The Dugly Uckling

There once was a dugly uckling. People didn't know what to make of it because they hadn't met a dugly uckling before. It's feathers were all bessy and rown, which didn't help either. So, because it didn't know what it was either, it left town to find its place in the world.

And thus it wandered the land, asking everyone 'What am I?' but it could not find anyone to tell it what it was. The one consolation was that its feathers faded a bit and the rown bits started to fall out, making it a bit less bessy.

One day, that seemed no different to a lot of other days, he met a boy on the road who also seemed rather alone. 'So what are you?' asked the uckling. 'I'm a goody blenius' said the boy. The uckling was no slouch and soon their conversation was really cooking as they tried to solve the mysteries of their identities, but all they solved were a few puniversal aradoxes.

Deep in conversation as they strolled the day, they nearly missed an old man who sat basking in the dappled light under an old beech tree. A little weary and desperate for some resolution, they poured out their stories to him without even being asked.

The old man smiled and nodded and eventually spoke. 'My Spame is nooner' he said with a grin, 'and have I got yews for nou!' And reaching forward, he banged their heads together. Suddenly illuminated, they got up, bowed to the old man, and danced off rown the doad.

***

~by David Straker~