The Garden of Songbird Charm Part Two

Soon the day would come to an end. Tomorrow Ned would visit to do the garden and it was also Robin and Claire's Mum's birthday. She was forty, so it was a big occasion. The postman came with many cards for their mummy, and she was getting a special present from daddy - a diamond ring. Daddy worked for a big conglomerate so had plenty of money and the ring was very expensive. Tonight they were going to a special cabaret. Mummy loved the diamond ring and when she had to do the washing up at lunchtime left it on her dressing table in the bedroom. Her bedroom looked out onto the garden, and at the moment, the weather being so good, the diamond-leaded windows were left open to get all that fresh air in.

Ned was in the garden mowing the emerald green lawn, but the children were still inside finishing some pralines. As Ned pushed the mower near the house he could see something flashing brightly. He realized it must be an item of special jewellery. After finishing the lawn cutting he retired to the potting shed at the bottom of the garden and potted up some summer plants. The garden was empty but for the birds; a beautiful woodlark gave out its song and flew to its nest on the outer edge of the garden.

Then the calm was broken: an unkindness of ravens descended onto the lawn. Mummy shrieked. It was a portent of things to come. As she approached the dressing table she shook with horror -  the diamond ring had gone - anyone could have slipped their arm in the open window and taken it. The bedroom was on the ground floor so it must have been someone in the garden. And of course the only person in the garden had been Ned.

' I can't believe he'd let us down like that', mummy said.

'No, it can't be Ned' said Robin and Claire. They both agreed on that. He simply wasn't like that.

It was so out of character for Ned to be involved. Ned was very unhappy when accused, but knew it all pointed to him.

The police arrived and mummy took the moral high ground. They arrested Ned and the children were very unhappy. All day they moped around the garden completely oblivious to the birdsong. But one bird they loved more than all the rest was the woodlark; it now sang at the top of its voice, tracing patterns through the air and flitting in and out of the tall hedges. It was almost as if it was trying to tell them something.

Just then mummy came out of the house by the french windows.'Take this ball and play with it, Robin, you must cheer up'.

So Robin and Claire tried to feel better but knew in their hearts Ned was innocent.. Eventually Robin was so frustrated he kicked the ball so fiercely it went over the hedges and into Mr. Williamson's garden.

'We'll have to go and retrieve it' Robin said to Claire.

Once in Mr. Williamson's garden they could see the ball. It was stuck in a thicket of thorn.

'Be careful children,' said Mr. Williamson, 'it's near the nest'.

'A  nest? asked Robin, 'a nest of what?'

'I don't know' said Mr. Williamson.

The domed nest had an entrance in the side, and there, when they looked in, they could see something shining and bright.

'It's the ring,' said Robin, and he reached in to retrieve it. A magpie then flew out of the nest looking very aggrieved, for magpies are just like jackdaws they steal shiny objects from tin lids to jewels.

'Well I never, said mummy, 'what are we going to say to Ned?'

'We knew he was innocent all along, and the woodlark knew too. He was trying to lead us to the jewel and the magpie nest flitting in and out of the hedges near the Williamson garden.'

'Let it be a lesson to us all,' mummy said, 'it isn't only girls have diamonds as best friends.'