Ducky, the Gang and Piggy
Chapter One: Ducky
Ducky was magnificent” his Daddy always said as he squeezed him tightly after one of their important business discussions. Ducky had come a long way since he was created as a means of relieving people’s pain. You see, Ducky had a tummy full of beads that could be warmed up in a microwave to help with Daddy’s bad neck or Mummy’s aching back and Ducky loved this job! Loving and helping people was what made him the happy duck he was. 
Ducky was a deliciously plump duck with little soft yellow webbed feet and hands, stunning beak and black eyes, all topped off with a tuft of white hair. Over time, Ducky had become much more to his Mummy and Daddy, especially his Daddy who was Ducky’s best friend! They would sit and talk about anything that was bothering them but mainly business ideas because, as you will see, Ducky, like his Daddy, was an entrepreneur!
Ducky owned ‘Ducky Enterprises’ which was a company for all his business interests including his bird baths, bird restaurants and ‘Mucky Ducky’ his bird spa treatments company. Business was good and Ducky had recently moved into the music business with his first festival ‘Ducky Fest’ which had been an incredible success. However, his success would not have been possible without the help of the gang.
Chapter Two: The Gang
Ducky was part of Mummy and Daddy’s gang that had grown over many years. The gang is a mishmash of characters either bought, won, gifted or created by Mummy.
The gang consists of:
* Nubz, it’s best not to ask why Mummy knitted him.
* Gozzy Bear, a practical bear who loves mechanics and wears big rimmed spectacles
* Kernow, who was won in an arcade claw machine in St. Ives, Cornwall
* Chicky, who came from a Home Bargains Easter Egg
* Lovelace, the penguin, who was a gift from Daddy’s Mum
* Plod, a knitted policeman
* Dinky, a small knitted duck
* Kevin, the laid-back knitted carrot
* Jemima, who was bought in the Lake District
* Derek, the knitted Mallard duck
* Milly, the knitted blue duck
* Rudyard, the intellectual Reindeer, bought from a garden centre one Christmas
* Paddles, the signet who came from the internet
All the gang are involved in Ducky Enterprises and all of its ventures but those stories are for another time. Now, if you don’t mind, Ducky wants to tell you what happened just after last Christmas, Is that okay? Great!
Chapter Three: Going to the tip
Christmas was over and although Ducky absolutely loved Christmas, he always knew it had to come to an end. It was now the time between Christmas and New Year when no one knew what day it was. The weather had been unusually cold and icy, snowing heavily for weeks and, on occasion, there had been high winds and blizzards.
However, the gang had had a wonderful Christmas, all snug by their Christmas tree. There had been many conversations with Rudyard telling magical Christmas stories as they snaffled chocolates and peanuts. Everyone had received presents that included clothing, scarves, musical instruments and even fishing rods that Daddy had made for Nubz and Gozzy. Ducky had been given a very warm cable knit jumper that Mummy had made to go over his yellow knitted dungarees with their big black front pocket and two small back pockets. They all agreed it was the best Christmas they had ever had until the next one, of course.
Today Daddy had decided to go to the local tip to dispose of two full recycling tubs as the local council had not collected the main recycling bin on the scheduled day. Mummy, however, was saying why don’t you leave it as the snow and wind are very bad and you might get stuck. Daddy mumbled that it would be ok and with the party they were having on New Year’s Eve he wanted to clear the Christmas recycling as there would be much more by January.
Ducky used to love the drive to the tip with Daddy. He got to sit on the dashboard and to keep an eye on things and today would be no different! Daddy picked him up, gave him a hug and said, “Okay, ducky, tip time”. Ducky took his place on the dashboard and was stunned to see how much snow there was and it was very windy as well. He felt safe with Daddy who owned a 4-wheel drive car and was a good driver. No problem here, he thought and off they went.
Although it was no longer Christmas he loved seeing all the Christmas lights still up and he tried to remember which houses they were so he could tell the gang later. The tip was not far away but Ducky could tell Daddy was driving slowly because of the thick, icy snow all over the roads but after 15 minutes they had arrived. Daddy drove around to where all the recycled items were to be put. Daddy put his bobble hat on that Mummy had knitted for him for Christmas and then tried to push the door open to get out of the car but the wind was so strong that he struggled to push it open and it slammed shut.
