In the early morning mist of April 1st, New Yorkers awoke to the sight of a giant, inflatable interloper bobbing in the Hudson River. Commuters on their way to work nearly dropped their takeaway flat whites in surprise when they noticed, nestled alongside the familiar NYC skyline, the world's largest rubber duck.
Dubbed the ‘Titanic Toy Story’ by bystanders, the waterlogged waddle-horror had the city frantically skimming through its zoning laws in a bid to categorize this new development. As city officials discussed whether the duck was a shipping hazard, a novelty vessel, or an oversized bath toy, the scene at the nearby riverside café was a mix of bafflement and amusement.
"Who needs the Statue of Liberty? We have a gargantuan rubber duck!" said Greg Morton, a Wall Street executive, grinning into his cell phone as he posted a selfie with the vibrant avian silhouette in the background.
But the questions were many. What was the giant rubber duck doing in Hudson River? Was it lost? Was it nature's way of reducing the carbon footprint by encouraging rubber ducks to migrate? Or did the Easter Bunny come a day late and had a slight mishap remembering what holiday it was?
As theories about the duck's origin began gaining traction, the answer flew in on the wings of a released press statement from an internationally renowned fun-loving multi-billionaire who apparently has too many Bitcoins and too few rubber ducks. The little prank was his April Fools’ day gift to New York City.
"I thought to myself, what's an April Fools’ prank that's big enough for New York? The answer? A duck. A really, really big duck," the billionaire confessed. He also cheekily added that come next April Fools’ day, everyone should "expect the un-ducke-pected."
To nobody's surprise, social media streams were filled with hashtags, duck-face selfies, and questionable plans for converting the toy into a yellow tourist attraction. New Yorkers being New Yorkers took to this fowl play with hearty quacks, proving once again that they can roll with the punches, or in this case, paddle with giant rubber ducks.
After spending a memorable day in the city, the colossal rubber duck was deflated and craned back onto a barge in a precision operation worthy of an action movie. The duck, having completed its mission, was sent off with applause and a chorus of quacks from the spectators. As the sun set and the cityscape returned to its typical state of towering concrete giants, one could almost hear the echo of joyful splashes and quacks – a playful remnant of the day when a giant rubber duck pranked New York City.
And so, in the heart of every New Yorker who witnessed it, the echo of the duck's quack would remain, a reminder of the day when life in the Big Apple got a little bit sillier, and a whole bunch duckier. With a story like this, New Yorkers won't be taking their April Fools' day lightly any time in the foreseeable future. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere – even if you’re a giant rubber duck.
Now, the million-dollar question remains, what will the city awaken to on the next April Fools’ Day? A giant rubber chicken next, perhaps? Only time will duck-ing tell.