HONK! JR. Full Synopsis
The show begins with the dawn of a glorious summer's day out in the country. Standing in the sunshine is a small farm, behind which is a lake surrounded with cattails. Drake, a proud father-to-be, introduces us to "A Poultry Tale." His wife, Ida, and the rest of the farmyard residents join in the telling while the Cat hides, eyeing the duck eggs in Ida's nest, which he hopes will make a savory dinner. As the assorted barnyard animals rush offstage, Ida remains to tend to her nest of four average-sized eggs and one curious-looking, large brown egg. Ida is bossy and irritable after tending the eggs for such a long time and she complains to Drake about her cramped quarters and his unwillingness to shoulder some of the burden. After Drake makes a hasty exit, Ida sings affectionately about "The Joy of Motherhoood" with a neighboring moorhen, Maureen. They exchange observations on the anguish and happiness of bearing children just as the eggs start cracking. Four perfectly respectable ducklings emerge from the four perfectly respectable, average-sized eggs. After Maureen coos over the newly hatched ducklings, she goes off in search of Drake to tell him the good news. While the wide-eyed newborns yearn to explore their new world, their mother strictly lays down a few "nest rules" for her youngsters. Drake returns to meet his new children just as Ida realizes that the large egg has yet to hatch. Though Drake tries to persuade her to leave the big egg and join him and their ducklings for a swim, Ida insists upon staying with her unusual, unhatched egg. Drake joyously races the children down to the lake for their first swim while Ida resumes her position on the nest. Ida contemplates the last remaining egg and broods about why this one is so "Different." Suddenly there is a chipping sound, followed by a cracking sound. Ugly, a large, ungainly bird waddles out of his shell with a loud "HONK!"