The shape reappeared, set against the light, an the aald man's faither could make oot a cage wi a great pair o scaly legs wi big claas stickin oot the sides, movin across the flair taewards him. He made as if tae tak a breenge oot the door when Rab signalled him tae sit doon, coaxin the thing across the room wi 'That's a lass. Good hen, Bertha.' Bertha, Rab's hen, the giant cockerel that had ended up bigger than its aen cage, tae the point whaur it wiz hard tae say whut wiz cage and whut wiz burd. As the great sad beast waddled slowly by, Rab looked at it affectionately, sighin, 'A bit slow on the eggs, but a companionable enough burd, forbye.'

A couple o days later the RSPCA appeared efter bein alerted beh the aald man's faither, took wan look at the creature an contacted the fire brigade, who sent roond a man tae separate the cage fae the burd.