Aubrey, Zachary and Maya

AUBREY

THE DUCK

WAS AFRAID OF

ISBN 10:1501067494

ISBN 13:978-1501067495

Illustrated by: Salma Riaz

(PHOTO)

Aubrey, Zachary and Maya

During our lifetime each of us may face a fear that must be overcome. It is always so much easier to overcome that fear when we have a friend by our side. This is a story that demonstrates the value of friendship.

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV NEXT PAGE

Aubrey was afraid of water!

(Picture of Aubrey)

Aubrey was afraid of water!

He did not understand why. He was just afraid! He wanted so much to swim and play in the water like all the other ducks at the lake. But he just could not find the nerve to go into the water. This made him very, very sad.

Illustration: A frustrated, Aubrey (the duck) sitting on a rock with his wing (hands) over his head.

Each day Aubrey would watch while his brothers and sisters would followed their Mom into the water for a swim. Aubrey would always just sit on the edge of the lake and watch. HBut he knew his Mom loved him and understood why he never went into the water.

Illustration: Aubrey sitting on bank of lake wrenching his hands and watching his siblings swim and interact with their mom in the water.

Aubrey would often daydream that he was swimming and playing in the water like all the other ducks. In his dream, his Mom was always there to watch over him.

Illustration: Aubrey looking up at a vision of his mom as he daydreamed with a side image of him splashing in the water.

One day Aubrey was walking around the lake. As he neared moved closer to the big rock, he noticed something. something caught his attention. It was a cat, fast asleep up on the rock.

Illustration: As Aubrey is walking past a large flat rock he looks up and sees the napping cat.

Just at that very moment then, the cat woke up and slowly raised her head. Watching Aubrey walk past, she called out to him. Seeing the duck as he waddled past the rock, she called to him.

Illustration: Maya (the cat) raises her head and calls to the duck that is now past the rock.

Aubrey stopped and looked toward the voice. As Maya made her wayclimbed down the rock, she asked,. "Why aren’t youare you not playing in the water like all the other ducks"?

Aubrey repliedanswered sadly,. "I'm too afraid to go into the water." The cat had never heard of such a thing. A duck afraid of water!

Wow! How could that be possible?

Illustration: The duck has stopped and turned facing the cat that is now making her way down the rock.

Maya then had what she thought was a really good ideaThen Maya had a great idea! (At least she thought so.) Maybe she could help her new friend overcome his fear of water. She had never wanted to help a friend so much!

Illustration: A close up of the cat with an expression of exhilaration from having had a great idea.

The cat then said, “My name is Maya, may I ask your name”?. What’s your name?”

The duck repliedanswered,, “My name is Aubrey.” Then Maya smiled and added, “I love to make new friends,.. But I want to know well, Aubrey, have you ever actually been BEEN in the water, Aubrey?””?

Illustration: The duck and the cat sitting on a small stone wall beside the lake talking. Their back is to the reader while they face the water.

Aubrey thought and thoughthard. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten close enough to the water to get in. t remember ever actually getting close enough to the water to get wet, I’ve always been to o afraid.,” He answeredhe told her.

His fear of water was just so real!

Illustration: Aubrey the Duck raises his hands in an expression of uncertainty.

As Maya talked to Aubrey about his fear of water, she was reminded of a time when she was once very afraid too.

Illustration: The cat walks along a stone sidewalk beside a yard with a wooden rail fence, while looking back over her shoulder.

Maya then told Aubrey that she was onceused to be afraid of a big brown dog. This dog lived in one of the yards sometimes she had to pass on her way to the lake.Sometimes, when she was walking to the lake, she had to walk past the dog’s yard.

Illustration: The big brown dog stands at a similar fence with his front paws (hands) on the top rail. Page 12

Each time she would walk to the lake to sun herself she would often need to find a different route to get thereShe was so scared of the dog, she’d try to find a different way to the lake.. She would try almost anything to avoid passing the yard with the big dog. Whenever she’d walk to the lake to get some sun, she’d do almost anything to keep from walking past that yard and that dog.

Illustration: The cat walks along another sidewalk as she passes a yard with a picket fence.

One day Maya was at the lake. As usual, she had climbed on top of her favorite warm, sunny rock to get some sunshine. She had climbed on top of the sun warmed rock as usual. She had stretched herself out and was looking forward to a peaceful afternoon.

“This is going to be a good afternoon for a nap,” she thought to herself.

Illustration: Maya does a cat stretch, with her eyes closed and her front paws extended forward, on top of the rock.

As Maya started to fall asleep, a strange feeling suddenly woke her up. As Maya was just about to doze off, she was suddenly jarred awake by a very strange sensation. The big brown dog had climbed onto the rock too. And he was giving her a warm, sloppy wet lick right on her face. What a crazy way to wake someone up!

