jack-daws

I had never seen before; — the window-shutters were falling in pieces, — the sashes broken; — and owls and jack-daws had taken possession of the chimnies. —

The Expedition of Humphry Clinker 2004

So one day these two boys sat in the church-yard, and watched the jack-daws as they flew hither and thither and everywhere.

Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island Julia de Winton

Well! you must know these jack-daws had a large family of greedy young children

Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island Julia de Winton

Once upon a time (this is too bad of you June) there stood an old church in the middle of a village (making me tell this old story), and this church had a very fine old tower (I wish you up in it now), and in this tower lived a fine pair of jack-daws (fine company for you).

Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island Julia de Winton

_ -- "Cousin Schillie, you promised to tell us the story of the jack-daws if we behaved well and obeyed our general."

Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island Julia de Winton

Now you must know the old jack-daws, being very knowing, had built their nest so that it was outside the tower, just out of their reach, and there they could see almost within grasp seven little jack-daws, all with their mouths wide open, waiting for their father to pop in a delicious fat worm!

Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island Julia de Winton

Says the little fellow, 'Them jack-daws must have a nest up there.'

Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island Julia de Winton

Well the seven jack-daws spread their wings and fluttered, and the wind being high, it filled a great stout pinafore that he had on, so that between the two, he was borne safely to the ground, when, looking up at the window, out of which the big bully was watching his flight, he shouted out, 'Now you shall have none of them.'

Yr Ynys Unyg The Lonely Island Julia de Winton

Heads were thrust out of windows more than usual, a woman ran out and called some children indoors, a knight rode down the street, and then more pikemen appeared along the walls, and all the jack-daws were in the air.

The Book of Wonder Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett Dunsany 1917

” To Nonius, encouraging them after a defeat to be of good hope, because there were seven eagles still left in Pompey’s camp, “Good reason for encouragement, ” said Cicero, “if we were going to fight with jack-daws.

Cicero Plutarch 1909