My name is Marusanek and a cat grabbed me - The second day (2.)

I woke up the next morning and found out I didn't have a mom. It didn't seem that way.

I started screaming in fear all over again. I only calmed down when Hank took me in his arms. She held me close to her and spoke to me in a quiet soothing voice.

Telling me not to worry, that I would be fine and that I was cute and stuff. It sounded pretty convincing, so I calmed down after a while.

I got a good mouthful and started looking around slowly.

I tried the lotion first. It was good. Hank brought me a frog in it from a nearby gully. These are the little green plants that grow in ponds or lakes. It makes the pond look like a spot. They are very good and just fit in my beak. I have a tiny little beak because

I'm still a baby duck. I'm about four days old now, but I still can't eat grass on my own. I'm sure I'll learn when I'm a little older.

We mallards can chew and swim right out of the egg. We usually hatch more than one.

Then we swim with Mommy and learn everything we need to. Mommy shows us where to find the best treats and stuff.

I wonder where Mommy is? I miss her so much. I still try to call her sometimes, but I know she's too far away to hear me.

After a while, I fell asleep again. Franta and Hanka went shopping and brought this huge thing and said they'd make me an enclosure in it.

They put water in a big container and didn't forget fresh frogs. They put sand in the bottom to make me feel like I was in a pond. Oh, my gosh. That was something!

Then they added a few more rocks so I could walk in and out of the water on my own whenever I wanted.

Then they showed me the whole thing. That was beautiful. Hank put me on the highest rock and waited anxiously to see what I would say.

I'll tell you what. She didn't have to wait long. First I tested the temperature of the water with one foot, tasted a few bites of frogfish, then practiced getting in and out of the water a few times, and then I swam and swam and ate the good frogfish and couldn't get enough of the beauty.

Hank even made me a new bed. A real little nest with scented hay. Then she brought a bowl of soaked bread and some chopped nettles and an egg. She knows what I like.
The sun was beautifully warm.

After my bath I warmed and dried my feathers and it was nice again.