Barnaby Buttercup, a man whose enthusiasm far outweighed his fishing skills, cast his line into the crystal-clear lake. He’d spent the entire morning meticulously preparing, consulting his lucky fishing hat (a bright pink beanie with bobbing plastic fish), and even whispering motivational words to his worm. Hours passed, only yielding a persistent nibble from something suspiciously twig-like.
Suddenly, a stern voice boomed, “License and tackle, sir!”
Barnaby jumped, nearly losing his pink beanie in the process. He turned to see a Game Warden, a figure as imposing as a redwood tree, standing beside him. Barnaby fumbled in his pockets, producing a crumpled lottery ticket and a half-eaten chocolate bar.
“Uh, this is my… fishing license?” Barnaby offered, a little sheepishly. “And these are my…very special, lucky, chocolate-powered tackle!” He gestured vaguely towards the chocolate bar.
The Game Warden raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Sir, I believe you’re missing a crucial element for fishing.”
Barnaby looked confused. “Oh, is it the special enchanted worm song? I’ve got that memorized! Should I sing it?” He opened his mouth to begin a rather off-key rendition of “Old MacDonald.”
The Game Warden sighed, pointing to Barnaby’s empty fishing rod. “Sir, I think you might need… a rod.” He paused, a twinkle in his eye. “Rods away, indeed!” And with that, he burst into laughter, leaving Barnaby staring at his empty hands, the pink beanie precariously perched on his head. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the lake, mocking his utterly rod-less fishing expedition.
