Home Makers

“A long, long time ago, when there were no people and birds were very new to the earth, the magpie was the only bird who truly knew how to build a nest. The other birds looked on in amazement at the intricate nest the magpie made each year. The other birds would ask again and again how he wove the grasses and how he made it neat. One day the magpie said, "I know, I'll teach you all how to make a nest, meet me here tomorrow morning and I will show you how".

Word spread and soon the pigeons, crows, house martins, blue tits and many other birds came to watch.

"First get some mud and make a round cake between some twigs".

"Thank you". said the swallow, "I will go and build my nest".

The swallow flew away and started to build his nest of mud.

"Secondly, take some sticks and place them on top of the mud".

"Thank you", said the pigeon and the crows, and off they flew to build their nests, mostly of twigs and mud.

"Thirdly", said the magpie, rolling his eyes as he watched the others fly off, "take some grasses and weave them into your nest".

"Thank you", said the blackbird who flew off to make his nest of mud, sticks and grass.

"Fourthly", said the magpie to his dwindling audience, take some more mud and fix all the bits in place".

"Thank you", said the sparrow and off she flew to make a nest of mud, twigs, grass and more mud.

"And finally," said the crow the the remaining audience, "take some of the softest material you can and line the nest with it".

"Ooooh how lovely, said the song thrush and the long tailed tit, "and off they went to make the most perfect nests of all, with sticks and mud and grasses and more mud and lots of lovely soft feathers, fine hairs and mosses.

The magpie looked around at all the different nests the birds had built, how strange that they were all so different from one lesson. He never did teach the lesson again, because all the birds were very happy with the nests they had made, and they believed that there was nothing more to be learned.” -Adapted from James Baldwin’s 1895 “Fifty Famous Stories- Retold”