Gone Quackers

School was out, and I had great entrepreneurial plans. At least that's what my Dad called them. I just wanted to earn cash for toys. So he built me a wooden lemonade stand.

I was so excited that first warm, sunny day. Birds sang cheerily in the maple trees. Neighbors stopped by and bought my lemonade.

Business was booming… until the afternoon, when I hit what my Mom called "the doldrums." No more customers.

Suddenly I heard a funny quacking sound.

I saw a bright yellow duck waddling down the sidewalk towards me. Weird. There were no farms nearby. Where did it come from? It stopped at my lemonade stand and stared at me.

"Quack, quack! You sell grapes here?"

I couldn't believe my ears. The duck was talking to me! But what a strange question!

"Sorry, I don't sell grapes, only lemonade." The duck quacked and waddled away. Good grief!

I didn't think I'd see it again. But the next day, same time, the duck waddled by.

"Quack, quack! You sell grapes?"

"No, I don't sell grapes. Wouldn't you like to try some nice lemonade instead?" But it only quacked and waddled away in a huff.

Next afternoon there was a lull as before, and…

"Quack quack! Don't you sell grapes?"

"I've already told you twice, I only sell lemonade!" I couldn't understand why this duck kept bugging me. It was getting kind of annoying.

The next day was drizzly and windy; no one wanted lemonade. I was frustrated and unhappy by the time the duck waddled up to me again.

"Quack quack! Got any grapes today?"

"Listen, how many times do I have to say I don't sell grapes? If you show up tomorrow I'll—I'll glue you to a tree! Then you can't bother me!" I had no intention of doing that at all. But I figured it was a good enough threat to get that duck gone.

The next afternoon business was better; I was so busy, I forgot all about the duck until—

"Quack quack! Got any glue?"

"What? Of course not! Why—"

"Good! Got any grapes yet?"

I stared down at the yellow waddler. I started laughing. It was just too funny.

"Hey, duck. Let's go buy you some grapes." I closed my stand and we walked to the corner store and I bought it grapes with my earnings. Why hadn't I thought of that before? It must have been hungry.

We went back and sat in my front yard together, eating grapes, drinking leftover lemonade and discussing the weather. I named him Ducky. After eating the grapes, he said goodbye and waddled away.

I took the weekend off. When I told my Mom and Dad about Ducky, they thought I was imagining things. No one else had seen a talking duck in our neighborhood. And when my stand reopened on Monday, Ducky didn't visit. I never saw him again. But I know he was happy and well-fed when he left.


Written for "Note: 48-HOUR CHALLENGE : Media Prompt Deadl..."