, This satirewas inspired by the real life actions of
Eco-Terrorist groups active in America today . If you are offended by this story
, stop these people before they give me any more material to work with !  A strong wind had buffeted the desert landscape for days, and it was no small
relief for Hoppy and his family to see the weather begin to settle down.
Emerging from their burrow, they were met with an unfamiliar view of the area,
they had come to call home. The dust hung heavy in the air, giving a surreal
glow to the morning sun. Hoppy's children had never experienced a dust storm
before, and the experience had unsettled them. Many times during the days of the
storm, the little bunnies said they had heard a strange sound, much like the
quacking of a duck. Hoppy and Mommy Rabbit had assured the little bunnies that
it was only the sound of the wind making its way through the shrubs and brush.
After all, the desert was home to many things, but ducks were not among them. Still, little Jessica was adamant. "But I did Daddy, I did ! I heard a
duck ! " "Now Jessica", said Hoppy, "Why, would a duck want
to live in the desert ? There's not much water here, and you know that they like
the water. Remember Mrs. Duck and all her little ducklings in the pond , back at
our old home" ? Jessica thought this over for a bit, mustering all the
thought her little mind could muster. Then her face lit up like the morning sun.
"Maybe it's a Desert Duck ! Maybe he swims in the sand" ! Hoppy had to
laugh. In his minds eye, he pictured a duck "Swimming" up and down one
of the desert's many dunes, quacking merrily along. Not wanting to ruin the
child's wonderful fantasy, he gave in. "Well Jessica, I guess you could be
right. After all, the desert is a big place.. Who knows what might be out
there" ! Jessica giggled. "Daddy, can we go find the Duck ? Oh please
please please" ? Now it was Mommy's turn to laugh. "Well Hoppy, It looks like a nice day,
Why not bring Jessica for a walk ? If you find the Duck, we can have him over
for dinner". The look on her face told Hoppy that he was in too deep to
turn back now. Jessica was already hopping in circles, excited and ready for a
grand adventure. And so it was that the two explorers set off on the day's
journey in search of the Phantom Duck of the Desert. As they hopped along, Hoppy noticed just how much the landscape had changed.
"Look over there Jessica, that's where the off-road racers came
through" . "But Daddy, I don't see anything", the little bunny
replied, rubbing her eyes, "It looks just like sand to me" .
"Well it is" Hoppy said, but that's because the wind filled in all the
tracks". "Gee Daddy, It looks like nothing was ever there" . The
little bunny kept rubbing her eyes, but it didn't help her see what was not
there. "The desert is not so fragile as the bad humans make it out to be
Jessica, It has been this way for a long long time", said Hoppy, "And
it always will be" . As they continued on, they cought a glimpse of something moving on a far away
ridge. "Look Daddy, look ! I think that's the duck ! Lets go see if he
wants to come home with us for dinner" ! Although Hoppy was sure that
Jessica had seen another rabbit, he decided to play along and they began the
chase in earnest. After a time, they made some progress toward catching up to
the "Duck" , but Jessica did not have Hoppy's long legs, and the two
stopped to rest. "We were getting close Daddy, We were getting real close.
Hoppy noticed that their course had taken them in a circle, and they were
getting close to their home, once again. "Strange", he thought, Why
would another rabbit go back?." Then the thought hit him. Mommy Rabbit
must have snuck around from the other direction. They had been chasing Mommy all
along ! Once Jessica had rested up, They began the chase again. Hoppy kept his new
found knowledge to himself, not wanting to spoil the fun. They hopped merrily
along in the cool winter air, Jessica all excited and Hoppy glad to see his
little bunny having such a good time. Over rocks and brush, over old trees and
desert sand, they lost themselves in the joy of the day. Finally, they were in
site of their burrow, and it seemed the day was over. "Well Jessica, I
guess we won't find the Duck today" Hoppy said. "It looks like he got
away from us. Maybe we can go and look for him again soon ". Much to his
suprise, the little rabbit wasn't disappointed that the day of fun and adventure
had ended. Far from it. She was positively glowing with excitement. "I had
so much fun daddy, I can't wait to go look again" ! After dinner, and the little ones had been tucked into their beds, Hoppy and
Mommy hopped up onto a cliff, overlooking the valley below. The full moon glowed
brilliantly in the desert sky. "It was so good to get out and just
play" Hoppy said to Mommy. " We were out there hopping over hill and
dale, without a thought of the bad humans in our heads. It's just what I needed
Mommy . Its just so good to get away and just enjoy it all." The closest
expression a rabbit can make to a grin , came across his face. "I see now
why the off-roaders like it out here so much . I haven't had as such fun as I
did , chasing you around today, in a long time" . Mommy cocked an eyebrow
with a quizzical look ."Hoppy, what on earth are you talking about? I was
with the children at the burrow all day. You know I couldn't leave them
alone". Hoppy began to answer, but a shadow cought his eye. He say
something fly across the outline of the moon.. His ears perked up, and the
little rabbit sniffed the cool night air. He listened intently for a moment,
then shook his head "Nahhhh, it cant be" What is it Hoppy" ?
Mommy asked, "did you hear something" ?. "Well you aren't going
to believe this.", Hoppy said, "But I could have sworn I heard someone
say "Quack Quack, don't look back" !`"Hoppy,", said Mommy,
"Do you think? ". Together they watched as the Phantom Duck of the Desert flew off into
the night. *Editors note. This story is a "Hats off" thank you for the
work of Rick Sieman, President of the SAHARA Club and Louis MacKey, the
legendary "Phantom Duck of the Desert", who have long fought the
tyrany of the BLM, The Sierra Club and Earth First, to keep the desert free and
open for us all (rabbit and off-roader alike) to enjoy. Thanks guys ! Back to "Tales from the
Trails"  
| Enewsletters
Stay on Top of All the Action: |
