Of Dogs and Ducks
Last night my wife, a friend, and I were sitting in our living room conversing while our dog sat next to me. Our friend who just celebrated her birthday was recounting the meal she had at a Persian restaurant in Boston. She described how she had had duck with dates and nuts. This reminded me of a dish I had at an Indian restaurant here in Providence: duck in tamarind sauce with figs and hazelnuts. We also remembered a tamarind duck dish we have had several times at a Thai restaurant also here in Providence. It was nearing dinner time and naturally our conversation started making our stomach grumble.

My wife exclaimed, "Now I want duck!"

While we started discussing where we should go to dinner, our dog nonchalantly got up, went over to a basket where we keep all his toys and began rummaging through them. When he found the one he wanted, he took it out of the basket and he bounced back into the living room ethusiastically. He ran up to my wife and we then realized that they toy he had in his mouth was a plush duck that quacks when you squeeze it!

What an amazing dog, my wife had demanded duck and he answered the call!

We do call the toy his duck, so he may have recognized the word and thus went to get it, or it might have just been a coincidence. Whatever it was, it was sure funny!