Will and His Dog and the Stolen Eggs

Will and His Dog and the Stolen Eggs

Copyright 2020 Paul Cook

Cover Image by Paul Cook

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Will and His Dog and the Stolen Eggs

One morning in the second week of April, during the Easter holidays, Will was sitting in his back garden. Will often sat in his back garden when he was on holiday if the weather was fine. He liked to sit on a chair on the patio and drink squash or maybe read one of his books. On this particular morning, Will was reading a book. His mum was inside the house and Will could hear the hoover in one of the rooms upstairs. Clive lay stretched out on the path that led to the shed at the back of the garden.

"Hi Will," said a voice from over the fence to the Thompson's garden next door.

"Hi James," replied Will. James had startled Will because he was concentrating on reading his book. Will had jumped when James had called him. James laughed. Will didn't mind – he really liked James because he had taken him camping.

"Have you got a few moments for a chat?" asked James.

"Sure," replied Will.

"Can I pop round in five minutes? Can you get Charlie over too?"

"He was going to come over later anyway. I'll ring him now."

Five minutes later, Will, Charlie, James and Alex were sat in Will's kitchen. Will's mum made James and Alex a cup of coffee each and some sodas for the boys. Will felt like he was at an important meeting because James seemed to be in a very serious mood.

"Will, Charlie," said James, "I need your help."

"Erm OK," gulped Will. He couldn't think how somebody like James might need help from a couple of eight year old boys.

"Do you know what an osprey is?" asked James.

Will and Charlie shook their heads.

"An osprey is a rare bird of prey. It is a hawk, larger in size than a buzzard but smaller than an eagle. There are only about two hundred pairs in this country and so they need to be protected."

"I see," said Will, "where do me and Charlie come into this?"

"A pair of ospreys have made their nest, which is also known as an eyrie, at the very top of one of my oak trees."

"Where?" asked Charlie.

"Round the back of the pool beside the stream. The tree is on open ground and the only one there."

"I know where you mean, by the disused barn," said Will, "the tree is huge."

"That's it," said James. He pulled a photo of the tree from his pocket. Will looked at it and nodded.

"So what has all this got to do with us?" asked Charlie.

James paused, took a sip of tea and shifted nervously in his chair.

"The eggs of rare birds are extremely valuable. There are people who will pay thieves a lot of money to steal the eggs for them."

"We can't guard the eggs," said Will and Charlie together.

"I'm not asking you to guard them. I'm asking you to watch them for me. I have erected a hide about fifty metres away from the tree. It is well hidden and nobody can see it unless they know it is there."