Week 12 Storytelling: Quinlan and Quinton take a Quack at Migration

Two Ducks named Quinlan and Quinton lived with their father and mother and flock of Ducks near a lake. One day their father called them to him and said, "winter is quickly approaching and the Ducks are in danger. It will be best if you fly south for the winter, and you each must lead your own team of Ducks to take with you.”

“What’s the danger, Father?” they asked him.

“When winter arrives the harsh winds, frozen waters, and freezing temperatures will make it nearly impossibly to survive. These harsh conditions will destroy all of the food we eat and make it impossible for us to fly,” the father said. “Many Ducks have attempted to survive here during the winter, but none have prevailed.”

“Shall you go away with us?” Quinlan asked.

“No, your mother and I, and some of the other old Ducks have a location we migrate to every year,” said the father. “It is a small, warm pond with enough food for us, but there is not enough food for you and your flock. You must lead your team down south to a warm pond or lake where there is plenty of food for you, and remain there until the pond here is not longer frozen. Only then may you bring your flock back here. But you must be careful. You must travel high in the sky above the clouds, because the hunters will see you if you travel low and under the clouds. And you must not fly over the villages where hunters live.”

So Quinlan and Quinton and their flocks set out. Quinlan traveled high above the clouds and did not go near any villages, and at last he led his team safely to a small lake with a great deal food. Not a single Duck was lost under Quinlan’s command.

But Quinton forgot what his father had said. Early each morning he took off to the skies with his team, flying low in the skies so that he could see the sights below. When he saw a village, he led his team right over it. Over and over again the hunters saw the V formation in the sky, and they killed many, many of the Ducks in Quinton’s team.

When winter was nearly over and the pond was finally melted, the Ducks began their journey back to their home. Quinlan led all his flock back, but idiotic Quinton traveled low in the sky, and again flew his flock over the villages. When he reached the pond only a few were left of all Quinton’s flock.

Pair of White Ducks (Source)

Author's Note. This storytelling is based on the Jataka tale Beauty and Brownie. In the original story, Beauty and Brownie are two deer that have been instructed by their father to each lead a herd of deer to a safe location from the forest while the corn is being harvested. Their father gives them explicit instructions not to travel by day and not to travel near the villages. Beauty completely obeys his father’s instructions and does not lose a single member of his herd. However, Brownie was stupid and both traveled during the day and near the villages, doing the exact opposite of his father’s instructions. Brownie had very few of his herd still alive.

I keep the story almost completely the same for my storytelling. I changed the characters from deer to ducks because ducks migrate every year. I though of this story as the first time Quinlan and Quinton were leading the migration. Since they were ducks who were leaving for migration, I decided the conditions that required them to leave should pertain to that concept. I also changed the duck’s names from Beauty and Brownie to Quinlan and Quinton. I felt as though names that began with the letter “Q” were most appropriate for a story about ducks because quack.

Bibliography. More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt, illustrated by Ellsworth Young (1922).