Ravenous Reluctance

I learn something new every week.

Last week, I was walking home from work. I wasn't expecting to learn anything new, as I thought that I finally knew everything there is to know about walking home from work. But as I reached my apartment, I realized that I don't yet know everything. As I passed the bench that's used as a bus stop, right by my apartment, I saw a duck and six little ducklings. I wished I had my camera, but I didn't end up getting any pictures, so all I have is my story. Thankfully, the story's more interesting than the lack of picture.

For while I was passing the bench, I saw a duck and its six little ducklings waddling behind it in a row, quacking as if they had just learned how. And as I passed the bus stop, a seventh little duckling ran out from underneath and started following me, quacking.

I didn't know it, but apparently I look a lot like a momma duck.

That's the thing I learned this week. I'm glad that none of the other ducklings thought I looked like a momma duck. Nor did the actual momma duck, for as the seventh little duckling was chasing along behind me, quacking like it had just learned how, the real momma duck heard it and waddled over, quacking at me the whole time. I didn't try to steal her duckling! I didn't want a duckling! But she got pretty upset with me for impersonating her and trying to duck-nap her offspring.

If I had a pet duck, my landlords would make me get rid of my pet jabberwocky. I'd much prefer the pet jabberwocky, but wouldn't mind getting some pictures of the duck. It /was/ a really cute duck. And it almost makes me feel bad about having had duck for dinner whilst in Beijing.

Almost.

But not really. I was /very/ hungry.