19 SEPTEMBER 1987, Page 37

Sir: May I draw your readers' attention to the strange

case of the Disappearing Duck? The mystery occurred on 29 August in line 6 of my poem tucked away at the bottom of page 28, and I'm still pondering its philosophical implications. For the many who no doubt did not read 'The Whole Duck' (or even half of it) this letter will merely offer the solution to a non- existent problem. For those, however, who may have wondered how a duck can entirely disappear under water without

LETTERS

drowning, I should like to offer the reas- surance that my duck is a duck is a duck and should, in fact, have reappeared — as it will in my new collection of poems for children, Boo to a Goose (a whole one) to be published next month.

John Mole 1 Hill Street,

St Albans, Herts.

The letter 'Hamilton and Hess', 12 Septem- ber, should have carried the signature Eli- zabeth Forbes, not Elizabeth Joyce.