The Cucco Baby Carrier
By thehylianhistorian
Malon entered the Lon Lon Ranch farmhouse. The little seven-year old farm girl looked about and heard a loud grunting noise escape a sleeping mass on the couch. She tiptoed up to the source of the noise, and rested her hands on Talon's arm. She gave it a shake.
"Papa?" she said. No response, save the man's snoring. She shook him again. "Papa?"
Talon snorted and smacked his lips. He opened his eyes slightly.
"What do ya need, Malon?" he mumbled.
"Papa," she asked innocently, "where do babies come from?"
Talon's eyes shot open. He sat up on the couch and scratched his head. This was not a question he had expected. He didn't know how to answer her. She was still a little girl, so should he not tell her the truth?
Talon sighed. "Have a seat, Malon," he said. She sat down on the floor in front of him. "Now, what do ya know about babies?" he asked.
"Well," she started, "they're cute, they sleep a lot, and they sure are noisy. But that's about all."
Talon breathed a silent sigh of relief. If that was all she knew, maybe he wouldn't have to tell her. He cleared his throat.
"Where do babies come from," he muttered. "Right. Okay." Talon looked around for aid, and spotted a cucco perched outside the window. An idea began to form in his mind.
"Malon, ya know the cuccos we have on this farm?" The little girl nodded her head. "Well, babies are actually brought to mamas and papas by a special delivery cucco, kinda like how we bring milk into town. It's called the…uh…the Cucco Baby Carrier. Yeah, that's it."
Malon turned and looked out the window at the fowl still sitting there, and then turned back to Talon confused.
"A cucco brings babies?" she asked. "How?"
Talon racked his brain. "Well, cuccos fly, and this is a bigger than normal cucco, so it brings the baby in a basket by flight, and leaves it at the parents' doorstep. Then it flies off to deliver the next one."
"Animal babies too?"
"Um…yes, animal babies too," Talon chuckled. Now it was his turn to sound confused. "Why ya askin' anyway?"
"I was just wonderin'," she said. "I see a lot of baby animals when I play with Epona, but I never knew how they got there. So I asked you, and now I know." She stood up to go back outside, and then stopped. "But then, where did the Cucco Baby Carrier come from?"
Talon opened his mouth to answer, and then shrugged his shoulders.
"Nobody really knows," he said. "It's a big mystery." He thought that was a good way to tie up loose ends.
"Then I'm gonna find him someday and ask him myself," she said. She hugged Talon. "Thanks, Papa. You're so smart." Then she skipped outside to play some more.
Talon remained sitting on the couch after Malon had left. He rubbed his forehead and chuckled to himself. "Hoo boy. If your mama had heard me say all that manure, I'd be sleeping outside tonight." He stretched out and rolled over. "And speaking of sleep," he yawned. A few minutes later, he was out again.
The door had been left slightly ajar when Malon left, so the window sill cucco had no trouble poking its beak through the crack and wiggling in. It cocked its head when it spotted the sleeping Talon, and then flew over, perching on his backside. It stared at him, and then gave a disapproving cluck.
The End
Disclaimer: All Legend of Zelda characters, locations, and other related material used in this fanfic are property of Nintendo. I do not own them; I just poke fun or kill them off however I choose. This fanfic is also an original work of mine, so unless you want the seven sages to seal you away for all eternity (metaphorically, of course), you don't want to mess with my writing. I hope you enjoyed this fanfic, and please look for other ones by me.