The Magpie 



The Magpie is not, as a rule, on good terms with 

 his neighbours. He is very noisy, very mischievous, 

 and very quarrelsome, and is not above stealing eggs 

 from the nests of other birds. No doubt he clears 

 the fields of a great number of grubs and slugs, but 

 he does so much damage in the poultry-yard that he 

 always goes the other way when he sees the farmer 

 coming. His nest is built very cunningly of sticks 

 and clay, and he surrounds it with sharp thorny twigs 

 to keep out robbers like himself. 



