Kaka and kaki flew around the garden. They were so happy they cawed and cawed making such a noise that the other birds came out to look.
Kaka and Kaki lived in a lovely pear tree in an overgrown, uncared for garden. The nest was in need of patching up and Kaka still hadn't done it. Kaki was getting impatient for it was time for her to lay eggs. Kaka had flown off in search of strong ribbon! Kaki was sulky and irritated. Mid morning she heard a beautiful melodious voice nearby.
"Cooo eeee! Coooo eeee!" it sang.
"Wonder who is singing?" she thought. Much later, a tired, dusty Kaka returned. He was triumphant for in his beak he had just the thing he needed for his nest {ndash} a nice long length of ribbon, he had pulled out of an audio tape.
He began to work on the nest - pushing, pulling, weaving. It was late afternoon when he finished.
When he finished Kaki had to agree that their home did look good.
Kaki went to lay her eggs. "Wow! Wow!" he shouted giving Kaki a high five, when he saw the three eggs.
"Its nice, but then I wish there were four."
"Why? What difference does it make?" asked a puzzled Kaka.
"Well...four is an even number. But it's okay. I am happy with the three," she smiled.
"Come on, let's go on a victory swoop. It won't take long."
Mysterious happenings
Soon Kaka and Kaki were cawing and flying around the garden. Parrot popped her head out to see what the noise was all about.
"Oh! It's those crows again!" she said to Mynah who had also hopped out.
Kaki returned to check out her eggs. But when she saw the nest she cried out, "Quuuaaaaaa! Quuuaaaaaa! Quuuaaaeeeeee!" Kaka flew in to see what had happened. In the nest were now four eggs!
"How could this have happened?" they wondered.
"Let's ask the neighbours," suggested Kaka.
So Kaka knocked on Parrot's door.
"Kaki laid three eggs this afternoon." Parrot nodded. "And after that we just went for a quick fly-around-the-garden. But when we came back there were...there were...four eggs in the nest!"
"You don't say!" exclaimed Parrot.
"The thing is before we flew out Kaki said she wished there were four eggs and not just three..."
Parrot cocked his head and thought a while. "No. Can't say I saw anything fishy. But may be this tree is a magic tree and it heard Kaki's wish!"
Kaka went to ask Mynah. Parrot was hooked on to the mystery now and so he went along with Kaka.
Mynah answered in her sweet, dulcet voice that she had not seen anything strange or untoward. Soon Mynah, Parrot and Kaka were talking to Pigeon. Pigeon cooed that she had not seen anything, done anything, taken anything. Pigeon, Mynah, Parrot and Kaka went to see Woodpecker.
He said, "No-no-haven't -heard-a-thing-never-heard-a-
ring-never-heard-a-bing!"
Woodpecker, Pigeon, Mynah, Parrot and Kaka went to see Owl. They hoped that the wise Owl may have an answer.
"Wooooo! Whoooooo!" he whooshed. "Whhhassed happening?"
So Kaka once again told the story. Owl scratched his head and pondered and prowled and whoooeed and whooosed for awhile. Then he shook his head, opened his eyes and looked around.
"Whoooooeee, whooooeee, nooeee. I have no answer."
Owl, Woodpecker, Pigeon, Mynah, Parrot and Kaka sat on their favourite branch and discussed. A lot of theories were put forward.
"Aliens", said Parrot. "Humans," said Mynah. "Snakes," said Pigeon. "Stones," said Woodpecker.
"No, no," said wise Owl. His head was clearing in the cool, night air and he knew he had the answer somewhere in his brain but it just would not get dislodged. "Well, doesn't look like Owl has an answer to this mystery," said Parrot.
"Let's just get home and go to bed," cooed Pigeon.
"To-bed-to-bed. Let's-get-to-bed," said Woodpecker.
The Mynah too agreed. "Just consider it a miracle on the pear tree, Kaka. After all Kaki did wish for it!"
Overhead they heard a giggle and chuckle and the sweet melodious song of the cuckoo as it took flight!
