The ducks were at it AGAIN! Petunia Fairy clapped her hands over her ears. Theodore Duck had got it in his head that GOD wanted him to create an Evensong Choir! Ducks could not sing, but Theodore insisted he was doing the will of God. Personally Petunia thought it was a rich excuse to make a lot of racket, which Theodore was fond of. He also liked to be the center of attention. So every evening he raised his wings as the sun kissed the duckpond goodnight and began. Every freaking evening! Petunia HATED it, but the ducks ENJOYED it!

Right now would be a good time to make friends with a Genie and get three wishes, but she didn't believe in Genies, even though she was a fairy. Still, if she had one wish, just one, it would be to silence the ducks permanently. Currently she was considering murder, but she was a fairy after all and fairies were not prone to violence, at least that is what her mother told her. However as the racket rose in volume, she began to wonder if she might be a different sort of fairy.

Bull Frog hopped up beside her. She complained, “I wish someone would shut them up!”

He side eyed her and croaked, “Ducks can not help that they are bad singers, but that does not mean they should not sing. It is the way they are designed.”

Petunia said, “God should have come up with a better design.”

“For who, you or the ducks?” Not waiting for her response, Bull Frog hopped away.

The question unsettled Petunia. What if she was the one who had been badly designed? What if in the eyes of God the ducks were just fine the way they were? When complete darkness fell, the ducks waddled silently off. It would be another twenty-three and a half hours before Petunia would have to endure their chorus again.

Upset and confused, Petunia made her way home. As she passed the church, she saw Church Mouse sitting on the front steps eating a Communion wafer. She went up to him and asked, “Do you like the Duck’s Evensong Choir? I hate it. Is there something wrong with me?”

“No. It is okay not to like duck singing. The Good Lord told his creation to make a joyful noise, he didn’t command it to sing pretty.”

“He should have.”

Church Mouse replied, “Well, silencing all creatures that can’t carry a tune seems harsh to me.”

Though she would not say it out loud, it did sound harsh. She asked, “What am I supposed to do?”

Church Mouse broke off a bit of his Communion wafer and handed it to Petunia. “Maybe you could focus on how happy the singing makes the ducks. Or, maybe you could stuff your ears with moss. Either way, I say let anyone who wants to make a joyful noise make a joyful noise.”

“Okay.” This was not the answer Petunia wished for, but it was the one she got.