My aviary houses little birds
I love them to distraction
But when the population grew
I had to take some action...

They sat inside their little nests
And cutely peered at me
But I had mischief on my mind
There were too many - you see.

Their little eggs so small and white
I nicked out from their nests
Replaced them with imperial mints
I deemed it for the best.

How I chuckled to myself
To see them taken in
Despite my pangs of sorrow
And my guilty little grin

They nursed those mints so lovingly
Their devotion was unmatched
But when I went into the shed
- I found a mint had hatched!

That mint had wings and out it flew
Before my startled eyes
Alighted on a nearby ledge
And shook off its disguise

A baby zebra finch it was
All dressed in fluffy grey
It sweetly called to Ma and Pa
To bring some food its way

They fed that little open beak
And gave me such a glare
As if to say, just keep away
Stop us if you dare!

The moral of this story is:
A finch may not be brainy
A finch may not be bright
But if you try to fool them
They'll show you who is right!

Article © Karen Dean 2005