Mr. Smiley was daydreaming about Moonbugs when he was suddenly struck with a powerful craving for a cupcake. Not just any cupcake, but one of the fancy ones in the window of Smiley's Bakery -- the Smiley's Bakery that is kittycorner across the street from the Happy Fun Cemetery. As the reader may remember, the Happy Fun Cemetery is where the cremains of departed Smileys are used as fertilizer for the finest rose garden in the county. Smack in the center of the cemetery, there is a duck pond which, not surprisingly, is inhabited by ducks. Many ducks. Many plump ducks, as the Smiley children are prolific in the practice of throwing bread crumbs to the ducks. Out of courtesy, the ducks make a show of eating the thrown bread -- then retire to the privacy of the many oddly-shaped-and-brightly-colored duck houses that surround the pond to dine on fine cuisine. Ducks are quite skilled with the saucepan, and their meals may consist of just about anything that you may find on the menu of a five-star restaurant, though roasted duck is generally avoided.
"I'm going to Smiley's Bakery" called Mr. Smiley to Clothilde as he walked to his Bubble Car. To an outsider, this message would be hopelessly indefinite, as there are many Smiley's Bakeries in Smileyville, and they all have cupcakes. Grand cupcakes, with mounds of lovely frosting, exquisite designs and all topped with many-colored sprinkles. In Smileyville, the cupcake is an art form: young Smileys learn from grade school about the prolific work of Wolfgang Smiley, cupcakier extraordinnaire; the baroque cakes of Johann Sebastian Smiley; and the tragic-but-triumphant opus of Ludwig Smiley. Smileys with an artistic bent seek to emulate Pablo Smiley, whose cubist cupcakes are celebrated throughout the Smiley world; Pablo Smiley attempted to donate an example from his Blue Period to the Smiley Museum, but someone mistook it for an item from the Smiley Museum Cafeteria, and consumed it. With great relish, I might add.
But Clothilde knew exactly which Smiley's Bakery Mr. Smiley meant: the Smiley's Bakery that is kittycorner across the street from the Happy Fun Cemetery, because that is Mr. Smiley's preferred bakery. For no particular reason. "Be careful", called Clothilde, "I hear that there is a kerfuffle at the Duck Pond".
Mr. Smiley wasn't sure what Clothilde meant by "kerfuffle", but he hoped it wasn't carniverous. He soon learned, however, that the kerfuffle was simply one very loquacious duck, who seemed to great pleasure in the simple act of quacking. At least one hopes that he took pleasure in the act, as he indulged in it with gusto.
In the excitement, Mr. Smiley forgot about his cupcake.
