Taken from the book “The Buck and the Widow Jones” by L. Dablemont

 

Baked Mallard for  Christmas -- L.. Dablemont  column 12-15-24

 

Taken  from the  book “The Buck and the Widow Jones”  by  L. Dablemont       

 

 

       It was a two days before Christmas in 1939.  There was a knock on the door and a boy stood outside, waiting for the old man to answer.  When the door opened he doffed his hat politely and said, “Mister, I reckon you don’t recall me, but I’m Joe Roggins’ youngest boy Jimmy… and I come to ask if I could shoot me a couple of mallards off’n yore pond.”  Before the old man could answer, the boy went on…  “My Pa’s been feelin’ poorly and he allowed as how he’d like a big ol’ mallard duck or two for dinner tomorrer. They’s a bunch of ‘em on yore pond an’ he’d love to eat one of ‘em.”

       Charley and his wife were in their early sixties.  Neither knew the young seventeen-year-old kid who stood there before them in ragged overalls and an old patched suit coat probably made ten years before the boy was born. His overalls were two or three inches too short. Charley couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. 

       “Oh heck boy, them mallards ain’t mine,” he said, “they belong to the good Lord, an’ I ‘spect He made ‘em to feed folks, so if’n you shoot a couple, I don’t care. Bring me one too.  I never have favored turkey nor ham over a baked mallard.”

       “That was nice of you Charley,” his wife said as they watched the young man walk through down the gravel road with an old hammer double-barrel twelve gauge.