Although it was early that spring morning, the rising temperatures suggested that the day would be another hot one on the dusty mesa. Across the meadow, sheep quietly grazed in the pasture. Lambs jumped and hopped and impishly butted heads with one another; their playful cries broke the stillness of the morning. The cows had been milked and contently grazed in the pasture with the sheep. The glow of the morning sun cast a soft light along the peak of Mount Lamborn. The morning landscape created a serene view of the North Fork Valley.

A wisp of smoke trailed from the chimney of the small cabin nestled on top of Roger’s Mesa. Since the family had finished breakfast, the occupants of the tiny home continued with their morning routines and completed their chores. The man of the house had left to run errands in town. The mother set water to boil on the wood stove so she and her girls could begin washing dishes and tidying the kitchen.

As the mother and her daughters began talking, Elva’s youngest daughter, Dotty, settled on a chair and started talking about getting a new magpie for a pet. The family had recently lost their previous bird when it took to flight and never returned. The little one was eager to replace it, and this time, she wanted to be the one who captured a baby magpie.

“Momma, can I go get a magpie today? I want to take care of it and train it. Can I please, Momma?”

The mother looked at her younger daughter and smiled at her child’s sense of adventure.

“Yes, you can find a bird after you finish your morning chores.”

Excited, the child raced off to feed the chickens and gather the eggs. However, once she saw the chicken coop, she realized that she had forgotten to grab the egg basket in her excitement. Running back home, she stopped before opening the door. She could hear her sister, Barb, speaking, so she stood quietly outside the door and eavesdropped on the conversation.

“But, Momma, I want to get the bird. I am the oldest. I want to find the bird,” Barb insisted when she thought her little sister was out of earshot.

“Now, your little sister will not be able to find a magpie. She is just too little,” she told her oldest daughter.

“Good, because I want to find and train the bird,” Barb replied.

The little girl stood still and didn’t move a muscle. She didn’t want her family to know she had overheard their conversation. She stomped her foot, and inwardly, she fumed. “I’m not too little!” She mumbled to herself, “I will show them!”

Quietly, she turned away from the door and headed to the chicken coop. After feeding the birds, she gathered the eggs. Then, lifting a corner of her everyday dress, she carefully tucked the eggs inside the soft folds, moving slowly so she wouldn’t break them.

Carefully, she walked to the cabin while thinking about her magpie. She wondered what supplies she would need? “Hmmm…I will need something to hold the bird, and I will need some food,” she said while making a mental list of what she needed before she began her trek.

Once she reached the door, she carefully opened the door and walked to the kitchen. Grabbing a clean basket, she placed the eggs inside the woven vessel. Then, holding a bowl, she went to the water pump to fill the basin with water. After finding a clean rag, she cleaned the eggs and carefully placed them in a bowl.

“Done!” The excited child told her mom. “Can I use a gunny sack and take some hamburger for my magpie and a sandwich for me?” the little girl prattled.

“Yes,” her mama laughed as she gathered the items she needed to make a sandwich.

Dotty grabbed a clean rag, carefully placed the hamburger in the center, and tied the ends together. Then, she ran to the barn to grab an empty gunny sack and raced back to the house to gather her lunch. Her mom had prepared two peach preserve sandwiches with butter, and she placed an apple and a mason jar filled with water in the small brown bag. Her mother handed Dotty the sack lunch that also held the hamburger for the magpie. Quickly, she grabbed her provisions, and the little girl raced out the door after giving her mom a peck on the cheek.

“Now, what?” she asked herself while skidding to a stop outside the cabin. In her haste, she didn’t think about where she was going or where a magpie might actually live. She couldn’t go back into the house and ask questions, for she didn’t want to risk her mother having second thoughts about her adventure. So, without a plan, the child headed down the mesa towards the railroad tracks. She headed towards “the lamb” on Mount Lamborn when she hit flat land. From the side of the mountain, a lamb could be viewed in the craggy depths, and locals who raised sheep enjoyed the fortunate omen from the mountainside. The child needed luck today, so she decided to follow the lamb.

In the distance, she viewed a few tall pines and decided to head in that direction. After all, birds, she thought, would probably want to make their homes in the highest trees they could find, and those pine trees looked terribly high. Dotty just hoped they didn’t build on the very top of the trees. But she decided she would worry about that once she arrived at her destination.

As she trailed across the fields, the hot, dusty air made her thirsty; she pulled out the mason jar filled with water. Even the water was warm and didn’t really quench her thirst. She sat on some rocks and began to think about her dilemma. She didn’t dare turn around now; she had to prove she was old enough to find her magpie. Stubborn pride took hold, and the little one trudged towards the pines.

