The woman at the counter of the labour hire firm said, 'Next, please.'
When nobody came forward she said, more loudly, 'Next! Please.'
A voice down near the floor said irritably, 'I'm here!'
The woman looked over the counter and found a duck looking up at her.
'Was that you?' she asked.
'Yes," said the duck.
'It was you!' The woman exclaimed. 'You're a duck! And you speak!'
'Correct on both counts,' the duck sighed.
'A talking duck!' The woman couldn't quite get over it. 'And you're looking for work?'
'Indeed I am.' The duck had endured many conversations along similar lines.
The woman said, 'Wait right there!'
In five minutes she was back. 'This is your lucky day,' she told the duck. 'There's a circus come to town and I've been on the phone to the ringmaster. He says he'd be proud to have a talking duck in his show. Here's the address, and his name. Get along there right away and you'll be in tonight's show!'
The woman was feeling quite pleased with herself. It was the quickest placement for a worker that anyone in the firm had ever managed. But the duck only gave her a tired, contemptuous glare.
And said, 'F**k off, lady. I'm a plumber!'