Mr. MacBoggle's Little Bird

By Rachel Pezzimenti

Mr. MacBoggle lives with his sister in Mulberry Manor, a paradise hidden away from the cares of the world. But to stay there, they must follow five rules. Everything is great until one day Mr. MacBoggle finds Little Bird, and slowly everything begins to change.

Will their paradise be destroyed? Will Mr. MacBoggle lose his sister? Will Lit

• Language: English
• Publisher: OffBeatReads
• Release date: May 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781950464418

Book preview

A little bird was very sad to see the birds outside.

She saw them laugh, she saw them hide,

in games she’d never tried,

She stamped her foot, and in a rage, she bitterly complained, If only I could leave this cage, how happy I would be!

But as she pined, she failed to see,

three pairs of eyes shine bright.

There in the dark they follow her,

all with an appetite.

The sun beat down on Mulberry Manor’s red tile roof. The grand estate stood alone in the heart of a dark forest. High brick walls separated the compound from overgrown trees and evil-smelling swamps.

A splendid garden lay inside the red walls. There, an unassuming old man knelt on an emerald lawn. Angus MacBoggle lovingly sculpted the grass around the first of five white paving stones. These stones led to a majestic marble fountain. And each stone was engraved with a command. Be Kind, was written on the first.

The gentle gardener enjoyed the music of the fountain. Silver droplets danced from golden spigots. As Mr. MacBoggle worked, he hummed a familiar tune. Perfumed breezes were punctuated by a soft snoring. Tippy, Mr. MacBoggle’s tiny terrier, lay dreaming beneath the shade of an ancient willow. Her paws twitched in her sleep. Tippy was thoroughly exhausted. She spent part of the morning playing with the songbirds and butterflies while the old man entertained them with his silver pennywhistle.

Angus MacBoggle stood up to admire his handiwork. He stretched his aching back. The five white stepping stones sparkled in the morning sunshine. He shaded his eyes as he read them: Be Kind, Be Faithful, Be True, Beware, and Be Ready.

Hey, Tippy, I’m finished here. Let’s walk over to the rose garden before Miss Molly calls us in for lunch. I’m sure she’d love some of those Golden Eye roses. Miss Molly, Angus’s older sister, never tolerated tardy diners. She was something of a fusspot, but her temper was usually tamed by the sight of lovely blossoms. Tippy heard her master’s voice. She raised a sleepy head in his direction. Mr. MacBoggle strolled toward the fountain for a drink. Looking down, his gaze fell on the grass beside the first stone, Be Kind. The old caretaker smothered a gasp. An egg, a bright blue egg, lay dangerously near the toe of his right boot!

Bless my soul and boggles, Tippy! What’s this?

The old man bent down and cradled the egg in his calloused palm.

How careless, he muttered. I really must speak to the robins about this kind of negligence. Imagine, misplacing your offspring!

But then another thought occurred to him. Perhaps the egg was spoiled, abandoned. Turning it over, Mr. MacBoggle noticed a thin crack running across the turquoise middle. By my boggles, I knew it! It’s of no use now, Tippy.

His puppy trotted toward him, whining. Angus turned to discard the egg, but Tippy’s yapping convinced him to pause.

What’s the matter, girl?

But then he, too, heard the peeping.

Inside the egg, a little bird struggled to free herself. She pushed with all her might. The chick’s clumsy feet and bulbous head strained against opposite sides of the shell, forcing the crack to widen. Resting between efforts, the baby bird gasped for air. Her muffled peeps alerted the outside world to her presence. Mr. MacBoggle steadied his trembling hand and waited breathlessly. Tippy stiffened and tilted her head. Minutes later, the egg split. The blue shells parted. A new life entered the world.

Bless my soul and boggles!

Mr. MacBoggle stared in disbelief as the tiny creature lay twitching in his palm. This