The country of the Netherlands is well-known for its canals and waterways. But with so many waterbodies small and large, there is a rich amount of species of waterfowl. The one you’re most likely to encounter is the average, ordinary, and unassuming duck.
Ducks are everywhere in the Netherlands. They are the quacking companions on daily walks that might take you by work or a trip to the grocery store. Mating season might be the more disturbing period of the year, but I’ve grown quite attached to these winged things through the years.
I am also sometimes suspicious of them. There is an episode of “Rick and Morty” where Morty requests a gadget helmet that allows him to communicate with animals. It inevitably leads to Morty discovering the secret international government manipulation carried out by squirrels, then ensues chaos and fear.
I wonder if the ducks are also merely biding their time until the waterfowl apocalypse, conspiring and whispering about their coming reign.
The most memorable encounter with our possible enemies was a pair I dubbed Mr. and Mrs. Duck that I found wandering around the Red Light district. Tourists, prostitutes, drunks, and ducks. They were the most notable duo in the area, wandering around the street, avoiding the stumbling tourists, like everything was just as it would be by any other canal.
I followed them for a while, though when they noticed my attention, they went promptly to a canal on the opposite side of the red-lit doorways. They made their escape. I’m not sure if they were plotting something, but I must say they conducted themselves with the utmost decorum that most humans would be envious of. Perhaps I was near their secret headquarters.