I feel sorry for this poor young Magpie.

BillyPilgrim · #11 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 08:42 PM

I've always had a soft spot for Magpies. When I was about 7 or 8 years old me and a friend were playing on the local railway tracks when we found a scrawny, half bald Magpie chick. We picked it up and took it to his house where his father looked after it until it was old enough and strong enough to fly.

For the next few months the young bird was our friend. It would follow us around, flying and sometimes hopping along at the side of us. It also found out where I lived and would land on the window sill of our living room and tap on the window with its beak until I went out to play with it. This drove my dog insane with jealousy!

Needless to say, one of the Magpie's favourite pastimes was collecting shiny things. We would give it bits of silver paper, coins etc. and it would stash them just out of my reach in the corner of my bedroom window sill.

One day it came to see me as I waited for the bus to school. I decided to tease it with my bus fare (two very shiny new pence) but it was quicker than me and managed to snatch it from my grasp. It flew off and put the money on the roof of a nearby shop. It just hopped around, picking up the money and then dropping it again. I swear to this day it was laughing at me! No amount of pleading could make it return my bus fare so I had to walk to school that day

The bird hung around until autumn and then just dissapeared for some reason. We hoped it would return one day but it never did.

Kayleigh · #12 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyPilgrim

I've always had a soft spot for Magpies. When I was about 7 or 8 years old me and a friend were playing on the local railway tracks when we found a scrawny, half bald Magpie chick. We picked it up and took it to his house where his father looked after it until it was old enough and strong enough to fly.

For the next few months the young bird was our friend. It would follow us around, flying and sometimes hopping along at the side of us. It also found out where I lived and would land on the window sill of our living room and tap on the window with its beak until I went out to play with it. This drove my dog insane with jealousy!

Needless to say, one of the Magpie's favourite pastimes was collecting shiny things. We would give it bits of silver paper, coins etc. and it would stash them just out of my reach in the corner of my bedroom window sill.

One day it came to see me as I waited for the bus to school. I decided to tease it with my bus fare (two very shiny new pence) but it was quicker than me and managed to snatch it from my grasp. It flew off and put the money on the roof of a nearby shop. It just hopped around, picking up the money and then dropping it again. I swear to this day it was laughing at me! No amount of pleading could make it return my bus fare so I had to walk to school that day

The bird hung around until autumn and then just dissapeared for some reason. We hoped it would return one day but it never did.

That's a lovely story BP...heart warming..