“Duckies!” he said. “Tatty duck! Mommy duck! Baby ducks!”

MR. Faigelbaum had just come back from a faraway country. He’d gone to advise the government how to protect the birds in the rainforest. At the same time, he’d healed their president’s sick parrot.

The president had given the bird expert a certificate for this, which Mr. Faigelbaum packed in his suitcase. He was actually more excited about the plastic ducks he’d found in the airport shop for young Efraim. There were two large ducks and six small ones.

Efraim hated when his father went away. When he saw him, he jumped into his arms. Mrs. Faigelbaum watched with a smile. For the rest of the day, he followed his father around the house. He watched as his father unpacked his suitcase.

There were  brochures about birds and bird illnesses. These didn’t interest Efraim. The certificate earned only a passing look. But then Efraim saw the ducks, and his face lit up.

“Duckies!” he said. “Tatty duck! Mommy duck! Baby ducks!”

He immediately set them out in a row. He chatted to them happily.