Farmer Dirk and the Little Green Duck

By Eric Ribbens

Farmer Dirk and the Little Green Duck is a charming story about a somewhat romanticized small family farm, as seen through the eyes of the little green duck who thinks he is a cow. Each story can stand alone, but collectively they build a picture that will sink into your heart. This is a story to read with your child and then with your

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Vine Press
• Release date: Nov 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781950955923

Eric Ribbens

Eric Ribbens is a lifelong Christian who teaches botany at Western Illinois University. He resides in Macomb, Illinois. Eddies of His Breath is his second book.

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Copyright © 2019 by Eric Ribbens.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Printed in the United States of America.

Book Vine Press

2516 Highland Dr.

Palatine, IL 60067

For my daughter Samara,

who met the little green duck first, and everyone who loves yellow rubber boots

Contents

Farmer Dirk’s Cows

The Snow Blanket

Tractor Bob

Daisy

Blossom

Baling Hay

The Watermelon

Hero

Jack

Noisy Combines

The Pig Problem

O Holy Night

Good Night

Yellow Rubber Boots

Two Tramps in Mudtime

City Cousins

Fireman Cindy

Sheep Shearing

The Flower Fairies

The Circle

About the Author

Farmer Dirk’s Cows

Every morning and every evening, six cows lined up outside the little barn. One cow was black and white, four were brown and white, and one was red and white. At the end of t he line stood a little green duck. Every morning and every evening, the six cows waited for Farmer Dirk. And every morning and every evening, at the end of the line of cows the little green duck waited too.

The little green duck thought he was a cow. When the cows swayed down the lane into the back pasture, the little green duck waddled along behind them. When the cows ate the good green grass that grows in the wet part of the pasture, the little green duck nibbled the grass too. When the cows sat in the shade of the cottonwood trees and swished their tails, the little green duck plopped down in the shade next to them. The little green duck was convinced he was a cow.

The cows knew that the little green duck wasn’t a cow, of course, but they were too kind to say so. Instead, they made sure they didn’t step on him, and when the little green duck quacked they politely mooed back. Farmer Dirk knew too that the little green duck wasn’t a cow. But Farmer Dirk also knew that strange things can be wonderful if you just let them happen.

So every morning and every evening, Farmer Dirk made sure that the milking area was clean and ready for the cows. Then he shoved open the large barn door, stepped outside into the cattle paddock, took a deep breath, and shouted Hey, cow! Hey, Bossie! Hey, Pet! Hey, duck! Come, cows! And every morning and every evening, big black Bossie always led the line of cows. She was followed by Pet, and then Clover. Crooked-horn and Daisy pushed each other, shoving and grunting, but Daisy always gave in and let Crooked-horn walk ahead of her. Sarita was the youngest, so she was the last cow in the line, and behind Sarita proudly marched the little green duck.

The six cows and the little green duck would swish into the barn and trot briskly down the hallway into the milking parlor, where each would walk into her own stall. The cows were eager to be milked, and to eat the good sweet grain that only the milking cows were given. The little green duck was eager to be like the cows. Farmer Dirk walked down the row of stalls, making sure the cows were settled. He patted each cow as he closed her stanchion, and he always had something to say to each cow.

Good evening, Pet. How are you today? Your little calf is doing just fine. Isn’t he getting big!

When Farmer Dirk got to the end of the line, he looked down at the little green duck and nodded. Well, hello, and how are you? It’s good to see you again, but be careful around these big clumsy cows!

Then Farmer Dirk would dump a scoop of grain, ground up and mixed with minerals, in front of each cow. Before the cows came in, he had filled their hay racks with second- or third-crop hay from the good alfalfa field, and he always checked to be sure that their water bowls were clean and filled with cool sweet water. After each cow was given her scoop of grain, Farmer Dirk placed a small scoop of grain in front of the little green duck.

Sometimes Farmer Dirk’s wife would be in the barn, visiting with her husband. She scolded him when he gave the little green duck some grain. Why do you do that, Dirk? Grain is expensive! Honestly, you treat that duck like the king of the barn!

Farmer Dirk bobbed his head shyly, smiled on one side of his mouth, and said "Oh, Annie, it’s just a bit of grain.