Chapter 2: Plans and Paprika

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The very next morning, Bratwurstdale was buzzing with gossip. Birds gathered in the square, pecking at bagels and whispering about the big event: the Annual Obstacle Course Challenge.

“The Inconspicuous chorizo duck doesn’t stand a chance,” clucked a fried chicken.
“Oh please, the goose is all feathers and no flavor,” muttered a pickled pigeon.

But the Conspicuous sausage goose didn’t hear any of it. He was too busy signing autographs and flexing his wings on top of a bratwurst cart.
“I’ll glide! I’ll flip! I’ll sizzle with style!” he honked, showering the crowd with paprika confetti.
He winked at a group of adoring quail.
“Victory will taste… DELICIOUS!”

Meanwhile, a few streets away, the Inconspicuous chorizo duck was already hard at work.

In his dimly-lit workshop — hidden behind a curtain of hanging salamis — he spread a map of the obstacle course on his counter. It was full of dangerous twists:

• The Greased Griddle Gauntlet
• The Breadstick Balance Beam
• The Rolling Pickle Barrels
• And, of course, the final leap over the Spicy Salsa Pit.

The Inconspicuous chorizo duck adjusted his tiny hat, then scribbled notes in his little black notebook.
“Step one: Don’t fall in salsa,” he murmured to himself.
He flipped a switch, and a wall panel swung open, revealing a collection of gadgets: suction-cup boots, a grappling fork, and a jar of secret chorizo oil labeled In Case of Goose.

It wasn’t that he cared about winning. But if he didn’t show up, the Conspicuous sausage goose would never let him hear the end of it. And deep down, the Inconspicuous chorizo duck felt… something he hated to admit.

Competitive.

Out in the square, posters for the event were already plastered on every lamppost:

🎉 FRIDAY! THE GREATEST RACE OF ALL TIME!
🍳 CONSPICUOUS SAUSAGE GOOSE vs. INCONSPICUOUS CHORIZO DUCK 🦆
🔥 Who will rule the skillet? Who will fall into the salsa?

The Conspicuous sausage goose strutted past the posters, pointing at them and shouting,
“That’s right! Me, the goose of glory, the sausage of destiny! No one—NOT EVEN a spicy little duck—can beat me!”

The Inconspicuous chorizo duck, hidden on a nearby rooftop, rolled his eyes.

We’ll see about that, he thought.

As the sun set over Bratwurstdale, the two rivals prepared in their own ways:
The Conspicuous sausage goose practiced fancy poses in the mirror, blowing kisses to himself.
The Inconspicuous chorizo duck tightened the straps on his grappling fork, adjusted his hat, and whispered:
“Quietly… but surely.”

In the shadows of the town, plans were cooking, feathers were ruffling, and the biggest showdown Bratwurstdale had ever seen was just two days away.

And both birds were ready to prove they were more than just a meal.

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