The Story has 6 Parts
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Story :
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Story :
In a week's time there were no more ducks at the pond, except a forlorn Miena. With even beavers disappearing into their lodges for the winter, Dooro was truly alarmed and determined to straighten it out one way or another.
"Miena, when are you leaving? The ducks are all gone and you know it's time."
The duck's quack was something between a plea and resignation. "I'm not going," she said.
Dooro couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But, why not!"
"I just can't." And then more defiantly, "I don't want to and I won't."
To the pragmatic beaver this violated every instinctual rule. Ducks flew south for the winter and there simply was no other option. Dooro was emphatic. "You can't leave? Well, you can't stay. What would you eat? Where will you live? The pond will be frozen soon."
Miena refused to answer. Instead she turned her back on him and flew off to a tree. The worried beaver didn't know what to do. She was his friend, after all.
Dooro kept an eye on her all the following week. With each progressive day the now-freezing temperature began to have its effect. The mud the beavers had so carefully applied to their lodges became hard as cement and the pond began to freeze over starting at the shoreline. This was no problem for the beavers who could continue working underwater even in a completely ice-covered pond. Dooro was accustomed to memorizing every air pocket including the ones that always formed along the shore of the pond or the one that formed at the dome of ice above the entrance to his lodge. What he wasn't accustomed to doing was worrying about a duck who had no such defenses against winter's harsh elements. Miena looked more miserable each day.
He thought and thought about how he could help her. He even suggested to Miena that she dive into the pond before it was frozen over so she could seek shelter in his beaver lodge. But this would have meant using the tunnel passageway and Dooro only needed to see the terror in her eyes to know that answer.
Then one morning after it had snowed all night, the frantic quacking of a duck awakened Dooro, comfortably asleep in his lodge. He arrived at the surface of the pond to find Miena stuck in the ice. She had fallen asleep in one of the last clear patches of water and during the night snow and ice had sealed it, trapping her feet. No matter how hard she struggled she couldn't get free and was crying out pitifully.
Without hesitation Dooro began gnawing and clawing at the ice. In his presence Miena ceased crying and lay quiet. It wasn't long before he had freed her.
While he worked, Dooro had resolved to save Miena. He didn't consider it brave or foolish. He only knew that what he planned was against every beaver's deepest instinct. Without acknowledging Miena who followed him, he walked to his lodge and began chewing the outer wall with its mud cement casing. Even with his powerful jaws and his two-inch bottom teeth honed to a knife-like edge, it wasn't easy. The feeling of bitter cold stabbed at his gums until his teeth became numb, but Dooro was single-minded in the determination to vandalize his own fortress. He bit and tore at it for an hour until it was broken open. Then with his snout he nudged in the shaken duck and began immediately making repairs. Even with repair, he realized the protective wall of his lodge would take days to harden again. He finally joined Miena inside.
"Oh, what did you do to your beautiful home?" she said sadly.
With his forepaws Dooro began readjusting the wood shavings. He made a pile for the duck and a pile for himself. "It will be all right," he said. "I've already repaired it. How are you feeling?"
"It's warmer in here," she quacked softly. "Thank you."
With his nose the beaver pushed an elm twig towards the duck. There were several leaves still attached. "Want some?" He asked, trying to sound cheery.
"No thank you." Miena was overcome with gratitude and the last thing she had on her mind was food. She was well aware of how dearly Dooro loved to learn of new things, so she searched her mind for such an item and found it. "Did I ever tell you about the enemy of all animals?" she asked.
Dooro's eyes got wide. "All animals. What do you mean?"
Miena lowered her voice. "There's a legend among ducks of an animal whom even our enemies fear. I've never seen it, and my parents never saw it, and no ducks they ever talked to saw it, but nevertheless, there's an animal who uses the rocks of the ground and the limbs of the trees to kill others. It doesn't even need its teeth and it's more deadly than wolf packs or cougars or bears. It kills them all."
"Oh....." Dooro shuddered. "How awful."
"That's not all. Besides eating those it kills, it uses them for a second skin."
"What does this animal look like?"
