Debbie, Sandy and Pepe
by Merrill Corney
Debbie ran down the path beside the house. “Look, Sandy! Come and have a look at this!” She knelt beside the little bundle of feathers on the ground and gently touched it with her finger. Sandra appeared beside her.
“It’s a baby bird,” she said. “It might have fallen from its nest,” and she craned her neck upwards to search the tree above their heads.
“Poor little thing,” crooned Debbie as she stroked the shivering bundle. “Your mother must be so worried.” She scooped it up in one hand and straight away it spread its tiny half-feathered wings and tried to fly. Its beak opened wide and it let out a squeaking, much louder than you would expect from such a small body.
“Look at its beak,” Sandra said, laughing. “It’s so big!” “It looks like yellow plastic,” giggled Debbie. She wriggled her finger like a worm and the little creature snapped harmlessly at her. Debbie stood up.
“We’d better find its nest and put it back,” she said. They searched every tree and bush in the garden, but there was no sign of a nest. No mother bird’s cry of alarm broke the afternoon stillness. “Perhaps, he fluttered here from somewhere else,”
suggested Sandra, “and his mother couldn’t find him.” Debbie cradled him against her chest.
“Well, we’ll just have to look after him ourselves then,” she said. “We’ll make a soft nest for him and feed him and when he grows up, he will stay in our garden.” They spent the rest of the afternoon caring for the bird. They chose the old letterbox in the hedge for a nest. It was part of the front fence, but the cypress hedge had grown over it so that the postman could not reach it. Now he put the mail in the new box shaped like a house that sat on the gatepost.
The girls half-filled the old box with dry grass clippings. It made a soft comfortable nest. The half-fledged, ugly little creature nestled down with eyes closed, then jerked its beak open and squawked for food.
“What do you think he eats, Sandy? Worms?” “I reckon.” They dug up worms with the garden trowel and deposited them in a squirming heap on the path. Sandra looked doubtfully at the writhing mass of worms busily trying to tie themselves in knots. “They should really be mushed up, shouldn’t they?” she asked. “I can’t do it! You do it, Sandy,” Debbie said, shuddering. “Perhaps, we could use Mum’s blender!” Sandra’s eyebrows shot up with the effort of producing such a good idea. “Yuk! That’s revolting! And think of the poor worms!” Debbie put her hands on her hips. “He’ll just have to learn to eat them whole!” Sandra held a twisting worm close to his beak. He snapped up, closed his eyes and swallowed, but the worm fell out it unharmed. “Maybe they eat other things as well,” said Debbie in a worried voice. They thought for a minute. “I bet he’s the type that eats flies and mozzies!” announced Sandra. “And grass, seeds and things,” added Debbie.
By the time Mum called them in to tea, they had collected quite a supply of insects and seeds. The bird did his best to cat something, but it was hard to tell if anything went down or not. Sandy felt in her pocket and brought out a dusty piece of chocolate. She broke off a teeny piece with her fingernail.
“Try this,” she said and pushed it into his open beak. He didn’t seem to like it much, so she ate the rest. They filled a bottle top with water and placed it carefully in a corner so that it would not spill, and bedded him down for the night. He seemed quite content in his letterbox nest.
“Good night, Pepe,” whispered Debbie. “How do you know his name’s Pepe?” asked Sandra. “I don’t. He just makes a noise like that,” said Debbie and closed down the lid of the box. They told Mum all about him at tea-time and took her out to see him. “When he grows up, can we keep?” “Yes, Mum, we could get a cage for him, “Sandra added. “Birds are happier outside, being free,” said their mum. “He wouldn’t be happy inside a cage.”
Debbie lay awake a long time that night. She could remember how warm and soft he was; how fragile and delicate his bones felt under the feathers. Rather ugly. And that oversized yellow plastic beak taking up all his face-but she knew that when he grew up, he would be very handsome. He would live in the garden and every morning and evening; he would come pecking on her window. She would let him in and he would fly around the room, then settle on her shoulder and feed from her hand.
“I could tie notes to his legs and send messages to my friends, like they used to do with pigeons during the war she thought. It made her feel warm and sleepy and contented all at the same time. Pepe didn’t seem to have eaten any of his food when they visited him the next morning. He just put his head on one
side and winked at them with his bright little eyes when they peered into the box. Debbie couldn’t concentrate on her lessons that day. Her mind was filled with plans for Pepe. She and Sandra met behind the shelter shed at lunchtime and spent most of the break searching for fresh worms, insects and seeds.
