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.
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).
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