“Wow” he said, “the wind is so strong Ducky and look up there in the sky there is rubbish flying around everywhere”. Ducky looked up and then across to the other side of the tip. A council road sweeper was emptying its contents but the wind was so strong that Ducky could see all manner of things being whipped up into the sky, a shoe, a dog collar and what looked like a Santa hat. The more the road sweeper emptied, the more rubbish flew up into the air.
Daddy had managed to open the car door and had emptied the first tub of recycling and had put the tub down on the floor. As he stepped away to get the next tub Ducky saw something swirling in the wind above the empty tub, it looked like an old, dirty pink rag. As the wind subsided slightly the rag dropped straight into the empty recycling tub but Daddy didn’t notice. Ducky thought the idea was to not take rubbish home but as Daddy had now put the second tub inside the first he couldn’t see the old rag anyway, so home they went. The journey home was just as slow and Daddy said to Ducky “I hope this won’t affect the party on New Year’s Day”.
Chapter Four: Home
Daddy and Ducky were home and Ducky immediately started filling the gang in about his latest adventure, the lights, the snow, and the wind. Just as he was about to say about the swirling rubbish they heard Mummy say to Daddy “What on earth is this?”
The gang looked over to see Mummy holding the old wet rag in her hand. “I dunno” said Daddy, it must have fallen in at the tip or something, chuck it in the bin and with that Mummy walked towards the kitchen. She suddenly stopped and said “this looks like a soft toy pig or what is left of one. Ah, poor old Piggy, shall I fix you?”
Daddy went over to take a look and said “look at him and those button eyes, he’s been repaired before and where is his tummy?” Mummy noticed something stuck inside and took it back for a closer look. “What’s this inside?” she said. There seemed to be a folded piece of paper which she unfolded and could make out some medical records for someone called ‘Dur Pig’. It appeared to be for an operation although she couldn’t make out all the words as it had been washed so many times. They all wondered who would call someone Dur?
“Shall I fix him for the gang?” she said, as she remembered she had some beads and material she could use to patch him up. “Yes we want Piggy in the gang” shouted the gang and although Mummy and Daddy could not hear them, they continued to shout. It was almost like Mummy did hear them as she said she would give him a soak and have a look at repairing him when he was dry.
Chapter Five: Repaired
New Year Eve was still 3 days away and Daddy, Ducky and the gang were all relaxing. Rudyard was once again telling the story of the Christmas Carol which always scared Dinky and Paddles but they still wanted to hear it. Just as Rudyard was moving on to the ghost of Christmas present Mummy came into the room with her Nan’s old sewing box and a washed and dried Piggy, or what was left of him.
You see, Mummy was very clever. She created members of the gang from nothing and they couldn’t wait to see what she could do with Piggy. Mummy was cutting and sewing patches of new material to make piggy look how he used to be, sometimes unpicking things to try again, but eventually she said, “There we go, all done. Now let’s make your insides”.
Mummy got a small funnel and put the end into a small hole left in the tummy of Piggy. Into the funnel she poured beads, on she poured using up one bag and then two and finally Piggy was full again. His medical records were updated and tucked inside his tummy and then his tummy was sewn up and Piggy stood on his 4 old trotters. No-one knew how long it had been since he had done that and for how long he had been lost. Mummy smiled at his face and showed Daddy before he was put down with the gang and she said “Ducky, a new member for you”.
Chapter Six: Wake up Piggy
Mummy and Daddy had gone to bed when the gang gathered around Piggy to say hello but they noticed that something was wrong with Piggy. As adorable as he was with his lifelong repairs and button eyes he just stood there motionless and no matter how many times Ducky said “hello”, there was no response from Piggy.
The gang were all excited to know what his story was and how he ended up on a roadside, split open and then picked up by a road sweeper. Piggy was like a toy before it had an owner, he wasn’t alive!