When the final bell rang that afternoon, Debbie was the first to the door. Mrs. Atkins’ hand fell heavily on her shoulder. “What’s the hurry, Debbie?” “Oh, please, please, Mrs. Atkins, I have to get home fast to feed this baby bird we found yesterday.” She had to explain it all to Mrs. Atkins and by the time she raced out of the door. the playground was nearly deserted.
“Where have you been, Deb?” Sandra was swinging upside down on the monkey bars. “I’ve been waiting for ages,” and she swung herself over and neatly landed on her feet. “Have you got the worms?”
Debbie showed her the box banging up and down in her school bag and they hurried out through the gate. When they got home, she unslung the bag from her shoulder and pulled out the box of feed.
“Here comes your tea, Pepe,” she said as she pushed her
way into the hedge. “Is he chirping?” Sandra wriggled in beside her. There was no sound as she lifted the lid letterbox.
“He must be asleep,” said Debbie. “Here, hold the box a minute,” and she passed the precious food store to Sandra. The little bird lay on his side on the straw. His eyes and beak were shut.
“Come on, little Pepe,” whispered Debbie. “Time to wake up. She reached in and gently slid her hand under the tiny body and lifted him out. He was cold and stiff.
“Oh, no,” she wailed. “He’s dead.” “Let’s have a look.” Sandra touched the bird’s head. “Yep, he’s dead all right. Probably starved, I reckon. He hasn’t eaten
his food at all.” She paused. “Where are we going to bury him?” Debbie turned on her.
“Don’t you even care?” she shouted. “He was just a little baby. He was going to be our own special pet and now he’s dead. I bet it was that chocolate you tried to feed him with that killed him!” and she burst into tears.
“It’s not my fault!” Sandra shouted. “It probably would have died anyway. You’re just stupid. You cry about everything! You even cried when Mum threw boiling water on the ants!” And Sandra stamped angrily inside.
Debbie knew it was true. She couldn’t bear to think of anything suffering or dying. Mum said she was too soft hearted for her own good. She wrapped the little bird in a tissue she found in her pocket, laid him under the hedge and covered him with fallen leaves.
“Goodbye, Pepe”, she whispered, then turned and, still sobbing, went into the house dragging her feet.
“Whatever is the matter, Deb?” Mum said, looking up from the stove where she was preparing dinner. “Sandra told me about the bird. They are awfully hard to rear, Debbie.” She
put her arms around her daughter. “Lots of them die. It’s silly to get so upset about it. A big girl like you!” Mum didn’t understand, thought Debbie. It wasn’t so much that things die, but that no-one seemed to care. Not like she did. It felt like a great weight on her heart. The little bird hadn’t even had time to learn to fly. A small hope entered her mind “Do birds go to heaven, Mum?”
Her mother held her at arm’s length and looked at her. “Goodness, what a question! How do I know? I don’t even know if there is a God or not! Now-dry your eyes and thinking about it.” stop
She smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Go and turn the calendar over for me. It’s the first day of spring tomorrow.”
Debbie dried her eyes and, still sniffing, went to the calendar hanging on the wall above the sink. The new month had the usual pretty countryside scene. Debbie glanced at it and was about to turn away when she noticed for the first time a few lines of writing under the photograph. She bent closer and read:
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. “Not one of them?” Debbie stared out through the window.
“God knew every sparrow?” The blue sky above the fence suddenly filled with a wheeling crowd of pigeons. A blackbird in the wattle tree tilted back his head and poured his song into the air against the background music of sparrows squabbling under the leaves. So many birds! Millions of them – God knew and cared about each one. – and yet
“I’m not the only one who cares then, God, am 17,” thought Debbie. “There’s me and you.” And suddenly it didn’t seem Debbie, Sandy and Pepe
to matter anymore whether Pepe had gone to heaven or not. If God really cared, then everything would be all right. She looked again at the calendar. The Bible quotation went
on: Indeed, the very hairs of your head are numbered. Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. With her ears full of bird song and the beating of many
wings, Debbie ran and hugged her surprised mother.
“Don’t worry, Mum,” she grinned, then, calling Sandra, she bounced down the back steps to play.
2.2
Debbie, Sandy, and Pepe
Short Story
By Merrill Corney
Characters
Debbie: the main character, finds Pepe
• Sandra: Debbie’s sister
Pepe: A bird that Debbie found
Summary
Debbie and Sandy were two sisters who found a baby bird in a path beside their house and decided to take care of it. They built a house for it and tried to feed it, but the bird would not eat.
