The Boy and the Garden Birds

Lucas enjoys watching birds from his window and wishes they would visit his garden more often. His garden has a big oak tree, a small bush and a patch of grass, but it still feels empty. Rather than guessing what the birds want, Lucas takes his notebook to a quiet corner and observes how quickly the birds fly away. He realises they are looking for food and safe places to rest.

With this discovery, Lucas takes action. He visits a garden centre with his mother and chooses native shrubs that provide berries and seeds. He plants them carefully, waters them and adds a shallow bowl of fresh water. He also cleans up old leaves and keeps the garden quiet. Soon a sparrow with a black bib arrives, followed by a bright finch and a calm robin, and each day more birds return. When a neighbour's cat begins prowling, Lucas builds a gentle stick-and-string boundary and asks his neighbour to keep the cat indoors during the day. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book.