#1
“Honey, our youngest still isn’t moving.”
“Let’s give it a bit more time. They say the main character always shows up last—looks like our youngest is really living up to that role! Haha.”
Last month, a duck couple laid six eggs. Today marked nearly a full month since the mother duck began brooding them without leaving her nest. Five had already hatched, and now only one egg remained. The couple had given each duckling a name: the first was Oney, the second Twoi, the third Thuy, the fourth Fony, the fifth Fai. The sixth, soon to hatch, would be Sei. As new parents, they wondered what they could do to care for their little ones. After talking it over, they came up with a plan: the father would go out in search of food, and the mother would gather soft straw to mend the nest.
“We’ll be back soon. Keep an eye on our youngest, okay?”
“Okay, Mom and Dad!”
While the duck couple was briefly away, a hen out for a walk spotted the ducklings.
“Oh my, how adorable. Let’s see . . . looks like one hasn’t come out yet.”
Just then, the still egg began to tremble. A tiny crack appeared, slowly widening until the shell split in two. At last, the youngest duckling broke free and entered the world.
“Peep-peep—”
The newborn’s eyes met the hen’s. After stretching its tiny wings, the youngest duckling began to waddle after the hen, who was just about to leave.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“She’s not our mom.”
“Our mom is someone else.”
Even though his older brothers tried to stop him, the youngest just stared blankly—then toddled after the hen.
#2
The duck couple, now suddenly separated from their youngest, grew worried. Sei had become convinced the hen was his real mom.
“Isn’t there any way to bring him back?”
“He’s clinging to her so stubbornly. We can’t just drag him away.”
“And the hen says he’s getting in the way of her own chicks. She keeps urging us to take him back. We really need a solution—and fast.”
Hearing their parents’ troubled conversation, the eldest duckling, Oney, quietly gathered his younger siblings.
“Mom and Dad are having a hard time because of Sei. We can’t just sit around and do nothing. We’re partly to blame too—for not keeping a better eye on him.”
“Yeah. They won’t feel at peace until Sei comes back.”
“So let’s come up with a good plan to bring him home.”
At Oney’s words, Twoi, Thuy, Fony, and Fai all nodded and fell into thought. After a moment, Fai broke the silence.
“I’ve got an idea!”
“What is it?”
“We ask Sei to play blindfold tag. If he’s it, we can make noises to guide him back toward home.”
“But what if the game ends and he just runs back to the chicken coop?”
“The most important thing is helping him realize that we’re his real family.”
Fony and Thuy chimed in one after the other. The five fell silent again, deep in thought.
“Okay, how about this?”
After a long pause, Twoi spoke up, and the others leaned in to listen. He continued, his voice calm but serious.
“We invite the chicks to go see the minnows in the stream. Sei will tag along, right? While we’re on the stone bridge, one of us stays close to Sei and pretends to slip—falling into the water with him. Then we all jump in to rescue him. The chicks won’t follow—they hate getting wet. They’ll just watch from the edge. And that’s when Sei will see who really cares about him . . . that we’re his true family.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea!”
When Oney agreed, the rest quickly followed. Fai, always the eager one, raised a wing and declared,
“Then I’ll be the one to fall in with Sei!”
“Just be careful not to get hurt.”
“Don’t worry. You can count on me!”
#3
“Alright, Operation Rescue begins!”
The next day, the five duck brothers marched toward the chicken coop, full of resolve. From a distance, they spotted Sei playing with the chicks in the yard. When the chicks noticed the duck brothers approaching, they ran out to greet them. Oney spoke up:
“Hey, want to come with us to see some minnows in the stream?”
“Minnows? Sure!” Fai naturally positioned himself next to Sei. Being the sibling closest in age, Fai felt a special bond and was determined to bring him home. But then, something unexpected happened. One of the chicks gasped and began stomping its feet in fear. Behind a tree, a wildcat had appeared—its face half-visible, one fierce eye gleaming. The chicks shrieked and bolted toward the coop. Sei froze, trembling. Fai said urgently, leaning in.
“Don’t worry. We won’t leave you behind.”
But Fai was scared too. Fony turned to Oney.
“Oney, what do we do?”
“We should’ve had a Plan B for a situation like this! The operation may have failed—but we still have to protect Sei.”
“Everyone, surround him!”
At Twoi’s command, the ducklings closed ranks around Sei. They spread their wings wide, puff ed up their bodies, and stared fiercely at the wildcat. The predator crept forward, mocking them with slow, deliberate steps. The duck brothers pressed tightly together, making sure their defensive formation didn’t break. But just as it was about to pounce, a stream of water shot between the two sides like a wall.
“That wildcat again!”
It was the owner of the house where the chicks lived. Hearing the panicked cries of the chicks, he had come outside, spotted the wildcat, and sprayed a strong jet of water with a hose. Soaked and startled, the wildcat disappeared in the blink of an eye. The duck brothers exhaled in relief. Still huddled between his brothers, Sei’s legs gave out, and he plopped to the ground, fi nally bursting into tears. Fony gently comforted him and said,
“Your name is Sei, and we are your real family.”
“See? You even look like us.”
“So come on, let’s go home, okay?”
Thuy and Fai helped him to his feet. Sei looked at his brothers, then at himself. He hesitated—then, as if something finally clicked, he quietly followed where they led.
“Do you know how long Mom and Dad have been waiting for you?”
“They’re going to be so happy to see you.”
“We’re happy too—so happy you’re coming back.”
“There’s yummy food and a warm, cozy nest waiting for you.”
“Let’s never be apart again.”
Oney, Twoi, Thuy, Fony, and Fai spoke one after another. Though their original plan hadn’t gone quite as expected, the five brothers had succeeded in bringing their youngest home. And as Sei walked step by step toward the arms of his true family, his heart was full of joy—and his tiny steps sparkled with hope.
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