"It walks on two legs like a bird, but it can't fly. It has arms instead of wings and no tail."
They talked on and on about the strange animal. But while Miena began to relax and enjoy herself, Dooro couldn't ignore a persistent feeling of doom. For good reason. At that very moment Aiera was foraging in their area.
The wolf hadn't eaten in days and with the alluring scent of duck and beaver wafting through the air he followed it eagerly, lifting his muzzle and sniffing often. Crossing the now frozen pond, it didn't take him long to find Dooro's lodge.
Dooro and Miena smelled him before they heard him.
"Dive, Miena!" ordered Dooro.
But the duck, paralyzed with fear, shrank against the wall of the lodge. Dooro knew if he left her she would be killed. Already he could hear Aiera's growling as the wolf tore and scratched at the freshly packed mud and branches. It wasn't long before his head and shoulders broke through.
Dooro, backing up, pushed Miena against the wall and lifted his head to show his teeth. But the stronger and more agile Aiera wasn't the least intimidated. He wriggled and crashed through the barrier leaping on the beaver and pulling him outside. So powerful was Aiera that once he had a solid hold of the beaver's neck he shook him savagely.
The violence of the scene and terrible growls of the wolf awakened Miena from her daze. "Quack-wack-wack." She rushed from the lodge, flapping her wings, doing her best once again to attract Aiera's attention. She finally succeeded, but at what cost. Aiera released the beaver and grabbed Miena by her left wing, breaking it. Then he tossed her into the air to get a deadlier grip.
It was all the chance Dooro needed. Aiera's left back leg came within reach and he bit down as hard as he had ever chomped a willow tree. The bone cracked and Aiera, howling in rage and pain, released Miena. Dooro's attack was totally unexpected and it unnerved the wolf, who was really a coward at heart. He turned and fled, using an uneven gait to favor his injured leg.
Unfortunately, for all their bravery both Miena and Dooro were mortally wounded. Their red blood was splattered on the white snow. Dooro collapsed, shivering. "It's cold," he gasped.
Miena, pushing with her webbed feet, struggled to him and laid her good wing over his back like a blanket of feathers. "Is that better?" she asked.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "A little."
"Miena, when are you leaving? The ducks are all gone and you know it's time."
The duck's quack was something between a plea and resignation. "I'm not going," she said.
Dooro couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But, why not!"
"I just can't." And then more defiantly, "I don't want to and I won't."
To the pragmatic beaver this violated every instinctual rule. Ducks flew south for the winter and there simply was no other option. Dooro was emphatic. "You can't leave? Well, you can't stay. What would you eat? Where will you live? The pond will be frozen soon."
Miena refused to answer. Instead she turned her back on him and flew off to a tree. The worried beaver didn't know what to do. She was his friend, after all.
Dooro kept an eye on her all the following week. With each progressive day the now-freezing temperature began to have its effect. The mud the beavers had so carefully applied to their lodges became hard as cement and the pond began to freeze over starting at the shoreline. This was no problem for the beavers who could continue working underwater even in a completely ice-covered pond. Dooro was accustomed to memorizing every air pocket including the ones that always formed along the shore of the pond or the one that formed at the dome of ice above the entrance to his lodge. What he wasn't accustomed to doing was worrying about a duck who had no such defenses against winter's harsh elements. Miena looked more miserable each day.
He thought and thought about how he could help her. He even suggested to Miena that she dive into the pond before it was frozen over so she could seek shelter in his beaver lodge. But this would have meant using the tunnel passageway and Dooro only needed to see the terror in her eyes to know that answer.
Then one morning after it had snowed all night, the frantic quacking of a duck awakened Dooro, comfortably asleep in his lodge. He arrived at the surface of the pond to find Miena stuck in the ice. She had fallen asleep in one of the last clear patches of water and during the night snow and ice had sealed it, trapping her feet. No matter how hard she struggled she couldn't get free and was crying out pitifully.
Without hesitation Dooro began gnawing and clawing at the ice. In his presence Miena ceased crying and lay quiet. It wasn't long before he had freed her.
