Maggie

• Leticia Wishart, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2007

A baby magpie sat on the footpath. She didn’t have a name because some children killed her parents. A young girl found her and took her home. She called her Maggie. When Maggie was older the girl let her go.
Maggie loved children, but the children didn’t like her. They called her Swooper. Maggie didn’t know why. Maggie lived in a gum tee next to the grade 6 classroom at Glenroy Public School. She loved watching the children sitting at their desks doing what they had to do.
One day some children were playing a fun looking game with a rope under her tree, so Maggie decided she wanted to play with them. She flew down from her tree and landed beside them. The children ran away yelling, “watch out! It’s Swooper!” But what did I do?” thought Maggie, “all I wanted to do is play with them.” Maggie felt sad as she flew back to her tree. This went on daily.
One day as Maggie was flying around she saw the girl that he saved her. It seemed that no one wanted to play with her either. Maggie hadn’t seen her at school before, maybe she was new thought Maggie. One day the little girl was sitting on a seat eating her lunch. She looked upset, Maggie thought. So Maggie flew down and landed beside her. The little girl looked at her but didn’t run away. “The children won’t play with me either,” she whispered to Maggie with a tear rolling down her cheek. “I used to have a baby magpie,” she said, “and I called her Maggie.” Hearing her name, Maggie flew into the air and flew excitedly in circles. “That’s what Maggie did,” thought the girl. Standing up she called, “Maggie, Maggie!” Maggie flew aback to the girl and landed on the seat. Now they both had someone to play with at lunchtime.