Once upon a time, there was a mother duck who had six small, yellow ducklings. They lived in a small house on a farm, but the ducklings were born during a dry, hot summer. There was no rain to play in and no puddles to splash in. “I wish it would rain,” Mother Duck said to her ducklings. “It is such fun to play in the rain. I know you will love the rain. All ducks love the rain!”

Then, as summer turned to autumn, it finally started to rain! Mother Duck woke up when she heard the rain tip-tapping on the roof. She called her ducklings, “Come and see the rain!” She was so excited and quickly gathered all the ducklings. Then they all followed Mother Duck out into the rain.

But the smallest duckling quickly went back inside. “What is the matter?” Mother Duck asked. “Come outside and feel the lovely rain.”

“No, thank you,” said the smallest duckling. “I don’t like the rain. I don’t like getting wet, and the rain makes my yellow feathers stick to me.”

Mother Duck could not believe her ears. She flapped her wings and said, “Have you ever heard of a duck who doesn’t like the rain? I will have to make a plan.”

The next morning, Mother Duck went to talk to Mother Goat MaMbuzi, who had a shop on the farm that sold everything. “MaMbuzi, my smallest duckling does not want to go out when it rains. She says she doesn’t like getting wet. Have you ever heard of a duck who doesn’t like the rain? We have to make a plan!” said Mother Duck.

MaMbuzi laughed. “It is because she is still young and has not seen rain before,” she said. Then MaMbuzi searched in her cupboards and found a small, blue raincoat. “Here you go,” she said to Mother Duck. “Give her this little, blue raincoat to wear when it rains again.” Mother Duck thanked MaMbuzi and went home with the raincoat.

A few days later, it rained again. Mother Duck gave her smallest duckling the raincoat to wear. “Now, let’s go outside and enjoy the rain,” she said.

All the ducklings happily followed Mother Duck outside into the rain. But after a while, Mother Duck noticed that the smallest duckling was no longer with them. She searched everywhere and eventually found her all alone inside the house. “Why are you sitting here all alone? You have a raincoat now, so come outside and enjoy the rain,” said Mother Duck.

“No, thank you,” said the smallest duck. “I don’t like the rain. The mud makes my feet sticky.”

Mother Duck was very confused. “All ducks like the rain,” she said. “They don’t mind when their feathers get wet and their feet get muddy! I will have to make a plan!”

The next morning, Mother Duck went back to MaMbuzi to ask for her help. “MaMbuzi, my smallest duckling says she does not like the rain because the mud makes her feet sticky. What am I supposed to do? We have to make a plan.”

MaMbuzi laughed again. “It is because she is still young and her feet are very small,” she said. Then MaMbuzi searched on her shelves and found a small pair of green rainboots. “Here you go,” she said to Mother Duck. “Give her these little, green rainboots to wear when it rains again.” Mother Duck thanked MaMbuzi and went home with the boots.

When it rained again, Mother Duck gave her smallest duckling the raincoat and rainboots to wear. “Now, let’s go outside and enjoy the rain,” she said.

The smallest duckling was much happier now. Her feathers were dry and her feet weren’t muddy. Mother Duck smiled and felt very relieved as she watched all her ducklings play in the rain together.

When the rain stopped and the sun came out, a huge rainbow appeared in the sky. “Look, Mama,” said the smallest duckling pointing at the rainbow. “What is that colourful thing?”

Mother Duck and the other ducklings looked up at the sky. The little ducklings were all amazed at the beautiful, colourful ribbon they saw there.

“That is a rainbow,” smiled Mother Duck. “It comes out when the rain stops, and the sun comes out. If you look carefully, you will see it has seven different colours.””

“Oh, I really love the rainbow. It has the same colours as my raincoat, boots and feathers,” said her smallest duckling excitedly. The other five ducklings flapped their wings in agreement.

When the sun went down and the rainbow disappeared, Mother Duck and her ducklings went home.

After that day, the smallest duckling couldn’t wait for it to rain again so that she could see another rainbow. In fact, she was so excited to see a rainbow, that she completely forgot to wear her raincoat and rainboots the next time it rained.

When the rainbow appeared, she said to Mother Duck, “I no longer mind if my feathers get wet and my feet get muddy when it rains because after the rain, the sun will come out and then I will see the most beautiful thing in the world – a colourful new rainbow. I love the rain, but most of all I love rainbows!”

Mother Duck could not be happier, nor more relieved. Now all her ducklings loved the rain, just like ducks are supposed to do!

Get story active!

Draw a picture showing what you love doing on a rainy day. Under the picture, write a sentence describing what it is about.