Budgie

Today

Christmas is nearly on us and people are talking about their lunch plans and whether it includes turkey. Not in this house, of course.

In My Day

Paul always gamely eats whatever I cook him and turkey hasn't graced out Christmas table since 1987. One year, I think it might have been about 1995, he said wistfully, "Couldn't I just have a turkey breast or something?"

Well, I didn't think that that sounded very festive, so I went to the supermarket and bought a little "poussin" - a complete baby fowl. To my eyes it looked like a miniature turkey.

Fired with wifely love and devotion, I gathered my courage and prepared this diminutive creature. I put stuffing in its insides, tiny strips of bacon over its breast and surrounded it with tiny potatoes. Perfect! I popped it in the oven, sure that Paul would be delighted.

I triumphantly brought out this culinary delicacy and put it before Paul. Maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise. He stared at his plate. "I can't eat that!" he exclaimed "It looks like somebody's budgie!" "But it looks just the same as a turkey" I protested "only smaller. How can that make a difference?"

But it did and Paul refused to eat it. Which made that last time I tried such an experiment. Nut loaf from now on!

When you look at this handsome beast that struts around the local smallholding, you do wonder how anyone could end its life.

Merry Christmas all!