THE MAGPIE’S REVENGE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 62, 6 December 1930, Page 24

THE MAGPIE’S REVENGE

Little Fairy Mischief was always oh the go. She was the naughtiest little thing you’d ever want to know. The birds and beasties hated her, she did such awful things, like catching frightened baby birds and tying up their, wings. She’d hide old Mother Squirrel's nuts, and take Frog’s food away, and every evening after dark just like a cat she’d play, and pounce upon the wee field-mice and scare them into fits; and steal the eggs from mother birds and tear their nests to bits.

But one fine day in early spring she went a bit too far. She climbed up to a magpie’s nest, you know how high they are. She thought the parent birds were out, and planned to have some fun teasing the babies in the nest, as she had often done. She used to sit just underneath, and with a nice strong stick she’d poke the bottom of the nest; it was a nasty trick. It rolled the baby birds about, and tossed them o’er and o’er; they got quite sea-sick, poor wee things, on such a heaving floor.

But on this day I’m talking of, their father was at home; he had a. cold, and told his wife he wasn’t fit to roam, in search of food, so she went out the family meals to find, and Fairy Mischief little thought that he had stayed! behind.

She gave the nest a vicious poke and the children shrieked with fear, and Father Magpie gave a jump and said “That's very queer!” And when the nest heaved up again, he said “What can it be? I hope it’s not an earthquake—l suppose I’d better see.” He looked around but all was still; then o’er the side peered he, and on a branch just underneath he saw his enemy. She’d played him many pranks before, and he thought “Ha, ha, my dear, I’ll get my own back just for once, you don’t know I’m up here.” He leaned far out and stretched a! claw, and seized her by the hair; lie dragged her screaming to the nest, and with determined air he took her to the highest branch of that high chestnut tree, and lashed her firmly to a twig that wobbled shakily. He said “This twig’s not very strong; you’d better keep quite still, for if you rock about to much you’ll probably be ilb The breeze will swing you, and you'll know! what my poor children feel when yogi have tossed their nest about. I can this a square deal.”

All through that day she hung up there, blown loosely to and fro. Giddy she was, and very sick; it served her right, you know. She’d never cared what pain she gave the creatures ia the wood, and when at twilight Magpie came, she sobbed “I will be good, I’ve had an awful time np here, and

now at last I see just what a naughty thing I've been.” So Magpie set her free. And ever since she’s been a dear, so helpful'and so good. She’s given up all her wicked ways, just as she said she would. And everybody loves her now because she’s sweet and true; they've quite forgotten all the naught” things she used to do.