The Mallard's Rock

There once lived a Mallard who was very much in love with is wife. They were preparing to begin their family when the mallard's wife had to depart to a new fen far to the north in the Northern Wetlands, for she had been called to live with Malakien the Beautiful. She had to fly a long distance through a thick, dark forest.

The Mallard was very upset at the leaving of his wife, and he wished dearly to see her again, but his friends warned him against it, saying, "There is no way to fly to that fen; the thick foliage blocks all light and the branches are numerous and threatening. You will die if you fly through. It is best to let her go and find a new partner."

But the Mallard was resolute to see his beloved again. He paddled in his pond preparing for his journey, when he stumbled upon a large flat rock that glimmered and shone in the light. The Mallard said then, "This rock shall be my guide, for it will shine light in the dense wood."

And so the Mallard took the rock and flew through the forest, using the light from the rock to help him see and avoid the dense branches. He became beaten still by many branches he did not see, but he nevertheless found his way to his wife and visited her. When dusk came, Malakien said to the Mallard, "Persistent bird, you must return to your own home, for this is not your place. There may come a time for you to stay here, but it is not yet. Wait for my call." And so the the Mallard then return home. He flew once more through the wood with the rock, again being beaten by many branches he did not see, but making it safely home for rest.

The Mallard carried on like this for days, passing through the dense wood twice a day to see his beloved wife, and each time being beaten in the woods. At last, the Mallard flew once more through the wood in the morning to see his beloved wife. However, it came to pass that he was blind to not only a branch but the whole girth of a tree and, colliding with it in the dark, plummeted to his death, never to see his beloved or his home again.