Friendly Henry

Cool, calm, friendly Henry, or was he?

There was a time, it seemed just like yesterday, when amazing Grace wasn’t so amazingly beautiful at all. As a child she’d been an ugly duckling. Now she wasn’t. The years had transformed her into the most stunning looking female duck there ever was.

Why then, didn’t friendly Henry notice her? She had gone bananas thinking about him. He was kind, cheerful, loyal, had been obedient to his parents, and most importantly of all, he was friendly. Friendly to everyone but her.

All she had to do was wiggle her tail and other male ducks came running to do anything she asked. Black Bill was so handsome a duck and full of himself because of it, that amazing Grace couldn’t stand him. He had the most shady spot under the big bamboo that every other male duck most wanted. Black Bill was not only handsome, he was the biggest, strongest, and sneakest male duck around. He could get anything he wanted, except for amazing Grace.

Because of her gentle loving nature, amazing Grace had been given the next shadiest spot under the banana plant, where she could go bananas all day if she wanted. She didn’t. She was tired of it. She’d let Black Bill court her to make friendly Henry jealous. That had backfired. What could she do?

Today, hunting season started. All the ducks were nervous about it, but not too nervous. Rain had started, too. It was a heavy downpour that flooded the hunters boats, made their clothes soggy, and their guns misfire. Amazing Grace sat all warm, dry and comfy under her banana plant going bananas about friendly Henry.

Friendly Henry, like every other male duck who had seen amazing Grace, had gone quakers over her. He even dreamed about being with her in his sleep. Just when he’d nerved himself up to make his move, she’d thrown herself at Black Bill, like all the other female ducks around.

Now, he consoled himself by helping little ducklings lost from their mothers find them again, and doing other good deeds. At the moment, he swam in widening circles in the pond, looking in a friendly way, for ways to make life better for the other ducks, while screwing up his courage to get friendly with amazing Grace.

Thunder rolled in the sky. Lightning flashed and struck amazing Grace’s big tall banana plant. It was on fire. Burning leaves began to fall. Black Bill jumped into the pond to get away from the smoke, calling out for help.

Amazing Grace couldn’t see a thing. Every direction she tried to go was on fire. Thunder hid her cries for rescue.

All the ducks but friendly Henry were fleeing as the fire spread. He ducked under the water until every feather was coated with it. Then he shook himself as he got out of the pond, making a wet path for amazing Grace to follow him safely out of the fire.

There was barely time to do so. Amazing Grace was gasping for breath and burning embers had been hard to put out. She was coated so thickly with so much dust, only friendly Henry could recognize she was even a duck.

Friendly Henry was as calm, patient, and gracious as ever, letting amazing Grace lead the way back on the wet trail. He almost burned his tail feathers off. When the two of them were never so glad as when they reached the safety of the pond, where all the other ducks ignored these two strange looking creatures. They wanted to watch the fire burn from the safety of the middle of the pond.


Friendly Henry made sure amazing Grace was all right. On her part, amazing Grace thanked him over and over again for saving her life. They didn’t need anything other than the chance to be together.

As the fire died out and the smoke floated away the ducks saw that only the sliver of land where the big bamboo had been was burned. The banana plant had shed most of its leaves but still stood.

Black Bill came swimming back to examine the remains of the bib bamboo. It was gone. He went off flying away, dodging hunters bullets until he disappeared in the sky.

Friendly Henry and amazing Grace could go bananas over each other in her favorite resting place. Fresh new shoots that were quite tasty began growing nearby. In no time at all they were both feeling just ducky.