The Story of the Dog and the Duck (First Edition)

This winter seems to be particularly long for the old dog Ah Huang, because the only color left in his world is black. This has been the case for some time.

One day, its owner cooked a sumptuous dinner for it. It had little appetite and didn't eat much. The old man stroked it and said: "Old man, you have been with me for thirteen years. Now you are blind and of no use. My cruel son plans to sell you...You go away..."

In this way, the old and blind Ah Huang became a stray dog.

Ah Huang doesn’t want to leave. Firstly, he can’t let go of his master and the familiar nest. Secondly, he doesn’t dare to move around. Now he needs an environment he’s familiar with in order to live a normal life. It couldn't imagine what would be waiting for a blind stray dog? But it had to go, and it didn't want to be sold to a butcher by its owner's son.

The streets at night seemed to be particularly slippery, and Ah Huang walked very slowly. It lowered its head and sniffed, carefully distinguishing the various smells - the noodle shop. It liked the noodles here, especially the soup. oh! Ah Huang, who hadn't gone far, was already homesick.

It passed a supermarket, a kindergarten, and a familiar private restaurant. This was the route that the owner often took when taking it for a walk. After passing the park, it was no longer a place it knew. Maybe he could sleep in the park, he thought.

The night... is so quiet...

In his sleep, Ah Huang felt that the world was gradually becoming more lively. It was the sound of workers working, and he could hear them hanging lanterns. , the Spring Festival is coming, these days, the festive atmosphere in the streets and communities has become more and more intense.

Ah Huang stood up and shook off the wet dew from his body. Next, it has to try to find something to eat.

Trash cans were obviously not its target. It had already passed by almost twenty of them, but it still couldn't make up its mind to go check them out. It always thought - there must be another way. It walked slowly, lowering its head and sniffing. Sometimes it would look at the source of the fragrance in ecstasy and lick its mouth, but it would soon be coaxed away by the store.

Ah Huang was trapped in the flow of people at work, and his paws were often stepped on. He could only jump away quickly, and there were cars passing by on the other side. The wind brought by the speeding cars, mixed with the smoke from the exhaust, instantly extinguished Ah Huang's determination to cross the road. It realizes that it can only walk down the street, and either a kind person will give it something to eat, or it will have to dig through the trash can. Yes, it's a stray, it's blind, it's old, but it doesn't want to starve to death in the street.

As soon as Ah Huang made up his mind, he heard a "clang" not far away. It was the sound of the lunch box being thrown into the trash can, and he could tell that there must be something inside. . Ah Huang took a deep breath and walked towards the source of the sound.

"Hey, you'd better stay away, mutt!" A dog stopped Ah Huang, "This is my territory!"

Ah Huang quickly judged The opponent is a big and powerful guy, and it doesn't want to challenge him. So, it said: "If this trash can belongs to you, then I'll go to the next one."

"Next? Haha, shorthair, does it mean the next one?"

A thin pug quickly came to the side of the big dog, "Yes, boss, it is talking about the next one, but this next one may have to go far, far away." It turned to Ah Huang again Said: "All the trash cans on these streets are under the control of our boss. The leftovers it eats will be rewarded to everyone. If you want to eat, you have to work, and you must not eat secretly——"

Before Ah Huang could speak, the big dog laughed and said: "What good things can an old blind man find? You'd better get away. I don't want to suddenly see a starving dog one morning. . Haha..." After that, he warned Ah Huang again and then left.

Ah Huang continues to move forward. If you move forward, there will be hope. I don’t know how far I have walked, but for about a while, the sun was shining warmly on its back. It licked some stagnant water on the roadside and felt much better.

At this time, the voices of two children came into its ears, and one of them said: "I say it again, fly up now, fly - two wings up and down, like this! "

Another voice said: "Don't be stupid! It's just a duck, how can it fly?"

"Who said that? Of course it's a wild goose! Come on! Fly! Don’t you understand? Let me teach you a lesson!” There was pain in the voice. Although it didn't know what the "ducks" and "geese" the two children were talking about, it knew that they were beating an animal, an animal that could "quack". A Huang, who was standing behind the wall, decided to help it.

