All Comments on 'If It Walks Like a Duck'

As I Said, what can one say?

Absolutely superb reading.....

Nice thought out revenge. What happened to the principal? How many years did Clark get?

Nicely Done!

that I can only give 100. I am also disappointed to find out that you are not John Grisham. I thought for certain you were.

Another thoroughly enjoyable story.

Boyd

Some minor faults only in an emotional and for the 21st century uncommon story from the US.

drinking gun toting hillbillies of northwestern PA. You need justice you get justice. This story is out of date with most the US but then most of the US is out of date with its history and constitution.

As always well written and well plotted. My only objection is that unfortunately I think this is a fantasy.....

I grew up on a farm and this story is all too realistic - people are stranger than fiction. I really like the terse writing style - dialog is very realistic for a farm community.

I wish that I could find more stories like this around. Thanks for an enjoyable read.

Its nice when the good guy wins. Thanks and keep writing.

Thank you -- I enjoyed reading this. Your style is very straightforward and the characters were pretty believable. Keep it up.

Nice writing. What a pleasant change-- a story in which the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Thanks for writing such a cheerful story.

60 year old George

A refeshing change from the normal crap published here. Well done author

I like how you write, and I really like how you think. One particularly clever element was the change in wording from "shoveling manure" to "shoveled more shit"; the meaning is the same, but the shift in vernacular makes a huge difference in impact. The overall plan to prove innocence was outstanding! Excellent work.

-- KK in Texas

Just kidding... I thought, with so much happiness and after so much suffering, why not add some more happy ending? (even if not related to the story)...<P>

It was really nice to see you painting with brighter shades vs. your usuall darker ones. One way or the other, I like them all...

Quick - Succinct - Clear & Unexpectedly Direct in short staccato bursts that reminds me much of life well expressed.<P>

In short Author - I am very impressed with this effort as well as most of your recent work.<P>

Thanks Author - You are appreciated and looked forward to.

With Very High Regard

It's too bad we don't have real judges like that.

Quite a few authors could take a lesson or two from you. Well done!

darn good, but i'd have put the pig in a pen ( pig sty). thanks, rc

with a simple clear plot. I enjoyed it and thank you for it.

As if I'm reading a Grisham story... simply written with realistic ambiance. I enjoyed it. Thanks and more power!

Right now, scorpio is the best writer currently working on this site. There is not one single word out of place, not one single typo that I could see, not one single development that isn't fully thought-out and fully realized. Tightly written in simple prose that moves the story along at a brisk, but unhurried pace. The only possible thing that might be a little jarring was the judge granting Sally the quickie divorce. That might have been a stretch, but it fit so well with the concept of country justice that I really didn't have a problem with it. I don't know about some of my fellows such as Jake, HDK, DG and some others, but scorpio is challenging my muse to get busy. Otherwise, he's going to leave all of us in the dust.

I am a lawyer and have appeared before judges like this (and in suburban NY, not rural USA). This story captured the type of justice practiced in good courtrooms.

Very real story. The events written of occur often in this country. The handling of them in this story was the way we all wished would happen.

Good story, well written, smooth read. Obviously I liked this story a lot. I write also and will take some lessons from your work. Thank you. One thing, is it necessary for some of the comments to be so nit picky, and if so make sure you get the facts right. I was raised on a farm and several times we would put new animals, pigs too, in the barn until they became acclimated to their new home.

Thanks again for a great story.

Maybe if more judges had common sense and we had fewer lawyers, the judicial system would become unstuck. Best way to cure vandals is make them clean their own mess, in public, with a little humiliation thrown in for good measure.

This is without a doubt one of the best crafted stories I have read in a very long time. Plot, characterizations, drama and an excellent point.

Not only that .. it is a cute story and was fun to read, too

Loved it

Loved it

just loved it. Carry on

Thank you for a nice well written story with a believable plot and believable characters. It is refreshing change from a lot of the drivel that appears on this website.

Please read what you have written before posting it. Though 95-98% readable the errors in pronouns are jolting. And a sentence with only one letter omitted sure can change the meaning: If he gets violet, I'd run, not fight. And what would you do if he only gets to yellow?

But then, I'm only reading "old" stuff because I am enamored of your new postings.

this story and still loved it. I was a State Officer in two different States from 1967 until 2008 and a lot of the Magistrate Judges or Justices of the Peace I dealt with were very much like this one. But not always, some are crooked and follow the money or take care of the important or monied people.

I never thought much of Municipal Court Judges. They get far too many cases I think to care as much about most of those brought before them. Unless it is someone important, then there is no Justice.

District Court or Superior Court Judges follow the Rule of Law or the Rules of Evidence accordingly. They cannot issue Country Justice as much as do the lessor courts...their decisions can be appealed to State Supreme Courts.

I paid a ticket after a hearing with a Magistrate Judge, then had him marry me and my wife afterwards. One cost $10 and the other $20.

One time I stopped a car going through Joseph City, Arizona at 30 miles over the speed limit (75 in a 45mph residential zone) and he wanted to go before the court immediately. I took him to Justice of the Peace Rosy Kay (A sweet 60 year old Widow) and he started arguing that the freeway speed was 75 and he did not even notice the town limits or houses. She just said sweetly, "This handsome young Officer would not have brought you here if you weren't guilty young man...$30 please!"

Sorry...just a little trivia from the Southwestern States of New Mexico and Arizona. It was U.S. route 66 then with a few pieces of I-40 constructed in 1968... Bloody 66 it was called then, the crossroad of America. The freeway still goes through there and on to Winslow, Winona, and Flagstaff, Az.

