Duck Right Out Of This One

We live near a lake and often walk our kids around to feed the ducks and swans. While you can feed them bread, it isn’t healthy for them and can even cause physical deformity! We use pellet duck food. It’s a few quid for a massive bucket. We find the ducks love it and flock to us first which is a nice bonus!

I portion out a bag for both of the kids and we stop by the lake on the way back from the shops.

We’ve been there a little while when a man and his son approach us. 

Man: “Could we have some food for the ducks?”

I start looking in the kids’ bags.

Me: “Sorry, it looks like we have pretty much run out.”

Man: “What? You’ve got plenty left.”

He points to the bread rolls in my shopping bag.

Me: “Oh, no. That’s our lunch; you can’t have that, I’m afraid.”

Man: “Come on, man. He wants to feed the ducks.”

Me: “I can see that, but I’m not having my kids go without lunch so you can throw it to the ducks. There’s a shop not even a five-minute walk from here. Go get your own.”

Man: “I haven’t got any money.”

Me: *Pause* “Be more prepared, then?”

We left the man and boy to it. I could just make out him telling the lad that they would have to walk “all the way to the shops, then,” as if it was that much of an effort.