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Gertie the Duck is a world-famous mallard and an icon of Milwaukee history. The story of her heroic efforts to hatch six ducklings became an inspiration for many war-weary Americans near the end of World War II. Gertie's story unfolded as a daily serial in the local newspaper for 37 days, captivating the residents of Milwaukee, the state and eventually the country.〔Sandin, Jo, "Home Sweet Home," The Milwaukee Journal, 31 March 1995.〕 ==History== Gertie's story began in April 1945 when ''Milwaukee Journal'' outdoor writer Gordon MacQuarrie reported that a mallard duck was nesting on a wood piling under the Wisconsin Avenue bridge.〔Bauer, Fran, "Gertie co-author remembers famous fowl," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1 Dec. 1997: B3.〕 A total of nine eggs were laid and the duck kept vigil atop her nest despite throngs of visitors and motorists stopping on the bridge daily to check the progress of the expectant mother. Mother's Day cards began arriving for the mallard, the Boy Scouts formed a Gertie Patrol and a Wisconsin Humane Society officer was stationed to watch the brood as six of the nine eggs eventually produced chicks.〔Gould, Whitney, "Mallard memorialized Gertie, City's Famed duck gets statue in her honor," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 Sept. 1997: B1, Final.〕 Public interest continued to swell as wire services picked up MacQuarrie's stories. Gertie and her nest were photographed by the ''Journal'' and local rival ''Milwaukee Sentinel'', featured in ''Life Magazine'' and even had a front page story in the United Kingdom's ''Daily Express''.〔"Mallard's Fame Spans Sea for Story in London," Milwaukee Journal, 14 June 1945: A1〕 ''Readers Digest'' ran a story on Gertie entitled "The Duck That Made Milwaukee Famous".〔Johnson, Don L., "'Millie' Finds City Life Just Ducky," Milwaukee Sentinel, 28 May 1980: A1, Final〕 Despite flooding, storms and fire on some nearby pilings, five ducklings and Gertie survived the ordeal and were put on public display in the nearby Gimbels department store windows, where more than 2 million visitors peered in to see the famous feathered family. The ducks were later relocated to the Juneau Park lagoon on Milwaukee's lakefront.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gertie the Duck」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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