ostrich too -
Perhaps you'll never know.