Once she reached the trees, she rested in the shade and began looking for any signs of a magpie. The day was hot and dusty, and she felt miserable and dirty. Looking up in the trees, she saw no signs of a nest. Discouraged, she wondered what she should do next. Her stomach started to rumble, so she pulled out one of her peach preserve sandwiches and enjoyed its sticky sweetness. Her mama made the best peach jam in the valley. After she finished her sandwich, she pulled out her apple and nibbled on her treat while watching the sky for any signs of a magpie.

Soon, the combination of warm air and a full tummy made the little girl drowsy, and she fell into a slumber. She slept for the rest of the morning, and when she awoke, she was hot and thirsty. The sun had climbed high in the sky, and the temperatures had risen too. Sitting up slowly, she pulled the mason jar from the sack and sipped on the warm water. Since she was close to her Aunt Mabel’s house, she decided to trudge to her aunt’s home and ask for some cold water before she started her adventure once again.

Walking toward the house, she heard a familiar sound: the squawking of a magpie! Excitedly, she forgot about the heat and the need for a cooling refreshment. Quietly, she stood still and listened for the sound. The squawking began again, so she followed the noise to a grove of cottonwood trees. Under the canopy of the trees, her eyes adjusted to the filtered light. Rustling in the upper branches, she heard the familiar sounds again. A mounded muddy nest caught her attention, and she squealed with delight when she witnessed the baby birds peek over the nest. It perched in the crook of a large branch, nestled at the top of the tree.

Sitting on the ground, she knew she had to devise a plan. Since she needed to use her arms and legs to climb, she left her remaining lunch on the ground. Dotty tucked the burlap sack with the hamburger inside her dress, and the rough material scratched her skin. Slowly, she scaled the tree. Reaching and straining, the child pulled herself up through the limbs. At one junction, her dress became snagged on a limb. A sharp branch ripped a hole along the hem as she pulled to loosen its hold.

“Momma won’t be happy about that,” she said out loud.

Once she spoke, a magpie swooped towards her and started attacking her head. The bird would nose dive and squawk while trying to protect its nest. Shrieking, Dotty held onto the tree trunk for dear life with one hand while protecting her head with the other. The bird made several attempts to frighten the little girl before it finally flew away. Breathing deeply, the shaking child sat quietly while holding onto the tree. Part of her wanted to shimmy down the tree and head home, but she didn’t want to give in either. With the words, “She’s too little,” echoing in her mind, the stubborn child started climbing again.

Once she reached the nest, she looked inside and saw seven little magpies. They all began to chirp as she peeked inside. Then, pulling the sack from her dress, she reached inside and pulled out the dried hamburger. Greedily, they gulped down the meat. Carefully, she peered at each bird and finally settled on a chubby baby. Its dark wings cast a blue hue and glimmered in the light.

“Come here, Maggie,” the child whispered. She carefully placed the bird inside the sack and tucked it back inside her dress. The little bird did not like being closed inside the bag and scratched at the sack. Slowly, Dotty made her way down the tree.

She breathed a sigh of relief once she stood on the flat ground. Carefully, she pulled the bundle from her dress and peeked inside. The baby squawked but quickly gulped the remaining hamburger that Dotty tossed into the bag.

“I did it!” Dotty laughed. “I did it! I did it!”

She quickly gathered her remaining sandwich and the mason jar and returned to the ranch. Although dirty and covered with scratches from her adventure, she couldn’t wait to show her family their newest pet.

As she neared the ranch, she heard her mother calling for her. Once she approached the mesa, she saw her mother waving to her. Dotty raced up the side of the mesa, eager to show her mother the little bird inside the sack.

Elva looked at her daughter. Her child was dirty, her dress was torn, and she had scratches on her face, arms, and legs. “Are you alright?” The concerned mother asked her daughter.

The girl began to ramble about her adventure, grinning from ear to ear. She recounted how she was attacked but continued up the tree. Finally, she slowly opened her sack to show her mother the baby she had caught.

Her mother looked inside the sack, surprised that her girl had found a baby magpie.

“What will you name it?”

“Maggie.”

“What if it’s a boy?” The mother laughed.

“Well, it will be short for Magpie.” The child countered.

Walking side by side, the two talked about caring for the newest family member. The child felt pleased with her task, and now they would know she wasn’t so little after all. And the mother felt relieved that her youngest child had returned home safe and sound. Slowly, they walked to the barn to make a new home for Maggie. Watching her daughter’s excitement over her find, Elva pulled her close and hugged her little girl. “I love you,” the mother said. The mother still reeled at the thought that her daughter had traveled alone and found the baby magpie.

“I love you too,” the child replied before she started regaling her mother once again about her afternoon adventures.