More Tales of the Birds

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 Excerpt: ... A LUCKY MAGPIE So you've kept old Mag safe all this time, I called out, as I came through the little croft under the apple-trees, and caught sight of the farmer sitting at his door and smoking his evening pipe; and not forgetting my duty as became a midshipman in Her Majesty's Service, I took off my cap and made three bows to the magpie, whose wicker cage was hanging just over the farmer's head. Farmer Reynardson and his magpie and I had always been great friends. Ever since I was a little fellow I had had a great liking for the farmer's friendly face, and a still greater reverence for his bird, for he never would let me come within sight of it without making my obeisance in due form. It's a lucky magpie, he always said, and I don't know what mightn't happen if you didn't treat him with proper respect. Honour where honour is due, my boy! So I always made my three bows, which seemed to please both the bird and his master. I say master now, but in those days I never thought of him as the magpie's master, nor of the bird as his property. I considered Mag as a member of the family, about whom there was something rather mysterious. It was only when I grew older that I began to think of asking questions about him, and it was not till the very last evening before I left to join the training-ship that I ventured to ask the history of my revered friend. But the farmer would not tell me then. When you're ready to fight for the Queen, then I'll tell you the story, he said. So I had to wait a pretty long time; and whenever I came home from the Britannia and called at Slade Croft, I felt my curiosity increasing. The story must be worth hearing, or I should not have been kept waiting for it so long. And when I was gazetted midshipman, and ran home to my grandf...