
Author: Wolf Erlbruch
Plot Summary: Duck meets Death, who informs Duck that “I’ve been close by all your life.” The two spend some time together, and they talk about death. In many of the frames, Death is carrying a tulip. At the end of the story, Duck dies and Death carries her to a river and lays her in the water, placing the tulip on her body. “When she was lost to sight, he was almost a little moved. But that’s life, thought Death.”
Posted In: Metaphysics
Plot Summary: Duck meets Death, who informs Duck that “I’ve been close by all your life.” The two spend some time together, and they talk about death. In many of the frames, Death is carrying a tulip. At the end of the story, Duck dies and Death carries her to a river and lays her in the water, placing the tulip on her body. “When she was lost to sight, he was almost a little moved. But that’s life, thought Death.”
Posted In: Metaphysics

Discussion Questions
- What does it mean to die?
- Where do we go when we die?
- What happens to out minds when we die? Our souls?
- Why do you think people are so scared of death? Do you think that people are scared of death or of the pain of dying?
- Would life be life without death?
- Would you want to know when you are going to die? Why or why not?
- Why do you think that Duck and Death became friends?
- What was the significance of the tulip? What do you think it meant to Death? To Duck?
This lesson plan can be used either in a classroom or online.
You can use either the physical book to read the story or this animated version which uses artwork similar to the original book’s as well as music to provide a beautiful version of this lovely story.

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