The Magpie's Nest
by Joseph Jacobs
How Birds Learned to Build Nests
One sunny day, the birds came. They came to see Magpie. She could build the best nest! The birds sat around her. They waited and watched. "I will show you," said Magpie. "Watch me!"
Magpie took some mud. Pat, pat, pat. She made a round mud cake. It was brown and wet. She pressed it down flat. "I know how now!" said Thrush. Thrush flew away fast. And Thrush builds a mud nest. Just mud. Nothing more.
Magpie put sticks on the mud. Snap, snap, snap. She put them one by one. "I know how now!" said Blackbird. Blackbird flew away fast. And Blackbird builds a stick nest. Just mud and sticks.
Magpie put more mud on top. Pat, pat, pat. She made the walls thick. "I know how now!" said Owl. Owl flew away fast. And Owl builds a thick nest. It is big and round.
Magpie wrapped sticks around the nest. Round and round they went. "I know how now!" said Sparrow. Sparrow flew away very fast. Sparrow builds a messy nest. Sticks go this way and that!
Magpie put soft down inside. White bits. Brown bits. Gray bits. So soft! So warm! "I know how now!" said Starling. Starling flew away happy. Starling builds a soft nest. It is warm inside.
Magpie kept working hard. She did not look up. She was very busy. Only Dove was still there.
But Dove was not looking. "Coo coo! Coo coo!" said Dove. She said it again. "Coo coo! Coo coo!" She would not stop.
Magpie looked at Dove. "Please listen!" said Magpie. "I am not done yet!"
But Dove just said it again. "Coo coo! Coo coo!" She did not hear Magpie.
Magpie looked around the tree. All the birds were gone. All of them! She felt very sad. She felt very tired.
Magpie gave a big sigh. She flew home to rest. She did not want to teach.
That is why birds build nests. Each bird builds its own! Next time you see a nest, look! Now you know why.
Original Story
THE MAGPIE'S NEST Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme And monkeys chewed tobacco, And hens took snuff to make them tough, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O! All the birds of the air came to the magpie and asked her to teach them how to build nests. For the magpie is the cleverest bird of all at building nests. So she put all the birds round her and began to show them how to do it. First of all she took some mud and made a sort of round cake with it. “Oh, that's how it's done,” said the thrush; and away it flew, and so that's how thrushes build their nests. Then the magpie took some twigs and arranged them round in the mud. “Now I know all about it,” says the blackbird, and off he flew; and that's how the blackbirds make their nests to this very day. Then the magpie put another layer of mud over the twigs. “Oh that's quite obvious,” said the wise owl, and away it flew; and owls have never made better nests since. After this the magpie took some twigs and twined them round the outside. “The very thing!” said the sparrow, and off he went; so sparrows make rather slovenly nests to this day. Well, then Madge Magpie took some feathers and stuff and lined the nest very comfortably with it. “That suits me,” cried the starling, and off it flew; and very comfortable nests have starlings. So it went on, every bird taking away some knowledge of how to build nests, but, none of them waiting to the end. Meanwhile Madge Magpie went on working and working without, looking up till the only bird that remained was the turtle-dove, and that hadn't paid any attention all along, but only kept on saying its silly cry “Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o.” At last the magpie heard this just as she was putting a twig across. So she said: “One's enough.” But the turtle-dove kept on saying: “Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o.” Then the magpie got angry and said: “One's enough I tell you.” Still the turtle-dove cried: “Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o.” At last, and at last, the magpie looked up and saw nobody near her but the silly turtle-dove, and then she got rare angry and flew away and refused to tell the birds how to build nests again. And that is why different birds build their nests differently.
Moral of the Story
True mastery requires patience and seeing a task through to completion, and impatience leads to incomplete understanding and varied results.
Characters
Madge Magpie ★ protagonist
A clever bird, known for her nest-building skills.
Attire: Natural magpie plumage.
Clever, patient (initially), easily frustrated, skilled.
Thrush ○ minor
A bird.
Attire: Natural thrush plumage.
Impatient, quick to assume understanding.
Blackbird ○ minor
A bird.
Attire: Natural blackbird plumage.
Overconfident, quick to depart.
Wise Owl ○ minor
A bird.
Attire: Natural owl plumage.
Presumptuous, believes itself knowledgeable.
Sparrow ○ minor
A small bird.
Attire: Natural sparrow plumage.
Enthusiastic, prone to sloppiness.
Starling ○ minor
A bird.
Attire: Natural starling plumage.
Comfort-seeking, satisfied with partial knowledge.
Turtle-Dove ⚔ antagonist
A bird, described as 'silly'.
Attire: Natural turtle-dove plumage.
Repetitive, inattentive, irritating.
Locations
The Gathering Place
An open space where all the birds of the air gathered around the magpie.
Mood: Initially educational and communal, becoming progressively more sparse and frustrating.
The magpie attempts to teach all the birds how to build nests, and they progressively leave.
Magpie's Demonstration Site
The specific spot where the magpie is actively building a model nest, likely on a branch or a sturdy surface.
Mood: Focused, instructional, then increasingly isolated and exasperated.
The magpie meticulously demonstrates each step of nest building, culminating in her anger at the turtle-dove.
Story DNA
Moral
True mastery requires patience and seeing a task through to completion, and impatience leads to incomplete understanding and varied results.
Plot Summary
All the birds gather to learn nest-building from the clever magpie. As the magpie patiently demonstrates each step, various birds leave prematurely, believing they've learned enough, resulting in their distinct, incomplete nest styles. Only the inattentive turtle-dove remains, repeatedly uttering a nonsensical cry. Frustrated by the turtle-dove's persistence and the absence of all other students, the magpie flies away in anger, refusing to teach anymore, thus explaining why different birds build their nests differently.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to frustration
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Joseph Jacobs was a prominent collector and editor of English fairy tales, often adapting them for a wider audience.
Plot Beats (13)
- All birds gather to learn nest-building from the magpie.
- The magpie starts by making a mud base; the thrush leaves, thinking it knows enough.
- The magpie adds twigs; the blackbird leaves, thinking it knows enough.
- The magpie adds another layer of mud; the owl leaves, thinking it knows enough.
- The magpie twines twigs around the outside; the sparrow leaves, making a sloppy nest.
- The magpie lines the nest with feathers; the starling leaves, making a comfortable nest.
- The magpie continues working, not looking up, as all birds but the turtle-dove depart.
- The turtle-dove repeatedly cries "Take two, Taffy, take two-o-o-o."
- The magpie, annoyed, tells the turtle-dove "One's enough."
- The turtle-dove persists with its cry.
- The magpie looks up, sees only the turtle-dove, and becomes very angry.
- The magpie flies away, refusing to teach nest-building anymore.
- This explains why different birds build different nests.
