A Family Recipe

A Family Recipe
By: Chantele Langley

     “Moo moo,” said Papa Cow which meant do you think I am a bad dad?
     “Mooooo,” said Mama Cow which meant, don’t be ridiculous.
      Papa Cow was starting to wonder, however, as he watched Daddy and Mommy Duck with their ducklings.  They were such a close knit family.  Daddy Duck always played Quacket Ball with the boys every Sunday and Mommy Duck always played follow-the-leader with all five of her children.
    But, where were Bertha and Moopers, his children?  Right now he wasn’t even sure.
   “Bertha, do you want to play follow-the-leader?” he asked after moseying his way down the pasture where he found Bertha digging in the dirt.
    “Not now, Dad, I just found a very rare grain of Seminole wheat in the grass.  Come look!” She pointed her hoof to a little shiny straw sticking up out of the ground.
    “Don’t you want to sing karaoke together or enter a Father Daughter Dance?”
    “Uh…maybe later.  I have a meeting with the Young Cowettes Science Society tonight.”
    Papa Cow tried not to look too disappointed.
    “Are you feeling okay, dad?” she asked after turning away from her treasured find.
    “Um, yeah,” he coughed.  “I’m fine.  Have fun at the meeting, dear.” “Thanks. Love you dad.”
    “Love you too, Bertie.”
     Papa Cow had a great idea to get his son Moopers to be closer to him like the Duck family – a camping trip far away near the area the cows called The Highway.
     “Moopers!” he yelled.  “How about you join your ol’ man in a night under the stars - just you
and I?”
      “Dad tonight’s the farm tournament for our Soccer Team, The Milk Jugs.  Did you forget?”
      “Oh, no Moop-man.  I’ll be there cheering you on, of course.”
     “Great dad..” Moopers paused.  He could tell something peculiar was going on with his father.
“Maybe we could camp another night.”
     “Sure, son.”
     As Papa Cow walked back across the farm to Mama Cow he saw the Duck Family taking a family portrait together in matching t-shirts at the pond with photographer, Pigsel Adams.  Hhmpphhg he sighed.
     “Papa” Mama Cow hummed.  “You needn’t get yourself all upset when nothing is wrong.”  She said later that evening over dinner at a restaurant called The Pasture’s Edge.  “You are a very loving, kind, and supportive dad and you have two amazing, independent, happy calves as a result.”
      Papa Cow looked up from his plate of sprouted wheat berries and mashed millet feeling hopeful unexpectedly.  That was true.  His calves were very happy.  Bertha was Vice President of the Cowette Science Society and Moopers was MVP on his soccer team last year.  He must be doing something
right.
     “You don’t need to be like someone else to be right.” Mama Cow reassured.  “God makes all of us different for good reason.  If every family behaved exactly the same this farm would be a boring place.”
    “You’re right Mama Cow,” Papa Cow agreed.  “Waiter!” he yelled.
“Bring us some of that special oatmeal, too.  I just got my appetite back!”

A Family Recipe
By: Chantele Langley

1. How are the Duck and Cow family similar?  In what way are they different?

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2. What message was the author trying to get across to the reader?
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3. How does Papa Cow know the Duck family is close knit?

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4. What word could be a synonym for peculiar?

A. Unfair
B. Happy
C. Suspicious
D. Rude

5. Why did Papa Cow get his appetite back at the end?

A. The mashed millet and sprouted wheat berries weren't enough
B. He felt happier and more at ease after realizing he was a good dad
C. He had a long night ahead of him at the soccer game
D. Wheat berries are known to make cows hungrie