Chapter Two

Dolly takes a dive

One day Dolly Ducktail and her friends were splashing and playing in the duck pond and making all sorts of waves in the water “Quack Quack Quack” they all said as they had a lovely time in the warm water, splashing and chasing each other.

Dolly had learned how to dive under the water to feed on the succulent weeds and plant’s found in the ponds bed, she was showing her new friend David how to do it, “ Quack Quack this is the way David, look at me look at me” as she dived deep down only to pop up again with a beak full of delicious weeds.

David watched in wonder at how clever Dolly was, he just wished he could do the same but each time he tried to dive he bounced back up to the surface without having reached the bottom, “Oh dolly how do you manage to go so deep” he quaked

“It’s easy” said Dolly “you just need to raise up high just before you dive look like this”,  she took a great big dive and disappeared under the water again, this time it seemed ages before she popped up again “here I am” quacked Dolly to David
“ Quack Quack,” said David, “I thought you were never going to come up” he laughed and the two of them swam around and around each other laughing and quacking, till they were quite dizzy.

The next day dolly asked her mother if she might go and play on the pond again with her friends, “of course you” can said Mummy “but make sure you are home in time to wash and get ready for your supper or else your father will be angry, and you know how he likes us all to be together at supper time”
“I promise,” said Dolly

“Off you go then dear, and remember what I said,” said Daisy
Dolly made her way to the pond and there were all her friends having a lovely time, she splashed into the water and joined them “Quack Quack Quack Quack Quack Quack” said Dolly and smiled, oh how she loved to play with her friends.

Just then David joined the group “hi Dolly” said David; “guess what I have been practising? Watch me”. he took an almighty leap into the air and then dived deep into the water, dolly looked on and waited for him to pop up she waited and waited but no David she looked all around her, he was nowhere to be seen, “Oh” cried Dolly “I wonder if there is anything wrong”?

And she dived down to see if she could see him there on the bottom was David he had caught his leg in the weeds and couldn't break free, Dolly pecked and pecked at the weeds until at last he was free, up to the surface they both went, “Oh dolly thank you thank you so much you saved my life”

“You had better come home with me” Dolly said, at dolly’s house they told her mother all what had happened, “you must be careful” Mummy said, “and make sure you never dive on your own, promise and I won't tell your father”,
“I promise,” said David

Dolly asked if David could stay for tea and the two of them washed and got ready for supper, as they all sat down to eat Dan looked at David and Dolly and said, “Did you two have a nice day today”? Dolly smiled and quacked
“Oh yes daddy” and smiled at her mother.
And that’s why whenever you see little ducks diving they are always with their friends, never alone.