While he worked, Dooro had resolved to save Miena. He didn't consider it brave or foolish. He only knew that what he planned was against every beaver's deepest instinct. Without acknowledging Miena who followed him, he walked to his lodge and began chewing the outer wall with its mud cement casing. Even with his powerful jaws and his two-inch bottom teeth honed to a knife-like edge, it wasn't easy. The feeling of bitter cold stabbed at his gums until his teeth became numb, but Dooro was single-minded in the determination to vandalize his own fortress. He bit and tore at it for an hour until it was broken open. Then with his snout he nudged in the shaken duck and began immediately making repairs. Even with repair, he realized the protective wall of his lodge would take days to harden again. He finally joined Miena inside.
"Oh, what did you do to your beautiful home?" she said sadly.
With his forepaws Dooro began readjusting the wood shavings. He made a pile for the duck and a pile for himself. "It will be all right," he said. "I've already repaired it. How are you feeling?"
"It's warmer in here," she quacked softly. "Thank you."
With his nose the beaver pushed an elm twig towards the duck. There were several leaves still attached. "Want some?" He asked, trying to sound cheery.
"No thank you." Miena was overcome with gratitude and the last thing she had on her mind was food. She was well aware of how dearly Dooro loved to learn of new things, so she searched her mind for such an item and found it. "Did I ever tell you about the enemy of all animals?" she asked.
Dooro's eyes got wide. "All animals. What do you mean?"
Miena lowered her voice. "There's a legend among ducks of an animal whom even our enemies fear. I've never seen it, and my parents never saw it, and no ducks they ever talked to saw it, but nevertheless, there's an animal who uses the rocks of the ground and the limbs of the trees to kill others. It doesn't even need its teeth and it's more deadly than wolf packs or cougars or bears. It kills them all."
"Oh....." Dooro shuddered. "How awful."
"That's not all. Besides eating those it kills, it uses them for a second skin."
"What does this animal look like?"
"It walks on two legs like a bird, but it can't fly. It has arms instead of wings and no tail."
They talked on and on about the strange animal. But while Miena began to relax and enjoy herself, Dooro couldn't ignore a persistent feeling of doom. For good reason. At that very moment Aiera was foraging in their area.
The wolf hadn't eaten in days and with the alluring scent of duck and beaver wafting through the air he followed it eagerly, lifting his muzzle and sniffing often. Crossing the now frozen pond, it didn't take him long to find Dooro's lodge.
Dooro and Miena smelled him before they heard him.
"Dive, Miena!" ordered Dooro.
But the duck, paralyzed with fear, shrank against the wall of the lodge. Dooro knew if he left her she would be killed. Already he could hear Aiera's growling as the wolf tore and scratched at the freshly packed mud and branches. It wasn't long before his head and shoulders broke through.
Dooro, backing up, pushed Miena against the wall and lifted his head to show his teeth. But the stronger and more agile Aiera wasn't the least intimidated. He wriggled and crashed through the barrier leaping on the beaver and pulling him outside. So powerful was Aiera that once he had a solid hold of the beaver's neck he shook him savagely.
The violence of the scene and terrible growls of the wolf awakened Miena from her daze. "Quack-wack-wack." She rushed from the lodge, flapping her wings, doing her best once again to attract Aiera's attention. She finally succeeded, but at what cost. Aiera released the beaver and grabbed Miena by her left wing, breaking it. Then he tossed her into the air to get a deadlier grip.
It was all the chance Dooro needed. Aiera's left back leg came within reach and he bit down as hard as he had ever chomped a willow tree. The bone cracked and Aiera, howling in rage and pain, released Miena. Dooro's attack was totally unexpected and it unnerved the wolf, who was really a coward at heart. He turned and fled, using an uneven gait to favor his injured leg.
Unfortunately, for all their bravery both Miena and Dooro were mortally wounded. Their red blood was splattered on the white snow. Dooro collapsed, shivering. "It's cold," he gasped.
Miena, pushing with her webbed feet, struggled to him and laid her good wing over his back like a blanket of feathers. "Is that better?" she asked.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "A little."
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