"Woof woof! Woof woof!" Ah Huang tried his best to look fierce.

"Ah, there is a dog, run!"

The two children picked up small stones from the ground while running and threw them at Ah Huang. One of them hit Ah Huang. on the head.

Ah Huang ignored the pain on his head. A small injury was no big deal to him. It listened to them running away and took a few steps forward. The animals on the ground were groaning in pain.

"Who are you?"

"I am a duck. Your head is bleeding, we have to think of something."

"It's okay, it'll be fine soon. Can you tell me what "Duck No" is?"

"Duck - I'm a duck, and my name is No. Well, it's up to you to save it." For my sake, I can tell you all. My little master likes to say 'no' to her mother the most. She requires me to shake my head when he says 'no' to cooperate with him. In fact, I didn't originally call him this. It doesn't matter what you call it."

"Are you going to be sold?"

"No, no," Duck shook his head. Said: "No one will buy from me. Haven't you seen that all my hair is falling out? I'm sick, oh, how pitiful."

"Sorry, I'm blind. , you are indeed very pitiful."

"What? You are blind? I can't see it. So, you are quite pitiful. Hey, man, why don't we just stay together? "

"Okay, I think I can still protect you, but why do those two kids bully you?"

"What are you talking about? ? Actually, I am a mallard. Many people like to keep us as pets, but it is rare to see them on the street. So, people usually wonder why there is a stray duck? You are one too? A stray dog?"

"Yes, it started last night."

"Oh, okay, okay, I'll take you to find food in this area. I know him very well."

In this way, Huang met his best friend in life-a duck named "No".

The duck took Ah Huang through a green belt with an inconspicuous path in the middle. After walking in, you can see the path leading straight to the river. There is a bridge over the river. The bridge deck is dark and it is pitch black under the bridge, but you can see the light at the end. Unfortunately, Ah Huang could only feel the cold wind in front of him and the smell of the river.

"What are we doing at the river?" it asked.

"Come on, this bridge hole is my home." Duck said, "I have hidden some delicious food. That is my ration for the winter. Share it with you."

"This is a strange question. Don't you dogs also like to bury bones?"

"I have never buried them."

"Well, let me tell you, I'm not the only one in this place. There is also a cunning squirrel whose fur is almost falling out like mine, and a pair of cats who are always mysterious. Yes, I still don’t know what their relationship is.” As he said this, Yabu handed Ah Huang two dried fishes.

"Oh, thank you." Ah Huang was really hungry, and he ate with big mouthfuls.

The duck suddenly fell silent, and didn't say anything until Ah Huang finished eating the fish.

"My home is a bit small, and I was thinking that you need a place that is sheltered from the wind, and a bed. I have some materials stored here, but it is obviously not enough.

"

"It doesn't matter, I can do anything. I used to live in the yard. "

"Listen, since we are friends now, we can't be separated. We must build a bigger home. ”

From that day on, Ah Huang and Duck went to the streets morning and night to look for some useful materials, including some large wooden boards, bamboo poles, and various plastic sheets. Duck was not responsible. After searching for it, Ah Huang was responsible for carrying it back, and then under the command of Duck Bu, they worked together to build a "house" that looked a bit like a cave dwelling and was built against the wall.

They also have a small fishing boat, not a wooden one, but two large pieces of foam stacked on top and bottom, with enough buoyancy to support two Ah Huang. The boat mainly relies on rowing, and the oar is just a piece of wood sandwiched between the two. A piece of plastic board. It is responsible for rowing, and the ducks do not come to catch fish. This is Ah Huang's idea, because the ducks do not catch fish in the river for a long time every day, and no one wants to enter the river in winter, not even them. The neighbors, the two mysterious cats, can only be envious. Of course, the ducks will occasionally exchange some fresh fish for a bit of stale bread.

Every night, they curl up. They kept their bodies close together, and Ah Huang tried his best to protect the little duck under his body. When the cold wind blew outside, they told some funny jokes, and the ducks would stop laughing if they told them. So even though Ah Huang's jokes were not funny at all, the ducks still laughed until they were out of breath. Then, they fell asleep with a satisfied smile.

