The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck

This is a curious tale of a duck who is just a little to trusting. First published in 1906, Jemima Puddle Duck is a fairly stubborn and protective duck who lived on a farm. Jemima did not like the farmer’s wife because she would not let Jemima hatch her own eggs. Determined to sit on her eggs for 28 days so that she can hatch them herself, Jemima thinks of ways to accomplish this task. She tries hiding the eggs, but they are always found. Refusing to give up, Jemima thinks the only way to have the eggs hatch herself is to take them away from the farm.

Jemima flies to the woods, something she hadn’t practiced in a very long time, and finds a nice spot. What’s more is that she meets a nice gentleman with prick ears and “sandy coloured whiskers.” Now children do you have any idea what kind of animal this elegantly dressed gentleman was? He was a fox, but Jemima thought he was very friendly and civil. Jemima explained to him her plight and the gentleman offered his house as the perfect resting place for her eggs. Jemima obliged and thought nothing of the room filled with feathers. Jemima sits on her eggs but has to go home at the end of the night, but this eloquent gentleman promises to look over the eggs with great care.

After six days, Jemima announces that she plans to sit on the eggs permanently until they hatch. This prompts the gentleman to make the odd request of ingredients for an omelette from Jemima. Now isn’t that curious to you? Why would he want an omelette so suddenly? Jemima thought nothing of it and returned back to the farm to gather what the fox, I mean gentleman, had requested. While fetching the onions, she runs into the farm dog Kep and she tells him the whole story. Kep found the story very interesting and asked many questions about the location of the house.

When Jemima makes it back to her wooded hideaway, and the typically friendly gentleman is very curt. He was bossy and abrupt, and because he had never regarded Jemima in this manner, she felt uncomfortable. But again, luck is on the side of our protagonist. Kep and his three friends come to save Jemima from being eaten by the sly fox and through a series of barks, growls, squeals, and groans the fox was never heard from again.

Jemima Puddle-Duck was saved! But unfortunately her eggs were not, and Kep’s friends gobbled them up before Kep had the opportunity to tell them not too. Jemima returns home crying over her lost eggs, but she was able to lay four eggs in June.

Jemima Puddle-Duck was too trusting of the fox. There were plenty of signs to tell her that she was in danger, the room full of feathers, the irrational request of ingrediants to make an omelette, the fox’s fascination with the eggs, but Jemima did not notice. Now I am not saying you cannot trust anyone, but you always have to be smart about it, make sure you are not putting yourself in a situation where you might get cooked.