Duck Forty-Seven

Every June, Hazel's town held a duck race. Two hundred rubber ducks floated down to the park. You paid two dollars for a duck. The money bought books for the school library. The first duck to reach the park won a bicycle.

Setiap bulan Juni, kota tempat tinggal Hazel mengadakan lomba bebek. Dua ratus bebek karet hanyut menuju taman. Kita membayar dua dolar untuk seekor bebek. Uangnya dipakai untuk membeli buku bagi perpustakaan sekolah. Bebek pertama yang sampai di taman memenangkan sebuah sepeda.

Hazel was eleven years old. She wanted that bicycle very much. She saved her money for three weeks. On race morning, she bought duck number forty-seven.

Hazel berumur sebelas tahun. Dia sangat menginginkan sepeda itu. Dia menabung selama tiga minggu. Pada pagi hari lomba, dia membeli bebek nomor empat puluh tujuh.

"It is a lucky number," the seller said.

"Itu nomor keberuntungan," kata penjualnya.

"Why?" Hazel asked.

"Kenapa?" tanya Hazel.

"I do not know. People just say it." Hazel held the duck in her hands. It was small and shiny, with a tiny orange beak. She kissed it.

"Saya tidak tahu. Orang-orang bilang begitu saja." Hazel menggenggam bebek itu. Bebek itu kecil dan mengilap, dengan paruh oranye mungil. Dia menciumnya.

"Please win," she whispered.

"Tolong menanglah," bisiknya.

At noon, everyone stood on the old bridge. The mayor wore a bright green hat. She counted down from ten. People shouted the numbers. At zero, men tipped a big box over the rail. Two hundred ducks fell into the river. Splash!

Pada tengah hari, semua orang berdiri di jembatan tua. Wali kota memakai topi hijau yang cerah. Dia menghitung mundur dari sepuluh. Orang-orang meneriakkan angkanya. Saat sampai di nol, beberapa pria menjungkirkan sebuah kotak besar melewati pagar. Dua ratus bebek jatuh ke sungai. Byur!

Hazel ran along the bank with her friends. The ducks floated away in a yellow line. The water moved slowly, and the sun was hot. Hazel looked at the ducks and saw many numbers. Twelve was in front. Then ninety. Then a duck with a green dot.

Hazel berlari menyusuri tepi sungai bersama teman-temannya. Bebek-bebek itu hanyut dalam barisan kuning. Air mengalir pelan, dan matahari terik. Hazel memandangi bebek-bebek itu dan melihat banyak angka. Nomor dua belas di depan. Lalu sembilan puluh. Lalu seekor bebek dengan titik hijau.

"Where is forty-seven?" her friend asked. Hazel stopped. She looked at the bridge. Then she saw it. Duck number forty-seven was still near the bridge. It sat in a small circle of water. It turned round and round, like a dancer.

"Mana nomor empat puluh tujuh?" tanya temannya. Hazel berhenti. Dia menoleh ke jembatan. Lalu dia melihatnya. Bebek nomor empat puluh tujuh masih ada di dekat jembatan. Bebek itu berada di lingkaran kecil air. Dia berputar-putar, seperti seorang penari.

"No," Hazel said.

"Tidak," kata Hazel.

"No, no, no." She ran back. The other ducks went on down the river. Soon the yellow line was far away. People cheered at the park. Duck forty-seven turned slowly, round and round. Hazel stood on the stone path. She called to the duck.

"Tidak, tidak, tidak." Dia berlari kembali. Bebek-bebek lain terus hanyut menyusuri sungai. Tak lama kemudian barisan kuning itu sudah jauh. Orang-orang bersorak di taman. Bebek nomor empat puluh tujuh berputar pelan, berputar dan berputar. Hazel berdiri di jalan setapak batu. Dia memanggil bebek itu.

"Come on! Go! Please!"

"Ayo! Pergi! Kumohon!"

The duck did not go. It turned again, and again. A tourist took a photo. A dog barked at it. A child asked, "Why is that one not racing?"

Bebek itu tidak pergi. Dia berputar lagi, dan lagi. Seorang turis memotretnya. Seekor anjing menggonggonginya. Seorang anak bertanya, "Kenapa yang itu tidak ikut lomba?"

"It does not want to," a man said.

"Dia tidak mau," kata seorang pria.

"It likes it there."

"Dia suka di situ."

Hazel's face was red. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. She took a long stick. She put it in the water. She pushed gently. The duck moved a little, and the river took it. For about five seconds, the duck floated well. Then it hit a stone again and stopped.

Wajah Hazel memerah. Dia ingin tertawa. Dia ingin menangis. Dia mengambil sebatang tongkat panjang. Dia memasukkannya ke air. Dia mendorong dengan lembut. Bebek itu bergerak sedikit, dan sungai membawanya pergi. Selama sekitar lima detik, bebek itu hanyut dengan baik. Lalu dia menabrak sebuah batu lagi dan berhenti.

"It is the worst duck in the world," Hazel said.

"Ini bebek terburuk di dunia," kata Hazel.

"Maybe," said her friend.

"Mungkin," kata temannya.

"But it is your duck." She sat on the bank to watch the duck. It turned and turned, and slowly she started to laugh. She laughed until her stomach hurt.

"Tapi itu bebekmu." Hazel duduk di tepi sungai untuk memperhatikan bebek itu. Bebek itu berputar dan berputar, dan pelan-pelan Hazel mulai tertawa. Dia tertawa sampai perutnya sakit.

At the park, the first duck arrived. The winner was number one hundred and twelve. A man in a blue shirt jumped up and down. He got the bicycle.

Di taman, bebek pertama tiba. Pemenangnya adalah nomor seratus dua belas. Seorang pria berkemeja biru melompat-lompat kegirangan. Dia mendapatkan sepeda itu.

Hazel did not go to the park. She stayed at the bridge with her duck. Later, the mayor walked back along the river. She stopped next to Hazel.

Hazel tidak pergi ke taman. Dia tetap di jembatan bersama bebeknya. Beberapa saat kemudian, wali kota berjalan kembali menyusuri sungai. Dia berhenti di samping Hazel.

"Which one is yours?" she asked.

"Yang mana bebekmu?" tanyanya.

"Forty-seven," said Hazel.

"Empat puluh tujuh," kata Hazel.

"It never left." The mayor looked at the duck. She looked at Hazel. Then she took off her green hat and bowed.

"Dia tidak pernah pergi." Wali kota memandang bebek itu. Dia memandang Hazel. Lalu dia melepas topi hijaunya dan membungkuk.

"We have a second prize," she said.

"Kami punya hadiah kedua," katanya.

"It is for the very last duck. Every year, I say we do not need it. Every year, I am wrong." She gave Hazel a small paper bag. Inside was a lemon cake and a card. The card said, "Last place. First in our hearts."

"Hadiah itu untuk bebek yang paling terakhir. Setiap tahun, saya bilang kita tidak memerlukannya. Setiap tahun, saya keliru." Dia memberi Hazel sebuah kantong kertas kecil. Di dalamnya ada kue lemon dan sebuah kartu. Kartu itu bertuliskan, "Juru kunci. Juara pertama di hati kami."

Hazel laughed. She took the duck from the water. She put it on her shoulder. "Next year," she said, "I buy two. And I will teach them to swim."

Hazel tertawa. Dia mengangkat bebek itu dari air. Dia menaruhnya di bahunya. "Tahun depan," katanya, "aku beli dua. Dan aku akan mengajari mereka berenang."