NOTE ON THE LANGUAGE There are many varieties of English spoken in the work, and the characters in these stories from Scotland sometimes use now-standard forms (for example, the wse of ye for you, and unusual word orders). This show the authors of the original stories represented the spake: Janguage that their characters would actully ‘sein cel lf ‘There are also words that are usually only found in Scottish English (for example, wee ‘meaning liae), and one of two words from the Gaelic, the Celtic language of Scotland, Al these words are either explained in the stories oF inthe glossary on page 7. The pigeon v ‘A story foe Scotland, retold by Jem Bsztt ‘The strong ean take care of themselves. But what about tho weak? What heppens to a ‘hil, « young anime, a sick bid, whon there fs n0 one to take cara of them? ‘len has found a sick bird, © pigeon. tt cannot ly and fs very week. Iwill probably dio, but Jon has a deep and terrible need to take care oft ila was dressing in the bathroom, She couldn’s get dressed in the sitting room while there were people around, And she coulda’e use their bedroom because her son Robert and his family were sleeping in there. She called out to fa. “Can you find my best pink blouse, Jan?” Jan went to the door of the bedroom. The door was open A lite, and he looked through at all the clothes onthe floor, ‘on the chairs, bed, everywhere. Robert and Moira and their children were not tidy people, Jan wondered if he and Ella woud ever get the house tidy again. He didn’t want to goin and ask for Ella's blouse, but Fllaealled again, “Jan! Are you bringing me the blouse?”2 A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland So he said quietly through the door, ‘Please, Robert. Please pass me your mother's pink blouse.” Robert said OK, opened the wardrobe door (which woke the baby), found the blouse and brought it across to Jan, Jan took the blouse to Flla, who said, ‘Oh, thanks dear!” inher warm, friendly viee, and he fele good Ella went on singing inthe bathroom, She was very happy, with Robert and Moira and the ewo lctle ones in the house. Jan was happy for her. I was good that she had children of her own. He need not feel that he had disappointed her. ‘She came out of the bathroom in her bright party clothes. A big, good-looking, motherly woman, He looked at het with love, and she smiled back at him, ‘Then she ered, “Hurry up, Jan! Get dressed. I's time. I's New Year's Eve. We're going out frst-footing He shook his head. ‘She cried, Why not? You came with me las year. And you ‘enjoyed it. Don't you remember? You Moira taught you to rock-and-roll.” “This year I will stayin, said Jan. ‘He went into the kitchen, and from there into the seullery ‘The pigeon lay ina basket on a soft blanket. He thought at first that it looked better: Its eyes were open at Jeast, round eyes lke the centre of flowers. He looked atthe litte bowl of mill, and imagined that the pigeon had taken some. But realy in his heart, he knew that the pigeon was now very sek. Worse th ona ledgeourside thei bedroom windows. Then ithad moved its wings alte, eryingto fly; now ic ly sil. anced swith me, and when he had found ir seven days ago, The Pigeon 3 When he had frse picked it up, the pigeon had nor tried £0 escape. He fel sue it knew that ic belonged to him. “Takeitto Jimmie Telfer, Ella had sad. He keeps pigeons He'll know hove to take eare of it? “No, Jan had said, “No, it belongs to me. Lam not taking ie to any other person." “tue you can't keep it in the house!” Ella said. Then she laughed alittle, Och, have it your own way But please, keep iin the sullers” She was a kind, generous woman. When he had fist gone to work and brought home his pay packee, he had put all the money into her hands, as he had done at home. But her borachers had laughed at him, so he had stopped. But he still wanted co give her all of i. She was like a mother to him Non, like a litte child, he decided to disobey her. He woud not go. He did not want to go out among her large family, did not wane all the laughing and shouting thae they dd at this time of New Year. “Happy New Year, Mother!” ‘A good New Year, Tom!” ‘Atchie— Andrew ~ Joanne!” Robert would love ir, home on holiday. He and his mother could go out rogether and enjoy themselies without him, "They were waiting for him ar the front door “Jan, what have you been doing? You're not dressed yet! Worrying over that old bind again? Ella said, teasing. It's a young bird,’ Jan sad, Ella laughed. “Well, young o old, if you ask me, i’s not long for this world. Come on nov, Jan, You'll have ro help Robert carry the bottles, Pve the cake for mother to carry” eee eee eS4 ACup of Kindness Stories from Scotland The Pigeon 5 “No, he said, shaking his head gently. ‘No, L will nor go.” Fila did not get annoyed even then. ‘Are you going to the pub then? Well, be sure tobe at mother’s by half past eleven. ‘To take in the New Year? SOK,’ he said quietly ‘OK. ‘He waited until they had left the house, All was quiet. Moira and the little ones must be asleep. He found his ‘overcoat, put it on, and went into the scullery again. He lifted the pigeon carefully out of its basket and placed it inside his cardigan, under his coat. Te wasn’t strange to take the bird out, he said co himself He had taken it out before, To the library, 00 ask for 3 book on the care ofa sik bird. The lady in the library was very kind, vey helpful. She had found a number of books about bitds for him. But che pigeon was still sick. Then he had taken it to the pit, co the First Aid Centre, where Alec MacColl worked. Alec had fel the bird ll over very carefully while Jan watched worried But Alec said, ‘I's nearly dead already, boy. We can’t do anything frit.” “Then Jan went to the doctor's, but they seemed more interested in hima than the pigeon, and gave him some ‘medicine to make him calm Te wasn't strange ta take the bird out. He couldn't leave it in the house. He was afraid the children would wake up and go into the scullery and worry it. He had co keep she bir safe with himself. And he had co go out, he had to be alone, le and Robert were ting for hi atthe front dor. ‘Along Main Street there were crowds of people, And what “Jans ave you bee doing Yo'te ot dese yet” Ela oid 4 noise! He stood watching for a while, People enjoying ee a ee a ee