Why Ducks Sleep the Way They Do

Have you ever been near a pond or river and observed a duck sleeping?? What a delightful sight — seeing them like that, standing on one leg! It looks quite uncomfortable, right?

Well, according to Vietnamese folklore, there is an interesting explanation for this mystery…

Long-long ago, as soon as the whole world was created, it became clear that not everything had been created perfectly.

Among all the ducks on the entire planet, there were four that had only one leg. While the other ducks could happily run around, these four were barely able to hop. They often went hungry, just because they moved too slowly. Watching the other ducks and animals moving along the ground with ease, they began to envy them their ability to walk on two legs. This disgruntled feeling soon overwhelmed them. One day, the four ducks gathered together to discuss their unpleasant situation.

“It can’t go on like this!” they said to each other.

So they decided to complain to the heavens. However, they had no idea where the heavens actually were, and they also had no idea how to file such a complaint. Humans can write their complaints on paper. But ducks cannot write. As a last resort, one of them suggested they ask the rooster for help.

“But he scratches even worse than a cat,” objected the other ducks. “Do you really think he’ll be able to do this?”

They honestly weren’t too sure. But in the end, the ducks realised that he was their only hope. And indeed, on receiving this request, the rooster puffed up his feathers, steadied his claw, and proceeded to scratch-down what they wanted to say.

It’s not fair that when the world was created, they ran out of duck legs and we were the…