Audrey, a four year old girl learns how baby ducks live on her grndparent's farm. Copyright © 2000 G. Allen Mercer, Jr.

Egg Tooth
Written By: GA Mercer

Audrey, a bright eyed four year old with straight blond hair, was spending a week with her grandparents on their farm. Audrey loved the farm and all of the animals that lived there. There were chickens, two horses, one dog, one cat and many cows. She especially liked the cows, but only from behind the fence.

Audrey was always eager to help. She was very good at throwing corn to the chickens, and was always gentle when collecting the eggs.

"Here you go Granny," she said gently placing a large brown egg into her grandmother's basket.

"Thank you dear," her grandmother said. “Now would you like to help me with something else?”

Audrey nodded as her grandmother led her into the barn, where her grandfather was standing next to a large brown box. From inside the box Audrey could hear small scratching noises and muffled peeping sounds.

“Granny, what’s that?” Audrey said trying to pull the box over.

“Be careful dear, that is a surprise for you,” she said gently pulling the little girl’s hand away.

“A surprise!” Audrey said covering her mouth, as the peeping noises grew louder.

“Do you want to see your surprise?” Granddad asked, knowing the answer.

“Yes, oh yes! Please!” the little girl said with delight.

“Alright. But you have to promise to help with your surprise,” Granny added.

“I will Granny, please let me see!” she said, ready to explode with excitement.

Audrey’s grandmother gently moved the box into a small enclosure while granddad lifted Audrey into the pen and opened the box.

As the light entered the box, the 'peeping' noise grew louder. Audrey slowly peered over the edge of the box and squealed with delight!

“Baby ducks!” she said unable to contain her happiness.

“That’s right dear, there are seven baby Peking ducks and seven baby Mallards,” granddad said.

“Do you want to hold one?” Audrey’s grandmother asked as she lifted the smallest Peking duck from the box.

Audrey cupped her hands together like she was ready to scoop up water.

“Be careful with their little wings and the head,” grandmother said as she placed the yellow-feathered creature inside of Audrey’s waiting hands.

“He is so cute,” Audrey said as she held the young duck close to her chest. “You are the cutest yellow duck I have ever seen,” Audrey said nuzzling her nose against the soft down feathers of the young bird.

“Well, he won’t be yellow for long,” granddad piped in.

“That’s right dear,” granny added. “As they grow they will trade their yellow feathers for adult white ones; and they will also loose their egg tooth.”

Audrey looked up at her grandmother. "What's an egg tooth Granny?"

"Do you see that sharp point at the tip of its beak?" Granny said touching the ducks beak.

"Yea."

"Well that is the tooth the baby duck uses to break out of its egg. It's called an egg tooth."

"Oh," Audrey said touched the tooth with the tip of her finger. "It is sharp isn’t it?"

Audrey spent the next week taking care of the ducks. She would clean the pen, shred newspaper for their bed, and make sure they had fresh water and food.
After she was through helping her grandmother, she would sit for hours in the ducks pen watching them waddle around together. The smallest Peking duck, one she had named Piper, would always hop up in her lap and fall asleep.

Without noticing it, a week had passed and it was time for Audrey to go back home. Audrey's mother, who had grown up on the farm, knew that it was going to be hard for Audrey to say goodbye to the little ducks, so she made a deal with her daughter.

"What do you say we come back at Thanksgiving and visit Granny and Granddad again?"

"And the ducks?" Audrey added hopefully.

"And the ducks," her mother said.

Audrey went to visit the ducks one more time before leaving. She opened the pen and sat down. Instantly, Piper hopped into her lap and snuggled down to fall asleep.

"Mom, can I at least take Piper home with us?" she asked hopefully. "He doesn’t like to sleep anywhere else but in my lap."

"No sweetie, we can't. He will be happier here with his brothers and sisters," she said.

"Look dear, when you come back at Thanksgiving, the ducks will be swimming in the pond. They'll be alright, you'll see," Granddad said lifting her out of the pen.

Audrey was sad she had to leave the ducks, but knew that her Granny and Granddad would take care of them.

Three months later, a very excited Audrey jumped out of her mother's car and rushed to hug her grandparents.

"Look at you," Granny said. "You have really grown since the summer."

"Guess who else has grown?" Granddad asked hugging his granddaughter.

"Who?" she asked.

Granddad pointed to the pond in the backyard where fourteen ducks were happily swimming about bobbing for food.

"I told you they would be alright," her Granddad said, being dragged along by the young girl.

"I told you they would be alright," her Granddad said.

The ducks waddled out of the pond. Seven of them had traded their yellow feathers for white ones, and the other seven were covered in shiny green and brown feathers. The ducks were walking towards Audrey, her mom and her grandparents.

"Which one is Piper?" she asked trying to figure it out. "He used to be the smallest Peking, now they all look the same."

"Why don’t you have a seat next to me," Granny said patting the green grass beside her.

Audrey sat on the ground as all of the ducks waddled past -- except one. The white duck looked at Audrey, then waddled right up to her and hopped in her lap.

"Piper," she said softly. "I didn't forget you either."

The duck snuggled into the little girl's lap and went to sleep.