In the depths of a big forest an old wood duck has his children and grand children huddle round him. He’s ready to tell them a story.
Once upon a time there was a little wood duck who lived with his mother. They lived together on a big lake at foot of tall mountains. The mountains were filled with forests and the lake was a very quiet and a peaceful place. The little wood duck and his mother lived on an island in the middle of the lake. The island was surrounded by thick reeds and it was their sleeping place. Like wood ducks do, they slept half awake and half asleep.
One night the little wood duck couldn’t sleep. Normally, he’d ask his mother to stroke his neck feathers. But she was fast asleep. His thoughts raced, speeding through the universe, the stars and galaxies. He began to wonder what his purpose in the universe was ? He felt so small compared to the world, the planets, stars and galaxies. Something that big to think about stumped him. He couldn’t answer his question of ”Why am I alive ?”. It was a huge question and after struggling with for some time he grew tired and fell back asleep.
That night planted a seed. Over the next few days the little wood duck’s curiosity grew. He
found himself thinking deeply about why he was alive and what he
would make of his life. He spoke with his mother less, often walking
slowly behind her with his head down, lost in thought.
Spring had arrived. This was a beautiful time for all wood ducks. It was a time of life with leaves growing back on the trees and the new wood duck chicks hatching. The little wood duck knew his mother’s favourite part about spring was the blooming flowers. But with her little wood duck looking so gloomy she couldn’t enjoy them as much. But she told herself, it was just a phase of youth and it would pass quickly.
One morning early before the sun rose the little wood duck woke his mother. He spoke:
“Mother I have a few words to say”
His mother replied sleepily:
“My dear child, now’s not the time. Put whatever you have aside, and let’s go for our walk. Spring is the most beautiful time of year. Now the Acacias are all all flowering yellow. You know it’s my favourite time of year. Let’s go for our walk.”
But the little wood duck was resolute. “No mother, I can’t do this any longer. I’ve got to go !”.
His mother asked, “Are you certain you have to leave?”
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I’ve made up my mind. I have to go.’
His mother asked, “Really ? Well, if you must leave, where are you going?”
The little wood duck replied, “I want to see the source of the water that fills our lake. You know, mother, these past weeks, I’ve been trapped in thought. I’ve thought of nothing else but where the river that fills our lake comes from. Last night, I didn’t sleep at all, thinking about it. So, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to fly up the river into the mountains to find where the water comes from.”
The little wood duck loved his mother deeply. It hurt him think of leaving her. He remembered the moments of laughter they shared. She’d taught him so many valuable lessons. But he was beginning to feel restless. Not knowing what the world could offer. The lake was big but the talk of the town was small. Maybe the journey would help him see the bigger picture of life.
His mother laughed softly:
“When I was a child I had many thoughts like this. The source of the river ! Don’t worry about that. The river has no source. It is what it is ! The river flows from nowhere.”
“But, mother, ” he replied, “isn’t it true that everything has a source? The light of day, the dark of night, the flowers, the birds, the trees, the soil, the planets, the universe—they all have a source, don’t they?”
“Put these big thoughts aside,” she said. “Let’s wander around the lake. It’s time to enjoy spring, not to speak of life’s mysteries.”
“No, mother,” the little wood duck said. “I can’t set these thoughts aside any longer. I’m tired of this life. I’m curious about what’s out there. I want to know where the water comes from. No one has put these ideas in my head. I’ve thought them up on my own, ever since I realized I could grow into an old wood duck like the others, always complaining about life. If I stay, I’ll become just like them.”
His mother listened till the end. Took a breath and said quickly, “Did you hit your head, my child? There’s a whole world here. You don’t need to leave the lake to find yourself.”
Their neighbour was passing by and overheard them. “Why are you talking so sternly with your child?” she asked. “Aren’t you going for a walk?”
The mother called out from the reeds, “What a world we live in now, where children try to teach their elders!”
The mother called out from the reeds, “What a world we live in now, where children try to teach their elders!”
The other wood ducks were already starting their walks. They were all impatient to stick with their routine. The springtime weather was beautiful. But this change in season for our little wood duck was a sign. A sign to start a big life change.
‘How so?” asked the neighbour.
“This little one,” she said, “is saying he wants to see the world. What big words, right?”
The world was a big place for a little wood duck. It might have limitless possibilities but it also had limitless threats. Lots of stories and experiences to find, lose and then re-find new perspectives. Some of them good and some of them bad. Behind her rebuke was a worry. Mama wood duck was worried her little wood duck might get lost, re-find himself and no longer walk the lake with her.
