There was a Scrooge duck (not Scrooge McDuck), a Marley duck, a Tiny Tim duck, and ducks of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. They're adorable. There's a good picture here.

The professor in question, when not teaching computer science classes, sings with the Village Light Opera Guild. He also wrote the libretto to Scrooge & Gilbert & Sullivan, which sets A Christmas Carol to G&S's music. I got the ducks in October or so; it was very hard to wait until S&G&S opening night to wrap them up and present them, but oh man, the look on his face was totally worth the wait.