STORY FIVE.

Off to Fidgett Farm Waddle goes, little sister in tow. They meet a worm that reads books!

"G'morning all," greeted Waddle, as he returned from breakfast at 10 Gallon Puddle. "Smashing day today!"

His brothers and sisters were all milling about, happily pecking at bits of grass, twigs, the odd bug (who protested loudly at the rough treatment), old feathers and suchlike.

"Look Waddle, look!" called his little sister Wedgie. She was called Wedgie because one day she had managed to wedge herself between a clump of "taller-than-I-am" grass and a big, strong, pole alongside their nest. She had wiggled and struggled for at least five small-duck-ages before Father Duck managed to pull her free by her tail feathers. (That hurt just a little!)

"What is it?" answered Waddle.

She was staring at a big, brightly coloured leaf. It was not like any other leaf she had ever seen before, and - IT WAS MOVING. Waddle tootled across to have a look. Sure enough, it WAS moving and, what's more, he became aware of what sounded like a very small voice - muffled, but certainly a voice - coming from under the leaf! "How about that?" he thought to himself.

"Wedgie, where did this leaf come from?" he asked, one eye opened wider than the other.

"I don't know," she replied, "never seen it around here until now. And what's that sound I can here under the leaf?"

"Dunno" Waddle answered. "Let's have a look. You lift up the leaf and I'll have a peek."

"No way!" said Wedgie. "You don't know what it might be? It might be something scary!"

All this while, the little voice could be heard under the leaf. "Mmmph, mumble....stupid......ooof.........fluffy.........daft.......... grunt.........ducklings.....sputter, mumble, grumble," and so on.

"Right" said Waddle, "here's what we do. I'll count one, two, three (and then he remembered he couldn't count)..........er, hang on. Lets rather just lift the leaf together. I'll say GO and then we lift. OK? GO!" So they lifted!!

They looked, and could not believe their eyes. It was only a WORM!

But! It was not just ANY old worm.

"You stupid, insensitive, uncaring, bumbling, flatfooted, rough-house, ignorant little ducks!!!" greeted them as the leaf was lifted, exposing the little worm to the sunlight. "Do you have ANY idea who I am?"

This was definitely the funniest looking worm the two of them had ever seen!

First of all, it wore BIG glasses. The kind that, when you looked through the glass, made everything SEEM MUCH BIGGER. It wore the snazziest 73 brightly coloured shoes that could be found in any boot-tique (a special shop where shoes for worms are sold). It wore socks of the brightest green colour that made their eyes blink! And, it had a genuine silk-lined suitcase full of books!

After the two little ducks had recovered their breath, having laughed for so long at the little worm, they apologised, ever so politely. "We're really very sorry for laughing, but you DO look soooo strange to us. We've never seen anyone like you before. Do you live nearby and what's your name?"

"Cheeky fluffballs! I am Sir Readalot Threebonk" the worm answered, "and no, I do NOT live nearby. My friends call me "Threebie" - for short. Would you like to be my friends?"

And so the worm and the two little ducks began a long friendship. First things being first, they simply HAD to know more about Threebie. Where did he live? How did he get here? What do worms do? Could he count (because everyone knows that ducks can't count)? Why did he have a case full of books? And lots more besides.

"Well, I live over on Fidgett Farm, on the other side of Two Tree Thicket. Have you been there at all?" began Threebie.

"No" they both chimed. Waddle added, "The last time I went on the pathway to Two Tree Thicket I fell asleep, and had a weird dream about Soldier ants. Do know about Soldier ants?"

"Oh yes" said Threebie. "They can be very fierce if they decide to be! The trick is not to get them mad at you! They sometimes get mad if you fall asleep in their pathway. You were lucky it was only a dream!"

"Fidgett Farm" mused Waddle. "Isn't that where young Farmer Fidgett lives?"

"Yep" answered Threebie. "He goes fishing on 10 Gallon Puddle quite often. Never catches any fish though. Always forgets to put worms on the end of his hook, thankfully. Now, before you lot get to ask any more questions, it's time for my book break and I need some rest. We can meet up a little later?"

"Okey dokey," they said, and went on their way.

"Isn't he the cutest looking thing you ever saw?" asked Wedgie, "Almost good enough to eat, but don't tell him I said so."

"I have an idea," said Waddle, "let's go over to Fidgett Farm and have a look around. We still have time before dinner." So, they turned around and made their way back toward where Fidgett Farm should be. Passing the sign that said "THIS WAY TO TWO TREE THICKET" they pressed on, knowing they were on the right pathway.

 Sure enough, it was not long before they saw another sign that read "FIDGETT FARM. THAT WAY." So that was the way they went.

Soon they could here strange sounds. Sounds they had not heard before. "Those must be farm sounds we can hear," commented Waddle. On they went. Turning at a large clump of "taller-than-I-am" grass a familiar voice boomed at them from high up above.

"Well, bless me, if it isn't Little Waddle; and who is that with you?"

"Hi Mildred!" acknowledged Waddle, "this is my sister Wedgie and we've come to see where young Farmer Fidgett lives. Is he here now?"

"Well, this IS the right place" said Mildred "but no, he's not here. Gone fishing," and mooved closer to them. So close, they had to bend their little necks quite a bit to look up at her.

"Would you like me to show you around?"

"Yes, please!" they chimed at once.

"Righty-ho! This way then," beckoned Mildred with a shake of her large head.

"First stop is the pig pen. Over there is Grubby Pig - the one with spots all over him. Next to him is Susie Sploshy - she's always sploshing in sludge but she's really very nice, and finally we have Greedy Maizey - you can see from her size why she has that name!"

"Hello all," chorused Waddle and Wedgie, "Nice to meet you!"

"Oink, grunt, snort, snuffle...and you too!" they replied all together, and went on mushing their way around in the pigpen.

"Wedgie" said Waddle, "I hear a sort of little ducky song singing in my head. I think I'll sing it to our new friends, what do you say?" Before she could answer, he began:-

Grubby isn't really

Grubby,

He's just a happy pig.

Happy pigs get grubby

When in the mud they

Dig.

Susie isn't really

sploshy

She's just a happy pig.

Happy pigs get sploshy

When in the mud they

Dig.

Maizey isn't really

greedy

She's just a happy pig.

Happy pigs get hungry

When in the mud they

Dig.

Grubby, Susie and Maizey

Are really

None of these things

In fact, on some reflection

they also have no

wings.

They're really very cuddly

Our newfound piggy

friends!

"Oh my gosh! Look how low the sun is. We must go before it gets too dark," said Waddle, "Bye everybody, we'll see you again soon."