The neighbour scoffed, “Since when did your child become a scholar and philosopher of the universe?”
“I don’t know what you mean by ‘scholar’ or ‘philosopher’,’ said the little wood duck. “I only know I’m tired. If I stay here, I’ll wake up one day, old and regretful, ignorant of all I could have been.”
“Wow can you hear the words of this kid !” said the neighbour.
His mother continued. “I didn’t think this little duck egg would grow into such a child. I can’t imagine where he gets these corrupted ideas from. Whose done it?, Who’s told him these ideas? He couldn’t have thought of flying up the mountains to find the source of the river by himself !”
“Mama, nobody’s put this in my head” said the little wood duck. “I can think for myself and I can see with my own two eyes, If I stay here I’ll become a regretful, complaining wood duck. I’ll have missed out on the best of life’s adventures.”
“Madam, do you remember that tricky dragon fly ?” chimed in the neighbour.
His mother replied:
“Yes I do !” said mama wood duck. As if it was perfect timing. “He was twisting up all the children in the village with his talk. It was right what happened to him. We had to get a hold of his tongue before it corrupted the whole village.”
“Enough mother, he was a dear friend of mine.” spoke the little wood duck.
With a smirk his mother said “I never heard of a friendship between a dragonfly and a wood duck.”
The little wood duck look at his mother with his head held high. “I never heard that wood ducks and dragonflies were enemies.” Then looked her straight in the eye “But even so you drowned the dragonfly.”
The neighbour quickly spoke “That news is in the past. We don’t need to repeat it now.”
The little wood duck turned to the neighbour “You brought the dragonfly up.”
His mother stomped her feet. She got the attention of the little wood duck’s gaze again and said “It was right to kill the dragonfly. If you remember the types of things he spoke about around town. We couldn’t permit that.”
The little wood duck with a fire in his eyes replied “So then kill me too, because I am saying the exact same words.”
The commotion between the little wood duck, his mother and their neighbour seemed to stir the whole village. A crowed was gathering around them and they had been listening. They were visibly angry from what the little wood duck had said.
One of the older wood ducks was the first to step forward and speak to the little wood duck. “Do you imagine that we are going to have mercy on you?”
Another stepped forward and said “He only needs a little punishment !”
The little wood duck’s mother stepped in front of both ducks. “Go away, you’re not touching my child.” she said
Another wood duck among them said “Madam, when you don’t educate your son in our ways then you must bear witness to his punishment.”
Their neighbour wailed out as if to attract sympathy from the crowd, “I’m ashamed you’re my neighbours.”
This encouraged another duck to step forward and say “So that things don’t go any further, it’s easiest we kill him just like the dragonfly.”
Just before the other wood ducks could grab the little wood duck he was rescued by his friends. They circled around him and took him out of the mob. His mother felt helpless. She was crying and beating her head.
“My child wants to leave ! So what am I supposed to do? What misfortune has befallen me !”
The little wood duck still with the fire in his eyes said “Mother you don’t need to cry for me but instead cry for these old and helpless wood ducks. They don’t know what they could have become in life”
The first wood duck to step forward said sharply. “Don’t insult us smart-arse !”.
A second said, “If you leave once and then have regrets we won’t ever let you forget about it. You’ll be so ashamed you’ll never try leave the village again.”
A third said, “These are just the longings of youth. They’ll pass soon enough. Don’t be foolish enough to follow them !”
A fourth said, “There isn’t anything up there in the mountains. You’ll never find the source of water. Forget about that folly and accept life as it is. Return from these disastrous thoughts !”
A fifth said, “What’s your problem with just staying here ?”
The sixth said, “If you come to your senses and return you’ll see we were correct. You’ll realise what you thought was wrong and our beliefs are true and correct.”
The seventh said, “It’s a shame you want to leave. We had become accustomed to seeing you.”
After this his mother cried out “Have mercy on me and don’t go, don’t go !”
The little wood duck didn’t stay around to listen any more. Together with his friends they went towards the river.
Once the little wood duck had separated from the crowd and was only with his friends he said “Dear friends I hope to meet you all again, so don’t forget me.”
His friends were kind and replied, “How could we forget you ?, you woke us from our subconscious sleep. Without your words we wouldn’t think there is bigger picture. We hope we see you again dear friend. You leave with our respect.”
After this the little wood duck took flight up the river leaving the lake behind him.