When Sampson met Delilah: ... just another duck's tale

By Christine Larsen

Can Delilah capture the heart of the partner of her dreams and teach Sampson how to trust again? She does her duckish best - although Sampson’s life experiences so far have proven the opposite. Will this brave little duck be able to overcome Sampson’s fear of humans? Her persuasive weapons are as strong as those of the biblical Delilah and Sampson’s resistance matches his namesake, also. Delilah follows her animal instincts to woo and win her heart’s desire - although even she could not foresee the future that unfolds in this small tale of the importance of love and partnership; family, sacrifice and teamwork to reach a goal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tablo Publishing
• Release date: May 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781925277654

Book preview

One: A Couple of Wise Quackers

Oh no! No! Stop it! That one nearly hit me. Delilah tried her best to duck the attack of sticks and stones, turning and weaving every which way to avoid them. But finally, a stone scored a direct hit, and it hurt. She was unable to fly, but her stubby legs and broad webbed feet powered her quickly through the water. As far away as I can from those dreadful smalls, she thought. And I imagined they were going to feed me.

Delilah wuk-wuked sadly to herself remembering that day - and her fear and pain. A whole year ago, but she hadn't been able to forget her shock and outrage. She couldn't fly for over a week, and it was SO hard being content with the briefest of paddles. Her pain had worsened when they had laughed cruelly at her.  Laughed!  With their weird haw, haw, haw noise. She couldn't help a loud and resentful WUK, WUK at the thought of them!

Today when she first saw the new humans in the third shack on the waterfront, she'd had a panicky moment or two. Great Duck of All Waters, she'd prayed. Don't let it be them come back again. Please… not again. And her prayer was answered. They were all brand new humans this time. All of them friendly and kind - the talls as well as the smalls. She wucked happily to herself. They seemed quite duckish, actually.

Delilah Duck was delighted. She visited Cooringie Lake each season, timing her arrival for the 'Man' time of year.  How clever they are to know the best times here, she thought.  I wonder what they love best? Bug breakfasts, snail snacks, fly feasts? Maybe mosquito munch-outs most of all?

Delilah didn't care about other ducks calling her 'dizzy' and sniggering in their beaks behind her back because she trusted humans.  I don't give a worm what they think!  If they're too bird-brained to understand that these humans love feeding ducks all kinds of tempting treats… well that's just their muddy luck! Delilah paddled around and around in tight, cross little circles.

I've told them often enough, she thought, as she remembered trying to entice the other ducks with a tiny share. But they wouldn't take any. Yellow-bellied cowards.  And so they missed out on all that dry white fluffy stuff that duckish humans always threw to them.  And they missed out on the delicious mush it made, rolled around in the beak with a goodly shloop of water.

There was no way a simple duck like Delilah, suffering