The picnic table was in a shady place near the back fence. Marjorie spread the cloth on it and set three places. “Lunch is ready!” she called.

Nick was trying to fill the birdbath with the garden hose. The water spurted from the nozzle. It splashed out of the birdbath and all over Nick. “Sorry,” he said to the starling on the edge of the birdbath.

The bird was even wetter than Nick. It shook the water from its black feathers. “You did me a favor, Nick. I was much too hot. Now I’m nice and cool.”

Nick pulled off his sneakers and left them to dry in the sun. He hung his shirt on a rose bush. Then he walked over to the picnic table and sat down on a bench. “Come on,” he yelled to the bird. “You can get a drink now.”

The starling flew across the yard. Marjorie poured a little milk into a paper cup and held it for the bird to drink.

The starling was very thirsty. It kept on drinking until the cup was empty. Then it looked at Marjorie. “Nice of you to help me. I haven’t tasted milk for a long time.”

Nick was spreading peanut butter on a slice of bread. He broke off a little piece and held it out to the starling.

The bird stood on one foot and took the bit of bread with the other. “Thank you, Nick.”

Marjorie wondered if she’d heard right. Somebody must have taught the starling manners after all!

The bird pecked at the peanut butter for a few minutes. “This stuff sticks to the roof of my beak.”

Marjorie was making a meat loaf sandwich for herself. “Maybe you’d like some of this.” She cut off a little slice of meat loaf.

The starling tried to pick up a fork. “Marjorie, would you please hold this for me? It’s just a bit too big.”

Marjorie held the fork with the meat loaf on it so the starling could take a bite. She ate her sandwich at the same time. “Meat loaf is Daddy’s favorite. How do you like it?”

The starling wiped its beak with a paper napkin. “It’s even better than beetles’ whiskers.”

When it was time for dessert, Marjorie used the big tablespoon to fill three paper cups with Jell-O. She took a teaspoon for herself, gave one to Nick, and handed her mother’s tiny egg spoon to the starling.

The bird hopped onto the rim of the paper cup.

“Take it easy!” Nick grabbed the cup just in time to keep it from tipping over. Then he and Marjorie took turns holding it so the starling could eat.

At first the bird had a little trouble with the spoon. But soon it was happily scooping Jell-O out of the cup. “Eating from a spoon keeps my feathers from getting sticky,” the starling said.