DuckStar / Cyberfarm (3 page)

‘That's it. Strike the set. We're clearing out of here. I'll use animation,' stormed the Director as he left. The crew packed up. The animals watched, stunned.

‘So that's that!' said Cate. ‘We won't get paid and the farm will go.'

‘Oh no,' cried the animals.

‘We sure made a mess of our first TV job.'

‘Fake-Yo doesn't taste as good as my milk,' said Cow.

‘I agree,' said Cate as she wiped Cow's nose.

The Camera Man came up to Cate. He was still laughing. ‘I got it all on film. It was sooooo funny. Can I keep it?'

‘Sure. Just make us a copy. We'll watch it together and laugh,' said Cate.

‘I'll do better than that,' said the Camera Man.

‘I wonder what he means by that?' said Cate.

Feral Peril

Cate raced across the yard calling, ‘Get ready, everyone. Here come the visitors. I can hear the children.'

‘Oh,' said Parrot. ‘It begins.'

‘Look Mum. There's a parrot.'

‘Polly want a cracker?' A child pushed a biscuit into Parrot's beak.

‘Careful darling, he might bite.'

Parrot did a back flip onto the barn roof. He winked at Duck as he called out, ‘Polly want a cracker.' Then he tight-rope-walked along the gutter.

The crowd clapped.

‘What an actor!' thought Duck.

‘Do these animals do any tricks, Dad?'

‘Any buttons to press?'

‘When's the Cyberfarm starting? I want a farm-cart thrill ride and a cyberhelmet.‘

‘We'll come back later in the week,' said the parent. ‘The Cyberfarm will be working by then.'

Duck hadn't heard of a ‘Cyberfarm' before.

‘Thrill rides? Cyberfarm? What does he mean?' asked Sheep.

‘It wasn't my decision,' explained Cate. ‘It's just a trial to attract more visitors. The technos are arriving tomorrow to set up the virtual helmets, cyber-rides on robot animals and a farm-cart thrill ride.'

‘Will there still be jobs for us?' asked Sheep.

‘I hope so.' Cate looked worried.

‘I'm much more interesting than a robot duck and real Parrot is a great performer,' said Duck.

‘I know that, but others need to see it!' said Cate.

Duck decided then and there to direct a show with REAL animals for the farm visitors.

He followed the crowd so he could hear everything the children said about animals. To direct a good show, he needed to know what they wanted.

Kids patted his feathers and then chased him or wanted to take him home.

This is research, he told himself. His show would be much better than any robot animals!

Duck liked his idea so much that he took a running leap, skidded on his webbed feet and belly-flopped across the stones.

‘Lift your wings higher.' From a fence post, Parrot gave orders. ‘Perch-gymnastics is much harder.'

‘I wasnt doing gymnastics, I was having fun!'

‘Nobody does perch-gymnastics like me. I was trained.' Parrot tight-rope-walked across the fence. He did a somersault, landed on one leg and bowed with his wings outstretched.

Such a performance!

‘Who trained you?' asked Duck.

Parrot did a back flip.

‘My previous owner was a Russian dancer with the Moscow Circus.'

Parrot did a forward roll. He bounced off a bucket full of vegetable peelings, without falling in.

Duck wing-clapped. ‘Wow,' he gasped. ‘Did she teach you to sing or dance?'

Parrot said, ‘Do you mean ballet? Tap dancing? Rap dancing? Or folk dancing?'

Duck was getting some great ideas for his show.

‘Listen. I'll sing you a few of my songs,' said Parrot.

So he did.