“Ok” said Ducky. “Well, let’s not let Piggy down. Let’s make up a huge bed for all the gang under the tree again and snuggle down for the night. Maybe Piggy just needs to know he belongs”. The gang got to work building a superb knitted wool blanket bed for them all to sleep in with Piggy in the middle and as the snow fell outside, the gang fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Seven: New Year’s Eve Eve
Mummy and Daddy had not yet had time for Piggy as they were busy getting things ready for the party the next day. Tables were being assembled with paper plates, cups and party poppers on them. Daddy was pleased that his friend Brendan was coming as this was the first time he would meet Brendan’s new wife and stepson. It had been a few years since he had seen Brendan which was a shame as they all lived quite close to each other.
Mummy was busy cooking lovely smelling foods and Ducky was hoping those smells would wake Piggy up but still nothing! Rudyard reasoned that maybe once you are found and repaired, which many toys are, then it takes a while to recover, just like when a human has an operation and Ducky agreed.
Ducky had now built Piggy a superb bed and he was tucked in with knitted blankets so there was no way he was uncomfortable. Ducky and the gang snuggled up to Piggy so he knew he was part of the gang. Dinky was especially attentive to Piggy and talked to him all the time in the hope he would wake up.
“Poor Piggy, we all love you, get well soon” Dinky said and bent down to kiss him and then the gang all bedded down for the night.
Chapter Eight: Party Time
It was New Year’s Eve and Mummy was busy and had placed all the gang in an excellent viewing spot for the party later that day. All the gang were included in the party planning by Mummy and Daddy and they were all excited, all except Piggy who just stared vacantly into the distance. Ducky hoped that the party would get his trotters moving, he thought, who doesn’t like a boogie?
As the party time arrived, Mummy and Daddy’s parents arrived with other family members and from the sofa they could see the odd assortment of the gang. Some of the family smiled but no-one realised that Piggy was a new member of the gang. The doorbell rang and Daddy opened the door to welcome in his old friend Brendan “hey you made it” Daddy said. “Just about” said Brendan “we nearly turned around as the snow seemed to be setting in again, anyway, let me introduce you to my lovely new wife and my stepson Jack”. As Ducky heard the name Jack he was sure he saw Piggy move a trotter, not much, but move it he did.
Ducky couldn’t see Daddy and Brendan but he heard him say hello to Brendon’s new wife and to his stepson Jack. Jack said hello back and then Daddy asked, “what have you got there in your hand Jack” and he replied “this is Christmas Pig or CP for short”. Daddy said that we had a Piggy just like him somewhere and that he would show him later, then he took their coats and ushered them inside.
Ducky and the gang were really enjoying themselves, they loved watching everyone arrive and the dancing and singing around the roaring fire. There were people they had seen before but there were also some new faces. Everyone seemed happy and Ducky liked that as his sole purpose was to help with people’s pain and seeing everyone so happy swelled his bean-filled heart.
Ducky was surprised to see a new face and guessed it was Brendan’s new wife. Rudyard thought the same as she was the only one who hadn’t introduced herself. She walked into the room and before she had said a word her eyes locked onto Piggy and with a sudden gasp she uttered “Dur Pig” and immediately walked over to Piggy. She picked him up and in utter amazement she carefully examined every inch of Piggy and slowly started to cry.
Chapter Nine: How?
As Brendan’s wife stood with tears in her eyes Mummy came straight over to her and asked “whatever is the matter?” Brendan’s wife asked “where did you get this from?” and Mummy laughed and said “well that’s a funny story”. Mummy said Piggy had ended up in their recycle tub and they could only assume he had escaped from a road sweeper.
“Really” said Brendan’s wife, “I just can’t believe this because my son lost this very toy on Christmas Eve when it was thrown out of a car window on the motorway”. “How do you know this was his toy?” asked mummy “because it was me who repaired his eyes” said Brendan’s wife. Mummy was in disbelief and explained “no way, was it you who wrote the medical notes?” and Brendan’s wife confirmed it was as she stroked Piggy or Dur Pig as she called him and she asked how Mummy knew about the notes.
