A Bedtime Story

Sir Alistair and the Rogue Rubber Ducky


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Sir Alistair, the most valiant knight in the kingdom of Bathtubia, was renowned for his courage in the face of soap monsters and his unwavering dedication to cleanliness. His armor, a gleaming sponge, and his sword, a trusty toothbrush, were always at the ready.

One particularly bubbly evening, as Sir Alistair meticulously scrubbed the tub, a new challenger appeared. It was a rogue rubber ducky, bright yellow, with an unblinking, mischievous eye. It had been left behind by young Prince Reginald after his bath.

"Halt, feathered fiend!" Sir Alistair boomed, splashing a bit. "You dare disturb my noble quest?"

The rubber ducky, whose name was Ducky McDuckface (though Sir Alistair wasn't aware of this), merely bobbed impudently. Then, with a sudden, surprising splash, it sent a wave directly into Sir Alistair's visor, temporarily blinding him with suds.

"Aha!" Sir Alistair spluttered, wiping his eyes. "A cunning foe! But I, Sir Alistair, shall not be deterred!" He charged, toothbrush raised.

Ducky McDuckface, however, was surprisingly agile. It ducked (of course), then popped up behind Sir Alistair, letting out a series of highly irritating "squeak-squeaks."

Sir Alistair spun around, his sponge-armor sloshing. He lunged, but Ducky McDuckface was too quick, slipping under his arm and then, with a well-aimed kick of its webbed foot, knocked over Sir Alistair’s bucket of clean water. It spilled everywhere, creating a miniature river.

"This is an outrage!" Sir Alistair bellowed, now thoroughly drenched. He chased the ducky around the tub, a valiant knight in a soapy pursuit. The ducky, clearly enjoying the chase, continued its taunting squeaks.

Sir Alistair, growing more exasperated by the minute, finally cornered the ducky behind the faucet.

"Yield, fowl adversary!" Sir Alistair declared, panting slightly.

Ducky McDuckface, instead of surrendering, simply looked up at Sir Alistair with its innocent, unblinking eye and let out a tiny, almost pitiful "squeak."

Sir Alistair hesitated. Perhaps this wasn't a fiend at all, but a lonely toy. He sighed, then carefully picked up Ducky McDuckface. It felt surprisingly soft.

"Very well, Ducky," Sir Alistair said, a small smile forming under his sponge helmet. "You are not a foe, but… a distraction. A very effective distraction."

From that day on, Ducky McDuckface was no longer a rogue, but Sir Alistair's official Bathtubia morale officer, often found happily bobbing nearby during his cleaning quests.

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A Bedtime StoryBy Matthew Mitchell