It was late afternoon on the Louisiana farm, and the old man hadn’t checked on the pond in weeks.
That evening, something felt… off. Too quiet. Too cheerful. As he walked down the familiar path, a prickling sense of being watched made him quicken his pace.
The pond behind his house had been part of the farm for decades. Naturally shaped for swimming, he had added picnic tables, a horseshoe court, and a few apple and peach trees over the years. Tonight, he carried a five-gallon bucket, intending to pick some fruit along the way.
As he neared the water, laughter and shouting drifted through the air. Curiosity piqued, he stepped closer—and stopped short. A group of young women were skinny-dipping in the pond.
“I’m not here to watch or to make you leave,” he called out, raising his bucket. “I’m here to feed the alligator.”
The reaction was instantaneous. Screams cut through the air as every woman scrambled out of the water, running past him in a blur, leaving the pond—and him—completely empty. The old man simply stood there, bucket in hand, unfazed.
Some men may age, but quick thinking never does.
Conclusion
A clever word and a touch of humor can resolve even the most unexpected situations. Sometimes, wit works faster than force—and leaves a story worth retelling.