In a land far away, there lived a queen
Whose subjects all loved her, or so it seemed
But there was a duck with a quack so loud
It bothered the queen, and she spoke out loud:

"Dear duck, could you keep your quack down low?
My quarters are nearby, and I'd like some quiet, you know."

The duck was surprised, it had a question to ask
"Your Majesty, may I inquire in this task?
Why do you need silence, why must it be so?
Do you need to quilt, or just take it slow?"

The queen smiled and said, "I have work to do,
I must think and plan, and create things anew.
And to do that, I need peace and quiet,
So I can focus, and think with all my might."

The duck understood and promised to try
To keep its quack down, so the queen could apply
Her creativity and make things grand
For the people of her beloved land.

And from that day forward, the duck kept its quack
Down to a whisper, to give the queen's work some slack
And the queen created things that were truly great
All thanks to the duck's quiet and considerate trait.

Reflections

Here are some questions to ask kids to think about the poem:

1. Who is the main character in the poem and why does she need quiet?
2. What is the problem in the poem and how is it solved?
3. How does the duck feel when the queen asks it to keep its quack down?
4. What does the queen create with her focus and hard work?
5. Why is it important to be considerate of others and keep quiet when necessary?