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Section One: Overlord Kingbird –VI

In the sixth part of his autobiographical novel, Dr. Tzemin tells us how the little “Overlord Kingbird” came into his life. A Different Truths exclusive.

Not long after my beloved old hen passed away, my daddy wanted to comfort my wounded soul. He bought me a children’s tricycle and allowed me to ride it, around the place, often. Dad was a person with reserved personality, like static leisure, and also like flowers and plants.

On weekdays, the wild flowers on the roadside, the stone piles or the mound of yellow earth in the courtyard of other people’s homes, Dad would randomly enter inside to take pictures with his old camera. At the same time, he would never forget to carry drawing paper and crayons for me. I had slowly grown up. Star-shaped florets, yellow shamrocks, lichen lichens, and dentate peonies would come in my paintings and my Dad’s camera from time to time. This made us feel scintillating everywhere and full of differences of interest, especially in the spring where hundreds of flowers blossomed. These surprises everywhere made us spend a lot of wonderful time together. Dad was so happy that I no longer just drew my old hens only like I did before, even feel so comforted that I finally started talking and speaking, the language obstacles caused by Asperger’s Disorder that I had gradually eased, and I finally had more dialogue with him.

Suddenly, a small yellow shadow rose from the grass. It flashed across and caught us off guard.

One day, my Dad and I met a big surprise on the ridges outside our backyard. Originally, Dad took me, riding on my shiny tricycle, leisurely walked around on familiar roads. Suddenly, a small yellow shadow rose from the grass. It flashed across and caught us off guard. We were almost hit by it.

Dad almost slipped. The sand under the wheel creaked. After they fell together several times, Dad finally firmly grasped it. It was so angry to bite my Dad. But he only said calmly to it: “If I don’t catch you now, the wild dogs will eat you. Now, you bite me, you would be grateful later.” Dad griped it carefully, deftly, not with all his strength. At the same time, he carefully looked at it, it turned out to be a small yellow duck still full of lanugo!

“Let me guess, it might have been abandoned or lost by the owner.” Dad said to me: “Tzemin, let’s ask if there is anyone who has lost ducklings in the neighborhood.”

The old hen just passed away, in the depths of my heart, I really wanted to raise a pet, but it was someone else’s.

I keep silent, but I really liked it, maybe it is because of the transference. The old hen just passed away, in the depths of my heart, I really wanted to raise a pet, but it was someone else’s. When Dad began to ask people in the neighborhood, it no longer struggled or bit, and looked at Dad with a mischievous glance. Good boy, it was really calm in this hour of peril and looked like it would fit in any unfamiliar environment now, I began to beg my father, “Can we take it home? It seems to be scared.” Dad looked at me. Of course, he knew my mind and replied, “Maybe it is God’s will. Let’s keep it, do you like it?”

Like it? Great! No, come on, I am over the moon with my yellow duckling! This is a gift from God, let me make up for the regret of missing my ‘old hen’.

“Well, I will take you home…. It’s fate,” Dad said as he wrapped it in his coat.

As soon as got home, we immediately gave the duckling a thorough clean shower.

As soon as got home, we immediately gave the duckling a thorough clean shower. It gradually accepted the self-identity about this home. As long as I was at home, it always at my heels, just like the old hen at that time. Until one day, I accidentally discovered that it would face the sky, watching the birds flying in the sky, and flapping its wings. I squatted down, my heart really wanted to say to it, “Hey! You are not a bird, you can’t fly.” But I couldn’t bear to say it, I just remembered this in my heart, maybe I should ask Dad for help to around with its dream.

On that weekend, Dad put a car basket in front of his bicycle and a child seat in the back. Then put it in the front basket, I sat behind him, ready to take a surprise trip. When the bicycle sailed, the wind began to rise, it squinted its eyes into a line like a warrior preparing to bomb the enemy, then raised his head and screamed. Never thought that I could understand the language of the duck. I knew how proud it was. We laughed together and flew over the fields, the elementary school, the creek outside the village, and even went back to where we had found it.

My little duckling kept screaming like a singer with a full firepower and slammed the wings vigorously.

My little duckling kept screaming like a singer with full firepower and slammed the wings vigorously. Flapped its wings and was completely intoxicated in the flying meditation. All the way, it’s quite complete in a perfect world of their own. Even forgot that it was not a bird.

Seeing it walking on the air, I secretly snickered, decided to name it “Overlord Kingbird” to meet its single-minded bird fantasy. From then on, “Overlord Kingbird” hopelessly loved to take Dad’s overlord car, but never paid the fare, put into effect the notoriety of the overlord.

There was a big black dog that lived next door.

There was a big black dog that lived next door. It often lingered in our backyard. At that fatal once, the door of the yard was not safely tightened, the black dog sneaked in, and the commotion caused my family pay attention.

When Dad arrived, he saw my “Overlord Kingbird” with a petite and fragile body, and the only hard beak in the whole body, standing opposite with the big black dog.

The big black dog was dozens of times bigger than my little duckling, the low-pitched sound was constantly coming out of its mouth, licking its mouth with a sudden grin, lowering its front shoulders, and preparing for the attack.

Dad hurriedly shooed away the big dog, picked up the “Overlord”, and found that it was shivering because of the shock.

Dad hurriedly shooed away the big dog, picked up the “Overlord”, and found that it was shivering because of the shock. However, it did not retreat, yes, it really is my brave “Overlord Kingbird”, I proudly patted it and felt the domineering “Overlord Birds” again! Another time, there was a wicked cat on the roof. This time, “Overlord Kingbird” had learned to see through things. It turned over and hid under the evergreen vines immediately with the action faster than anyone else. This confirms two things, one is, as an overlord, you must always remember, “One who trims the sail to the wind becomes a Knight”, the other is “Adrenaline is also always effective even for a duck.” If you care, how about “Overlord Kingbird” now?

It is very good, has grown up, continues to be its overlord, the frogs on the turf, the small fishes swimming in the water, all are its subject.

Well, the big black dog of the neighboring country did not dare to come again, it may well be called that the nation and people were peaceful and safe. As for the evil cat on the roof, I had to advise you not to mention it for the sake of the reputation of our great “Overlord Kingbird”.

As you can see, I always put myself in its shoes, instead, it croaked incessantly in the early morning, every day. That noise is driving me crazy!

Photo from the Internet

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Dr. Tzemin Ition Tsai
Dr. Tzemin Ition Tsai (蔡澤民博士) is from Taiwan, Republic of China. He is a professor at Asia University (Taiwan), a scholar with a wide range of expertise, has won many national literary awards. His literary works have been anthologised and published in books, journals, and newspapers in more than 40 countries and have been translated into more than 20 languages.

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