he wasn't the man to be thinking that way long.
So he thought he'd better make the best he could of it, and he took
the skin off the ox and started with it to the town to sell it. And as
he was going along a magpie perched on the skin and began pecking at
it, and all the time chattering, for it had been taught to talk. With
that Donald put round his hand and caught the magpie and held it under
his coat.

"He went on to the town and sold the skin, and then he went to an inn
for a drink. He followed the landlady down into the cellar, and while
she was drawing the liquor he pinched the magpie and it began
chattering again. 'By the powers,' says the landlady, 'who's that
talking and what's he saying at all?'

"'It's a bird,' says Donald, 'that I carry around with me, and it
knows a great deal and tells me many a thing that it's good for me to
know. And it's after telling me just now that the liquor you're giving
me is not the best you have.'

"'It's the wonderful bird all out,' says the landlady, and with that
she went to another cask for the liquor. Then said she: 'Will you sell
that bird?'

"'I wouldn't like to do that,' says Donald. 'It's a valuable bird, and
then it's been my friend a long time, and I dunno what it would be
thinking of me if I'd sell it.'

"'Maybe I'ld make it worth your while.' said the landlady.

"'I'm a poor man,' says Donald.

"'I'll fill your hat with silver,' says the landlady, 'if you'll leave
me the bird.'

"'I couldn't refuse that,' says Donald; 'you may have the bird.'

"So she filled his hat with silver, and he left her the bird and went
on his way home.

"It wasn't long after he got home till he met Hudden and Dudden.
'Aha!' says he to them, 'you thought it was the bad turn you was doing
me, but you couldn't have done me a better. Look what I got for the
hide of my ox, that you killed on me.' And he showed them the hatful
of silver. 'You never saw such a demand for hides in your life,' says
he, 'as there is in the town this present time.'

"No sooner had he said that than Hudden and Dudden went home and
killed their own oxen and set off for the town to sell the hides. But
when they got there they could get no more for them than the common
price of hides, and they came home again vowing vengeance on Donald.

"This time they were bound there would be no mistake about it, so they
went to his house and they seized him and put him into a sack and tied
up the top of it. 'Now,' says