This is Chapter One of the story that everyone seems to like more than the other six. It is Chapter 19 in the book. THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN POST SURGERY SO IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT A LOBECTOMY WORKS WONDERS. HOWEVER IT IS NOT RECOMENDED JUST TO REMOVE A LONG STANDING BLOCKAGE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND COMPOSE FLUENTLY IN ENGLISH! Thank you.
Copywrite Delphine Hollingwood 1907
FILBERT FOIS GRAS' BRIDGE BUILDING AND KARMA LESSONS.
CHAPTER 19
Unceremoniously Filbert Fois Gras flew in and landed at what looked a good watering hole for the night. He was surprised by the racket around and had trouble understanding all the foreign quacking. The crickets idly dropped their C’s incessantly saying, “Ricket, ricket, ricket,” and as he had never learned beetle patter Filbert had no idea what they were whining and whittling about. Oh well, he thought, I can turn a deaf ear again for one night and wend my way back home if I don’t like it.
Filbert had travelled from far away France for a much needed change of scenery and holiday. He had not been well and needed to leave the stresses of the city where business was cut throat and life very hard in the fast lane with the high fliers. As a dear colleague always said, “You only had to turn your back to find yourself being spread on someone else’s bread and butter. It is so stressful watching your tail feathers and keeping your head above water at the same time.” This was very true and Filbert found the stress very draining.
He had enjoyed his sojourn in this beautiful new land over the sea and seen some wonderful ponds. The trip to Trafalgar was a disaster because it was full of pigeons that did nothing but ‘Coo Coo’ at him and make him feel most unwelcome. Filbert now appreciated just how the migrating wildlife felt when they landed on foreign soil. He was just exceptionally glad that he had invested in an Earpod because at least he could shut out the eternal cooing and not feel so threatened when he was listening to his beautiful and relaxing musquack.
Being used to the high life, living as he did on a vast estate in the Province de Neuf Papillon complete with chateau and moat, he found it hard reconciling himself to the small ponds in the parks where many of his distant cousins resided. If the truth be known, Filbert was a bit of a snob and a very natty dresser and he looked most out of place in Trafalgar. Even the Serpentine held no appeal for all the tales he had heard about it being a favourite swimming place for celebrating revellers. Overall, Filbert found the pigeons to be the most uninteresting and the other water fowl just looked down their beaks at him which was disconcerting considering the estate on which he was accustomed to living.
It was late and Filbert went for a drink and quick nibble on the duckweed. He found that tasted acceptable but was getting rather tired of the same old bland flavoured food. In fact his digestive system was telling him to find something different because he was having the most chronic gas problems with this diet. The tired bird waddled wearily to a small grassy knoll under the shade of a huge sycamore and settled down for the night.
During the night he was wakened by screeching and squeaking followed by the strangest of foreign quacking. He unwillingly opened his eyes and to his surprise he saw a fox padding close by followed by a rather woeful looking duck. The fox looked up and stared at the moon as it peeped out from under the clouds. It was fully ripe and the fox seemed possessed by it. He stood and howled at the pale disk shining brightly as it smiled down on them and then he turned on the beautiful duck who accompanied him. The moon had fully undressed and shone her light all around. The huge beam lit up the area illuminating the fox’s companion who was the most beautiful white duck that Filbert had ever seen. His heart skipped a beat. Moments later, he noticed that the fox had become agitated with his companion and the possessed animal began nipping and biting the beautiful duck.
Filbert was filled with horror and rage, stood up and let fly at the fox. Being unaware of his audience, the fox was taken aback by this sudden attack from the knoll. He let go of his companion and having received the most vicious duck nip ran off whimpering into the undergrowth from whence he had come.
The rattled and shaken duck looked at Filbert and could not believe her eyes. Filbert waddled over to the duck, looked into her eyes and saw a very sad but beautiful canard staring star struck back at him. Filbert enquired whether she was all right and received a blank look. He hoped he had not frightened or offended her and was relieved to hear the ensuing quacks. At this point he realised that she was a fair English Canard.
Being cosmopolitan Filbert knew several languages – well it helped when there were many migratory birds calling at the Chateau moat for a breather. He spoke to the duck in her own tongue and she replied that she was a little shaken but not hurt. Filbert introduced himself and the beautiful duck introduced herself as Kassandra Quackalot.
The holidaying duck did not wish to seem nosey but could not stop from asking why she was consorting with a fox. Kassandra gulped and started to tell a tale of woe. It transpired that her previous partner had severely scolded her and during a drunken stupor he rather ruffled her feathers. Consequently, during a moment of sheer despair, she was taken in by the velvet-tongued Rusty Reynard and went off with him to find a better life.
Unfortunately the grass was not cracked up to be what Kassandra had imagined at Rusty’s residence which she soon found out to be a real hole. Also Rusty was not in the least bit Vegetarian. He was also a bad provider and she was forced to forage for her own sustenance. This rather got her down because, for all his failings, her former partner was a good provider.
Although Kassandra had faults she held on to her pride and decided that as she had made her bed she should lie in it, as indeed she had for what seemed years to her. What Kassandra missed most was the wonderful cream cakes purchased from Henry Hunnybun's bread and cake shop.
Filbert was now totally lost because he knew nothing of Kassandra’s previous life or habits but he listened politely as the rather woeful duck continued unabated. Kassandra explained that she was supposed to have been staying with a friend who ran a sanctuary but Rusty had come along and enticed her away from the hospitality and care that Winnie Widgeon-Bottom had offered.
Looking at her Filbert realised that Kassandra looked a bit wobbly and made her sit down on a grassy patch in order that she could regain her composure. The beautiful but battered duck did this willingly and Filbert sat down close to her. Something made him run a friendly beak through Kassandra’s feathers and she cringed.
This was going to be a challenge, Filbert thought because obviously Kassandra had lost faith in her fellow creatures if her recent reaction was anything to go by. He was a patient and polite duck so profusely apologised for being so forward but he pointed out that Kassandra was a beautiful duck and he just thought that she looked in need of comforting. Kassandra took this in and then thanked him for his thoughtfulness.
They sat there in companionable silence for what seemed hours and then Kassandra carried on with the lurid tale that led her to be in this moonlit spot. It became apparent that Rusty enjoyed howling at the moon for some reason and tonight was special because there was an eclipse. The duck did not know that it affected creatures but tonight all creatures seemed to be acting strangely.
Filbert nodded and said that he had heard about this lunar effect but that he did not realise it was a special moon tonight, although something in the air felt different. He just put it down to the change of season which was one of the reasons for him being there now.
The now tired duck started to drop off and came to rest closely snuggled up to Filbert. He stayed wakeful through the night and listened to the strange howling that seemed to go on for most of the night. Once the moon had dipped below the horizon all became silent and Filbert finally dropped off to sleep himself.
