1841. Eustace’s ducks

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Eustace was eleven years old. He lived in the country. He had four pet ducks. They were black and white.

A river passed through the neighbouring farm. It wasn’t a big river; more of a large stream. One day Eustace’s ducks waddled down to the river and went for a swim. Eustace told the farmer. The farmer didn’t mind. He said the ducks were welcome to cross his fields and swim all day if they wished. Besides, they looked pretty swimming around.

So that is what they did. Every morning before school Eustace would let the ducks out of their pen and they would waddle down to the river. They messed about in the river all day. Then after school (after he had done his homework) he would go down to the river, call the ducks, and they would follow him home. Of course they followed because they knew it was dinner time.

One day Eustace went down to the river and called but no ducks came. Then he saw them. They had been shot at close range by a hunter and tossed into a pool in the river. The hunter hadn’t even bothered to take them home to eat.

Eustace never got any more ducks.

30 thoughts on “1841. Eustace’s ducks”

        1. Bruce G. Post author

          They’re dead now… They are called magpie ducks and are quite rare – at least in New Zealand. I used to breed the breed. The breed were developed early 20th century by a man I think in Sth Africa called (would you believe?) Mr Drake.

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    1. Bruce G. Post author

      I don’t have the ducks any more, as last time I moved house I couldn’t take them so I advertised and gave them to a lady who wanted to breed the variety. The story’s fate however belonged to my dog when I lived in Quebec.

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  3. badfinger20 (Max)

    You Bruce are an interesting person. A dog that only answered to French and you bred ducks…

    I had to look up what a “stoat” was…

    P.S. I’m glad the story had ducks and not dogs…though I am fond of ducks.

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    1. Bruce G. Post author

      It’s funny how one takes things forgranted! Until I visited America I didn’t have a clue what a raccoon, skunk, beaver, mink, or even a squirrel was! I had two dogs – one spoke English and the other French. It was very convenient if you wanted to call one and not the other. Both were abandoned dogs – so I never taught them either commands. They got on very well together even though they were separated by language barriers!

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      1. badfinger20 (Max)

        The french poodle visited from next door and she was their translator.

        Oh squirrels…what a pain they can be. We have them on both sides of us…chewing through car wires and getting in the attic.

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  6. judyrutrider

    It is puzzling why killing things tickles the pleasure center of some people’s brains. Same goes for vandalism…I just don’t get it. Of course, there are a lot of things I don’t get, like why my neighbors like to set off loud fireworks late at night and why they sit around and party when there’s weeding to be done in the yard. People ARE strange.

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    1. Bruce G. Post author

      There is a small lake near where I live (in the country). The other day a pick up truck screeched to a halt. A man got out with a gun and shot every duck in sight. He picked them up and threw them on to the road, and then drove off. So I went out and gathered them up, plucked them etc and put them in the freezer! It made me quite angry.

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    1. Bruce G. Post author

      Well there’s probably no more to the story – but I guess the story simply wanted to say that some people are horrible (as you probably know already!)

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