Why Ducks Sleep on One Leg Author:Sherry Garland, Jean Tseng (Illustrator), Mou-sien Tseng (Illustrator) Set in feudal Vietnam, this folktale centers on three ducks that have received only one leg each. Ridiculed by the other animals, and unable to paddle well enough to catch fish or to move quickly on land, these creatures feel shortchanged: "It isn't fair that someone ran out of duck legs and forgot to make any more." With the help ... more »of a rooster and a goose, the three write a petition to the Jade Emperor, and appeal to the village guardian to deliver it. Yet this individual solves the dilemma himself, giving the petitioners extra golden legs from an incense burner. When he warns the ducks that they must guard their new appendages carefully, the three start a trend by tucking their golden legs up under their wings at night, "safely out of sight."
This light pourquoi tale from Vietnam will appeal to teachers in search of multicultural titles as well as to young folklore fans.« less