Mummy explained how she found them stuck to his innards when she was repairing him and that she had updated them and put them back inside. Both women now stared in disbelief at each other and then hugged each other with Brendan’s wife shouting, “now this is a Christmas miracle!”
Ducky was watching Piggy closely as the story unfolded and again saw him move and this time he was convinced. Ducky said, “Piggy, are you awake”? Brendan’s wife then called Jack to come into the front room and soon a young boy walked in clutching what looked just like a newer, less battered version of Piggy. “Hello you must be Jack” said Mummy. “Yes, pleased to meet you” said Jack. Mummy then asked Jack what he had in his hand? “This is the Christmas Pig or CP for short” said Jack. “Well” said Mummy “I think I have something that belongs to you” and at this point Ducky and Dinky could see Jack’s Pig twitching in Jack’s hand as if he wanted to say something to him. “What’s that”? Jack asked, and Mummy then handed our Piggy over to Jack who was at first open-mouthed and then he said in a soft voice “DP”.
Chapter 10: Re-A-lived
Jack was now the one with tears in his eyes, gripping both Piggy and Christmas Pig as if his life depended on it. He whispered the name Dur Pig over and over and pleaded to keep him now he had been found. Daddy and Brendon came into the room to see what all the commotion was about and once the story had been recited they were as dumbfounded as everyone else. Daddy kneeled down in front of Jack and said, “of course you can keep him, because he is yours”.
At that moment, the whole gang knew something had changed with Piggy. He had been given the love and attention of a new toy and was now alive, he had been lost, but now he was found! Ducky called the gang together for a meeting and he explained the story of Piggy and the fact his name was Dur Pig or DP for short and his brother was called Christmas Pig or CP for short and from now on that’s what everyone should call them.
As the adults moved away to enjoy the party Jack sat down next to the gang and Ducky heard him say to DP “I knew you would come back to me and Santa would get you un-lost just like me and now I have the two best pigs in the world”. Now the whole gang was listening and then something happened they had never seen before….. DP spoke to Jack “Hello Jack, I have been found and I am back, I love you so much”. Surprisingly, Jack didn’t seem surprised that toys were speaking to him and he replied “I love you too but I thought you were happy on the beach?” “I was” said DP but as I was found I became un-lost and I wouldn’t give up the chance of a hug from you again now would I”.
Jack’s eyes were again filled with tears of happiness as CP said to DP “Welcome back brother, I am so thankful for what you did for me and I am so happy you are back. We are going to have the best life together”. “Yes” said Jack, “we will be together forever and ever”.
Suddenly DP turned to the gang and said to Jack “these are my new friends” and he named every single one of them, “they were kind to me while I was un-alive”. “Hello” said Jack “can you talk?” he asked. “I don’t know” said Ducky “can you hear me?” “Of course I can” said Jack and “thank you for being kind to Dur Pig”. “It’s our pleasure,” said Ducky.
Suddenly, these were the shouts of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ‘Happy New Year’ and then cheers and clapping. “Happy New Year everyone” said Ducky and especially a happy new year to you Jack, we are so happy for you”. “Thanks,” said Jack. Jack sat talking to both his pigs for hours until Brendan came in and said they were going to have to stay the night as the snow was so bad. “Ok” said Jack “but can I sleep under the tree with all the toys?” and Jack’s mum agreed so Mummy brought Jack some blankets and they all settled down for the night.
Once the house had gone quiet Dur Pig asked “do you think we will see each other again” and Jack replied “all the time” as Jack had heard Daddy and Brendan talking about the camper vans they were buying and all the trips they could go on together. They were arranging to meet more often and go on lots of adventures. Excellent thought Ducky, “did you hear that Gozzy, they are all buying camper vans”. “Really” said Gozzy, “maybe I should check them over before they buy”.
The house was quiet and still and Jack had fallen fast asleep but the gang were wide awake. They were all intently listening to DP and CP who were telling of their adventures when they were lost, “wow you are so brave CP”, said Dinky. “I would do anything for Jack and DP” said CP. “Yes, that’s how I feel about Mummy and Daddy, welcome to the gang DP and CP” said Ducky, let our new adventures begin!