That night Debbie wondered about the bird and realized how much she was fond of her new friend. All-day in school. Debbie was excited. She even told her teacher about the bird. She went out to the field the next day to pick worms for the bird. When they got home from school, Sandy and Debbie went
to feed the bird as usual but found out it was dead. Both girls were very sad but Debbie was more affected by the death of the bird. Sandy accused her of being soft-hearted about everything. Debbie knew it was true because she couldn’t bear to think of anybody or anything suffering or dying. She went to her mother and told her the bad news and then asked her mother if birds went to heaven.
Her mother was not sure. But on a calendar in her house, she realized that God knew and cared for all the birds and so her baby bird was in safe hands.
Examples of Literary Devices
The following are some literary devices found in the story. Learn the meaning of these literary devices and look out for them in the story. For the following examples, you may need to refer to the meaning of the literary device outlined in this Study Guide. Do this frequently to understand why the examples are literary devices. The more you identify literary devices in the story, the better your understanding of them would be. You will then be able to appreciate the literary value of the work. The page numbers refer to the pages in the textbook, The Cockcrow.
Point of view: The short story is narrated from the third-person point of view where the pronoun “he” or “she” about the narrator is used.
Imagery: Note how the following example of imagery
from the story appeals to the senses:
They chose the old letterbox in the hedge for a nest. It was part of the front fence but the cypress hedge had grown over it so that the postman could not reach it. Now he put the mail in the new box shaped like a house that sat on the gatepost.
Mood: The following scene conveys a happy mood: “With her ears full of bird song and the beating of many wings, Debbie ran and hugged her surprised mother.
Personification: “… but she knew that when he grew
up he would be very handsome. (he refers to the bird)– Metaphor: It felt like a great weight on her heart. (p.12)
Simile: =-She wriggled her finger like a worm (p.). – I could tie notes to his legs and send messages to my friends like they used to do with pigeons during the war (p.10).
” It looks like yellow plastic” p.7
Hyperbole: “I’ve been waiting for ages. “(p.10).
Onomatopoeia: Sandra held a twisting worm close to its beak. (p.8) -The half-fledged, ugly little creature nestled down with eyes closed, then jerked its beak open and squawked for food. (p.8)
-Its beak opened wide and it let out a squeaking, much louder than you would expect from such a small body (P.7). Alliteration: “Your mother must be so worried” (P.7).
Theme:
Commentary/Analysis
1. Care and concern are associated with compassionate people. Debbie was caring. She realized she wasn’t the only one who cared about the welfare of animals, and that alone gave her encouragement that her pet bird was in a better place.
2. God cares for his creation and the helpless. He appoints people (like Debbie) to look after those who need help.
About the characters:
Debbie as a lead character was sensitive. In the story, we are told that when her mother poured hot water on some ants in the kitchen, she cried. She also loved animals. In the beginning, she was defensive about being sensitive but later she accepted who she truly was. In a way, she was gullible, easily believing and trusting.
Sandra was the opposite of Debbie. She appeared to be insensitive and unemotional. When the bird died, she quickly suggested that they bury it, not expressing any feelings or emotions towards it.
Mother was not committed to religion. She was not sure if God was real or not. (Of course, God is real!) She was also unemotional about the death of the bird. But note that while the bird was cared for by Debbie, the worms were not cared for on equal terms; rather, worms were food for the bird.
The story explores God’s inestimable care for all its creations; irrespective of how insignificant any might appear to be. This is explored through the fate of poor Pepe, the “orphaned” bird.
This caring heart is symbolized by Debbie in her innocence and naivety, as expressed in the following
statements:
1. Mum didn’t understand, thought Debbie. “It wasn’t so much that things die, but that no-one seemed to care…. The little bird hadn’t even had time to learn to fly.”
2. A small hope entered her mind. “Do birds go to heaven, Mum?” (p 13).Mum and Sandra symbolize different attitudes; contrasts to Debbie-like opposites.
The theme is further explored with biblical allusions, as in the sentences: 1. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God” (p 13). 2. “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are numbered”
(p 14). The writer uses vivid imagery to portray the state of the bird. For example, Pepe is first seen as “little bundle of feathers”-use of synecdoche (a figure of speech by which something is referred to indirectly by naming only some part of it). She is further presented as the shivering bundle. which is an example of personification and onomatopoeia.
QUESTIONS
1. According to the story, what role did birds play during the war?
2. Describe the photograph that was on the calender when Debbie turned over.
3. Who named the bird “Pepe?”
4. Who said What’s the hurry, Debbie?”
5. In the story, what animals are “awfully hard to rear?
TASK TWO
Answer the following
1. According to the story, what role did birds play during the war?
2. Why did Debbie think Sandy had killed the bird?
3. Find two examples of literary devices in the story.
4. Why did Debbie become happy after reading the bible quotation?
5. Describe the photograph on the calendar when Debbie turned it over.