The Duck Man

The Duck Man
Name
Race	human
Age
Occupation	Beggar
Physical appearance	Wears fine (if somewhat tattered) clothing, has a duck on his head
Residence	Under the Misbegot Bridge
Death
Parents
Relatives
Children
Marital Status
Appearances
Books	Soul Music, Hogfather, The Truth
Cameos	Feet of Clay, Jingo, Thud!

The Duck Man is a beggar in Ankh-Morpork, who unlike Foul Ole Ron, talks like an intellectual. He is the most coherent of the Canting Crew; he can estimate how much food can be bought with a certain amount of money. It is possible that someone who sits down blindfolded with the Duck Man at the same table can carry out a normal conversation on a non-personal and non-controversial topic without finding out that the Duck Man is a beggar (no longer in the Beggars' Guild) who is considered insane.

The reason that the Duck Man is called the Duck Man, and considered insane, is that there is forever a duck sitting on top of his head, though he insists that there is not. Other small clues such as that he cannot recall his past will not be observed except in an extensive conversation. Confused memories of a time before he became the Duck Man occasionally arise, but are soon disregarded. The Duck Man is quite happy as he is.

For unknown reasons the Assassins' Guild has a substantial price on his head, although he is probably safe as few assassins would want to be recorded as assassinating a beggar.