Illustrations I Loved in My Earliest Years 2

A book that my mother often read to me was The Story About Ping, written by Marjorie Flack and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. I understand that Flack’s work, published in 1933, is among the top hundred children’s books of all time. As a very small child, I was unsure what to think of the story. At the end, the duckling Ping is spanked. Even though the last duck in the line of ducks was spanked as a matter of course, I was convinced that spanking was reserved for children that had misbehaved. Ping must have done something wrong! … but what? As he knew he would be last in line and he did not want to be spanked, he hid. Was his choice so bad as to deserve a spanking? I never thought so.

Illustration by Kurt Wiese in Marjorie Flack’s The Story About Ping (1933)

What I did admire, though, were Wiese’s illustrations. I loved the easy flow of the black brush outlining Ping. Even though the strokes are simple and minimal, the duck is as lifelike as those my parents raised on the farm.

Crayon tones of blue and yellow dominate the book. Whenever I recall the work, I think of yellow and blue. Orange and green are also used sparingly to excellent effect. I always referred to the work as “Ping the Duck,” and, in the back of my mind, I think that that is the title, even though it is not.

A few years ago, I decided to make my own paper to wrap a gift, and I tried to duplicate Wiese’s Ping in various poses. I am no stranger to painting with black ink, but, despite my facility, I felt increasingly challenged to express Ping as brilliantly as Wiese did.

During my childhood, my job was to feed the ducks. A short distance from the gate dividing the back yard of the house from the chicken yard stood a black tub. Every day, I emptied a bucket of water in the tub. Next, I poured ground feed from a sack into the center of the water. I thrust my arms into the cold water and began squeezing and stirring the dampening feed so as to create a smooth mixture. The feed felt grainy between my fingers. Brave ducks sneaked their bills into the dinner while I was still combining the ingredients. After scooping a mouthful, they bustled around, tails wagging, as if they were eager to eat without my arms in the tub. “Shoo! Shoo!” they seemed to say.

Closely acquainted with ducks from observing them daily, I recognized that Wiese shared my perceptions. He gives his ducks not only their natural forms but also their comical personalities. I may not have loved the spanking that Ping received. I, too, hated spankings. … but I loved Ping, even as I loved my parents’ ducks.