Hannah the Happy Duck

Hannah popped on her bright pink bathers and her sparkly sunnies. The best place in the whole wide world was the neighbourhood water park. Water fizzed from sprinklers shaped like giant flowers, and the big tipping bucket went "Gurgle... gurgle... WHOOSH!" Hannah loved to stand right under it, letting the cool water splash all over her. She'd wiggle her arms and legs like a happy octopus, making all her friends giggle. "You're so funny, Hannah!" they'd shout.

Just as the big bucket was gurgling again, a little boy named Leo arrived with his mum. He was very small and held onto his mum's leg tightly. The "WHOOSH!" of the water was too loud for him. His bottom lip began to tremble, and a big, sad tear rolled down his cheek. Soon, the happy splashes were mixed with his little sobs. The fun, sunny feeling at the park suddenly felt a bit cloudy.

Hannah hated seeing anyone sad. Making people laugh was her superpower! She waded over to Leo. "Why did the fish cross the ocean?" she asked with a big grin. "To get to the other tide!" Leo just hiccupped and buried his face deeper into his mum's leg. Hannah's shoulders slumped. Her best joke hadn't worked. She felt a little bit wobbly inside, just like Leo's bottom lip. What if she couldn't make him smile?

Then, Hannah looked at a little yellow duck toy floating nearby. She had a brilliant, bubbly idea! She forgot all about telling jokes. Instead, she tucked her hands under her arms like little wings, bent her knees, and started to waddle. "Quack, quack, splash!" she said, kicking her feet in a funny little rhythm. "Quack, quack, splish!" Leo peeked out. He watched Hannah's silly duck dance. A tiny giggle escaped his lips, like a little bubble popping. He copied her, waddling his own little feet in the shallow water.

Soon, Leo wasn't just giggling; he was laughing out loud, splashing his hands and quacking right back at Hannah. They waddled all around the little pools together, a funny parade of two happy ducks. The sun felt warm and bright again. Hannah realised that sometimes, the best way to make someone happy isn't with words, but with a silly wiggle and a kind heart. And that felt like the best superpower of all.