During the day, they will choose to go to places with fewer stray dogs, usually some old communities, or places slightly away from public places. This is not because such places are easy to find food, but to avoid stray dogs. The power of the dog pack makes it easy for a blind old dog like him to be bullied.

Duck's situation is a little worse. He is getting weaker and weaker. He says that it is difficult for him to survive this. It's winter. Ah Huang lets him ride on his back, and the duck doesn't show him the way. This kind of scene can occasionally arouse some people's sympathy and give them some food.

The days passed unknowingly, until one day, Huang and the duck did not set off at dawn as usual, and did not return to their home under the bridge until late in the afternoon. They discussed where to go. Use a tattered bed sheet that you just picked up to add a curtain to the door.

But the home in front of you no longer exists!

“What happened? "Ah Huang asked quickly after hearing Duck Bu's exclamation.

Duck Bu slipped off Ah Huang's body and looked at the razed home in front of him and the squirrel crying beside him. It asked: “What’s going on? Where is our home? "

"It was taken away and taken away in a car. Brother Cat said it was some kind of city cleanup. Many of his friends’ homes had been taken away. What to do now? Woohoo..."

"It's broken! "The duck didn't think of anything and stumbled to the deepest part of the bridge. It had to decide something immediately. Soon, it walked back slowly.

"Ah Huang, let me tell you some good news. , the food we saved is still there. However, we may have to find another place to settle down. ”

In a blink of an eye, the Spring Festival is here. For Ah Huang, this festival is very different from the past. It has friends, freedom, and responsibility. Its responsibility is to take the duck and not go north. . As a mallard, the duck has never experienced migration. It is a captive pet and is not allowed to fly, but it wants to see the north.

"I'll carry it. There you go. "Ah Huang said.

Anyway, their home is gone, and they need to start over.

Along the way, they stop and go, either to rest or to find something to eat. Wherever he goes, Ah Huang carries ducks on his back. At night, they find a place leeward and sleep together. They even make friends - a stray dog ??named Prince and a stray cat named Mi. They told Ah Huang and Duck that no, it was very far from the south to the north. Based on their situation, it would take a year or two to get there. The best way was to take a train.

"What is "taking the train"?"

"Ah Huang, you really have no knowledge. Fortunately, you met me. Let me tell you, taking the train means sneaking away. Enter the freight train, but be careful not to be discovered, so that you can reach the north in two days."

With the guidance of Prince and Mi, Ah Huang and Duck can't help it. Literally caught a train.

After a day of turbulence and anxiety, the train finally arrived at the station.

"It's so cold here!" Duck said, "This must be the north, that's right!"

"We have to find a warm place, look around here Is there a bridge? "

"Huang, I know there is a place called the 'Animal Shelter'. I heard that the most people there are stray dogs. Although life is not free, at least there is food. Let's find it. Let's find it."

"You want to live there? Wouldn't it be nice for us to be together?"

"I want to go and see it, maybe it's more comfortable there. "Duck didn't force himself to say it. He knew that he was about to die.

"Okay, let's find a place to sleep first. We have to find food tomorrow and see if there is the place you mentioned."

It's a cold night in the north. The wind is everywhere, they roar through, get into all the gaps, and completely sweep away even a ray of warmth. The real warmth is isolated in the thick glass windows, where there are bright yellow lights, happy laughter, delicious food, and the company of relatives. Occasionally, people would come to the street to set off firecrackers. After lighting them, they would rush into the house.

The duck gradually calmed down and stopped telling Ah Huang everything he saw. Ah Huang didn't say anything. He groped along the street for a while relying on his sense of smell and hearing, until he found a sheltered place from the wind, and then put the duck down. As usual, it kept the duck inside its body and tried to use its own body temperature to warm the duck's already stiff and cold little body.

The next day, it was another sunny day. The white sunshine fell directly on the snow and also sprinkled on Ah Huang's body. The frozen Ah Huang was sent to the animal shelter by kind people. Place. There it was well cared for.

…

Until one day, it passed away peacefully in its sleep.

The story is adapted from real events.