Still, you write well and I had to follow it to the end.

Thank you for the story.

your a great story teller and if your detail is slightly off as far as accuracy thats fine too...kudos!

Great characters. Great style. And I agree with April0647 about typos. I'd go through it again and list 'em for you, but I figure it you wanted them fixed, you would do it. Also, kudos to your readers. Thoughtful comments add another layer to my enjoyment.

rusalka

and with good work ethics and morals. TK U MLJ LV NV

Like a breath of fresh air. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful in its simplicity

Thank you for the Isaac Asimov quote!

A wonderful tale. It's refreshing to read a tale such as this compared to my normal fare. This is why I branched out to this genre. Thanks.

I really enjoyed reading your story. It's very good.

Thank you

A very well written story! In some ways a parable of by gone era. A tale or story to teach a lesson. I liked the writing style and how the Father asked what are YOU going to do to fix the situation you are in - not we the family. Of course I am a sucker for happy endings.

The high quality standard remains the same, this story line was unique compared to your usual offering but no disappoint as I read and Readers Digest would be proud of a PG-13 version of this one.

farmers live truth, justice and the Old Time American Way. TK U MLJ LV NV

It would be even better if you deleted the last paragraph.

last line made me smile & chuckle .

nice finish to a good little tale.

a 2 month old female pig is a gilt. She becomes a sow after her first litter of piglets.

Pigs shown at the fair are usually 5 to 6 months old and weigh 200 to 250 pounds.

It would take several years for her to get to 700 pounds.

other than that a good story and your one of my favorite authors.

Keep writing

retired pig farmer

so you are capable of writing a worthwhile story with no incest, polyamory, or group sex!!!

and they stick by them thick or thin. TK U MLJ LV NV

...started off a bit lame and surprised hell out off me as I continued reading it.

Wonderfully written, absolutely plausible and fine developement of characters. 5* without hesitation. Thanks for writing it.

Yep...

This is an excellent story about an excellent family. This kid is the true definition of a Man. I really enjoyed his father and how he instilled manhood on the son, how he taught him to be a Man. A wonderful family and story. Thank you.

Just reread this and as always simply loved it.

And all the psychological experts say that we can't teach morals to our children anymore. Here was a boy, that his father loved him enough to guide him. Not toss him to the wolves but to A, take responsibility for his actions and B, to be able to think for himself to make sure that he was able to tell the truth, act like a man as well as act as a man of honor. He not only took in Fran, but saw her mothers abuse, made a decision and manned up and took decisive action. He didn't wait, or ask, he knew what was right and did it.

I have seen abuse physical as well as other kinds. I have also been a victim of a kind of abuse. At the time I could not do anything about it. However it did help shape me to be a man. When I saw it in other places, I knew what had to be done and did as best as I could. Sometimes people don't want you to help them. But as long as you have done the right thing to the best of your abilities, then you are a man with honor.

This is why we live in the country. Git er done!

Good story but sadly in need of an editor who is really a country man.

The most blatant problem of a city man trying to write about life on a farm was describing a pig as a "China-Poland". The pig would be highly insulted. LOL

Nice story "ennyhow".

de Jay

Where did you come up with China Poland? Time lines for morning chores are a little off. But the story, in general, was very good. I gather you never spent all that much time on a farm.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland_China

The Poland China is a breed of domestic pig, first bred in the Miami Valley, Ohio, United States, in 1816, deriving from many breeds including the Berkshire and Hampshire.[1] It is the oldest American breed of swine.

The Poland China hog was first bred on the Hankinson Farm in Blue Ball, Warren County, Ohio.[2] A monument to this accomplishment still stands near the place where the hog was originally bred. The monument was moved slightly when the farm was sold for development of the Towne Mall, Middletown, Ohio in the early 1970s, and now stands across the street from the mall property on Cincinnati Dayton Road.

I failed to notice that the name of the breed was inverted

Fun easy to read story.

To Retired Pig Farmer; what about showing in the breeder classes? We have all different types of breeder classes (sows and boars) where I am from. Anyway, loved the story. Keep up the great work!!!

Enjoyed the story but obviously you never lived on a farm, or if you did you didn't raise hogs.

it's Poland China not China-Poland. 700 pounds??? possible but not likely. she would be a big loser and a worthless sow.

My second time to read it. My first time to comment. I hope you will write more stories like this one. I thought of the writings of Ralph Moody when I read this. Excellently written.

I gave this a 5 based on that last sentence. LOL

...really enjoyed this read. You are a great writer. 5 stars. Thanx!

Loklie

REALLY????

Oh God YES!!!

Most assuredly cats and dogs do. No experience with any other animals.

Excellent !

(Irony) What’s with you. A story with a plot? Unheard of! Do it again, do it again. (Smile)

Unfortunately, short pieces of text don’t convey communication as well as face to face.

MVF_Lit

very good, life lessons

good story, morally strong people. would have been nice if Judge congratulated Nick and his parents for being outstanding citizens, etc.

*****Still a very entertaining read. Thanks for sharing.

Realy great story! Pity the assholes didn't get their football careers broken, but can't have everything

@inka2222

They didn't get their football careers broken?

With a felony hate crime conviction they can kiss any scholarship goodbye, so as high school seniors and their season is already over they are at the end anyway.

They are unlikely to be admitted to any decent university even if they are paying their own way, so they can forget about a shot as a walk on.

Any job prospects in their futures are probably going to involve standing behind a counter and asking "Do you want fries with that?".

2nd reading and always a good, simple tale