57 Comments
User's avatar
Ian Winter's avatar

I was completely fine with this until – and I don’t want to duck-shame here – I saw its elephantine legs.

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Totally understandable. Nothing can really prepare you for the legs.

Expand full comment
lee's avatar

All the previous comments about the duck’s legs still did not prepare me for the actual image of the duck legs.

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Haha!

Expand full comment
Jacqueline Dooley's avatar

"Before I won the giant duck, I was just an average man." And thus begins the first chapter of your memoir.

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

💜

Expand full comment
Pamela S.'s avatar

When I read humorous pieces, I may grin or even chuckle a little, but this made me burst out into uncontrollable out-loud laughter!!! 🤣🤣

Thanks for the hilarity!

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Thanks for reading!

Expand full comment
Untrickled by Michelle Teheux's avatar

This is fantastic.

I had such a duck that lived in the newsroom when I was editor. He was our mascot. His name was Clusterduck, obviously named in honor of the hedge fund that tortured us.

(Autocorrect almost made this a different story, when I noticed I’d typed in “suck” instead of “such” and autocorrect suggested “I had to suck a duck that lived in the newsroom….” To be fair, it sounds like a job duty GateHouse would have made me do if they’d thought of it.)

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Haha, that definitely would’ve been an unexpected twist.

Expand full comment
El's avatar

I loved reading this, it really answered a lot of questions I had about what happens after your win a giant toy at a fairground. Thank you for sharing your moment. I heard it's lonely at the top but you invited us readers to share the experience!

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Thank you. I aim to serve.

Expand full comment
Chris Holtkamp's avatar

This is delightful, thank you!!

Expand full comment
Carol Finch's avatar

I’m kinda really liking the idea of putting the duck outside the bedroom door. I mean that’s reasonably evil surely?

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

I was honestly just like, this is the only place it fits. Didn’t think it through fully.

Expand full comment
Carol Finch's avatar

To be fair, if I stumbled on that half-asleep in the middle of the night I’d freak out too 🤣

Expand full comment
Alicia Brown's avatar

That is not a duck. That is clearly a small human in a duck suit. The legs give it away. Time to tell your children and puppy they have a new sibling who will be sharing a bed with one of them.

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

I fear that you are correct

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

I enjoy all your essays, Andrew, but I think this is my favorite (so far). Hilarious. “That’s a classic one bird, two stones situation”: Bravo!

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Thanks, Chris! Much appreciated. I’m going to go tell the duck all about this now.

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

Please give him my regards

Expand full comment
Kelley Greene's avatar

WHY ARE THE LEGS LIKE THAT!? Also you are a saint for carrying this gigantic thing around all day.

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

It was the honor of a lifetime.

Expand full comment
Lewis Holmes's avatar

Really, really funny - nice one. The duck is terrifying. Like, I could outrun it if it had normal duck legs, but those? Nah, he'd take me down.

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Thanks! Yeah, he’s so much faster than he looks.

Expand full comment
Bethany Bell's avatar

Hahahaha what the duck happened here?!

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Autocorrect finally having its moment to shine with this one!

Expand full comment
Bethany Bell's avatar

I have to add, having recently visited a theme park myself with a gaggle of children, we had quite the kerfuffle ourselves at the game booth. My three year old witnessed a teenage boy capture the only “30 lb” fish (out of 50) which won him a huge stuffed animal. This occurred immediately before her turn at the plate. Imagine the scene when my kid snagged a 10 pounder and was told to grab a participation trophy out of the grubby front bin selection. Not good. Yay theme parks!!

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Oh no, worst case scenario!

Expand full comment
Parker McCoy's avatar

LOL. This is the best cautionary tale I've ever read. I love the part about the rear view mirror. The picture had me laughing. And as a guy with anxiety in big groups, I will make sure never to win that duck, although he looks like a fine fellow. Thank you for sharing, Andrew. Haha.

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

Expand full comment
Author John G. Dyer's avatar

Spooky.

Expand full comment
Jen Zug's avatar

LOL your theme park fame came out of nowhere like Pedro Pascal fame. 😂

Expand full comment
Andrew Knott's avatar

The perfect analogy, thank you 😂

Expand full comment