Illustration: Zach (the dog) with his upper torso on the same rock while licking the sleeping cat on her face.

Maya jumped to her feet and bowed arched her back. She was ready to defend herself against her attacker. But what looked back at her was the big dog with a wide, friendly smile on his face. He was down on his stomach and panting playfully. with hHis tail wagginged wildly from side to side. Illustration: The cat has now jumped up while her back is bowed up in an angry cat posture. The dog lays stretched out on his stomach in a friendly and smiling pose.

Then the big dog just plopped down on the rock. It seemed to Maya that he had no intention of leavingMaya was pretty sure he wasn’t going to leave. In fact,. Iit even looked likeseemed that he was thinking of taking a nap himself.

Illustration: The dog is now stretched out on top of the rock with his eyes closed.

Maya decided the dog was no longer a danger to hern’t going to hurt her.. Now, she had a choice,. Sshe could go home and leave the rock to the big dog., Oor, she could just stay. This was her most very favorite napping spot at the lake to take a nap. As she saw it,She guessed the both of themy would just have to share the rock.

Illustration: The cat’s back is still slightly bowed with an angry snarl still on her face after the dog has taken over the rock (as illustrated on the previous page.)

After all, tThe rock was plenty big enough for the both odid have plenty of room for both of them. TAnd there was no other spot at the lake nearly as nice as this on a warm sunny day. So, Maya made up her mind that she was going to stay. Maybe they could even become friends.

Illustration: The cat has lain down on the rock also. She has an expression of reconciliation on a smiling face as she ponders the idea of becoming Zach’s friend.

Before long, Maya and Zach did become the very best of friends. Now Maya did not have to take the long way around to get to the lake. Sometimes, she’d even stop at Zach’s yard and ask him to go with her.Besides, now she would even stop by and invite Zach to walk along with her. Illustration: Maya and Zach walk side by side along a sidewalk beside a wooden rail fence as they make their way to the lake.

As Maya was telling her story to Aubrey, Zach suddenly appeared! In a flash, he gave Aubrey a warm, sloppy wet lick on the face—! Just like as he had done when he wanted to make friends with Maya.

Illustration: Zach (the dog) is licking Aubrey (the duck) on his face.

When Zach licked Aubrey on his the face, it startled him so muchAubrey was so startled that he began to wildly flap his wings. This rapid flapping caused him to rise high up into the air.

Illustration: A surprised and startled duck rapidly flaps his wings and rises high above the water in the lake.

After some time, Aubrey began to calm down. and was not flapping his wings nearly as fastHis wings started to flap slower. As he grew calmercalmed down, he began to descend lower and lower…...—right toward the water.

Aubrey kept gettingcontinued to slowly get closer and closer to the water beneath him. Before he realized it he had landed softly onto the surface of the water.

And then he settled into the water!

Aubrey was so surprised!

Illustration: Aubrey has now descended from above the lake and settles softly onto the surface of the water.

What had he just done? Here Aubrey was in the water that he had once been so afraid ofHe couldn’t believe it, but there he was. He was in the same water that he used to be so scared of.. But now it all seemed so different for him! The water was warm, and it cradled around him so naturally. Even in his daydreams, he had never imagined it could feel this good.had never thought he’d enjoy it so much.

And he liked It!

Illustration: Aubrey sits in the water facing the reader. An expression of sheer surprise and delight on his face.

Then Aubrey began to swim around and around and around in big circles in the water. He was so very excited! He had never been so happy as he was at this very moment!He’d never been so happy before.

Illustration: Aubrey is splashing delightfully in the water. His smiling face is raised high toward the sky with his eyes closed, as he swims around in the water.

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Aubrey was no longer afraid of water!

Aubrey's family was so very happy for him. His mom, sisters, and brothers flapped their wings and quacked and quacked with excitement!

This really was the most wonderful day of his whole life!

Illustration: Aubrey’s mom and siblings are flapping their wings and celebrating his accomplishment.

After several minutes of playing in the water Aubrey swam to the water’s edge. As he waddled out of the water, he went to Maya and Zach. He wanted to thank the two of them for helping him overcome his fear of water.

Illustration: Maya (cat) and Zach (dog) lay side by side facing the reader. Both of them have smiles of happiness on their face. Aubrey (the duck) has his back to the reader with his wings raised high, toward the cat and dog.

After this wonderful day Maya, Aubrey, and Zach became the very best of friends. Now, it had even become a common sight to see the three of them napping together on the rock on a warm sunny day.

Illustration: Maya, Aubrey and Zach lay side by side facing facing the reader, with smiling faces and eyes shut, as they nap on top of the rock.