South Yorkshire Times March 15, 1947
Maggie the Magpie
A lovable Mexborough Pet
Introducing Maggie, at 16, Conway Terrace, Mexborough, the home of Mr Mrs T Oliver.
She’s not, as you might imagine, a little girl, she is a perky but lovable magpie who has left her home in the woods to live in a house.
Mr Oliver was taking his two daughters, Barbara and June, for a walking High Melton Woods last spring when they found a magpie’s nest containing five young birds. Unable to resist his daughters appeals, Mr Oliver took two of the birds home.
The cot bed was rather too cocky, picking all and sundry and it soon flew off back to the wilds. The hen became the family pet.
Maggie is rather a greedy bird. When young she was fed with bread soaked in milk and the end of a matchstick and one day succeeded in swallowing the matchstick. Strangely enough, this caused no ill effects.
Maggie is quite settled down in a new home now and does not show the least inclination to leave. Her main diet is meat and vegetables, but she’s partial to bacon.
Mr Strachey, however, cannot let her have 2 ounces per week, and it can Mrs Oliver afford to be too magnanimous in this respect, so Maggie Michaels, must sacrifice the luxuries in the national interest.
When her allowance of food is a generous one she hides it and brings onto old crows to tea. On rare occasions when these friends are not in the vicinity she invites the seagulls so share a meal. The seagulls have quite a quarrel over the food, and when the crows eventually arrive the noise materialises into a sound rather like that popular song, “Cement Mixer.”
Enjoys cycle ride
Unlike her brother, Maggie has quite an affection for human beings. She shows her fondness for the children by playfully chasing them around the house. The neighbours also like Maggie and she pays daily visits, usually at mealtimes.
Mr Oliver is accompanied to and from work by Maggie, who enjoys the ride on his bicycle. Unless she’s called in, Maggie spends most of the day out of doors and let’s the Oliver’s know when she’s ready to settle down for the night in an outbuilding by tapping at the window.
To turn to the darker side of Maggie’s character, the Oliver’s have to admit that, like all magpie’s, she’s a thief. They dare not leave anything about our Maggie will take it. Among the many things that they have bases Mr Oliver shaving brush, which Maggie perhaps stole for a bath, which she takes a nearby pond.
When Mr Oliver owns a cigarette case Maggie takes one and flies off to a secret hiding place, where she must have enough articles to stock a general store.
When the neighbours put out their washing up to keep a careful watch on in our Maggie will peck it to shreds at the first opportunity.
In spite of this reputation, popularity is undiminished and, like many human being, she may be termed a “lovable rogue.”