Buttons Diary - My first day at School

Me & Dad

My Burra Family. An Aussie family – with a difference.

We’re birds. Not just ordinary birds, but……..Kookaburras.

This is but one page from Button’s Diary.

Mum said I should take a flower
for my new teacher.

Dear Diary…. Today…..This very day…..I….Start….School

Here I sit on my bed branch, with my eyes squeezed shut.
Heaps excited & a little frightened.

Today is to be my first day at Big School. So, I’m sitting here, eyes shut, willing the dawn to be beautiful.

“Be glorious, be glorious” I pray. “Be a sign”

Slowly, ever so slowly I open my eyes…. to this.

“I knew it.

I….Just….Knew it.

Today, may be the best day of my whole short life."

I announced to the world for all to hear. KOO, KOO, KOO, KAA, KAA, KAA.

I flew downstairs for Brekkie.
“Well, good morning darling. Ready for your big day?” Mum asks. “I’ve laid out all your favourites this morning, for my special girl on her first day of Big School”
“It looks fab Mum, but I’m too excited to eat. I couldn’t eat a thing”
“That’s a pity Darling. I guess your brother Bitey will like the live meal worms I’ve prepared” quips Mum.
“Oh I might have a few of them Mum” I conceded. “They do look scrumo, I couldn’t live with myself if Bitey got fat by him eating MY meal worms”

Well it seems I didn’t even get to school today to learn my first lesson. Mum’s always saying “Slow down Button. Haste makes Waste”

Eager to eat my meal worms before Bitey, that brother of mine…ARRGGGHHH & get myself off to Big School, I knocked the whole bowl over when I jumped up. Guess I wasn’t looking.

Meal worms. My favourite

OH

BUGGER

 “Button, you don’t need to rush into the world. Slow down& you will find the world will come to you. Now get off to school you. Oh BTW sweetheart. KNOCK EM FOR DEAD. They are going to love you”
“Thanks Mum. You always know just the right things to say. Well. I love you. I’ll grab on orange on the way out”

Not something you see everyday

And off I went for my first day at Big School. On the way I passed Red the postman.
“Hello Red, I’m off to my first day of Big School”

“Well, young Button, this is truly a big day. Dare I say, none bigger!”

“Oh, it is Red, it is. Maybe the biggest day of my whole short life”

As I walked off, I looked back and there was Red walking up the street screeching to the Neighbours “WAKE UP STREET. THIS IS BUTTONS FIRST DAY AT BIG SCHOOL”.

I like Red, He’s funny.

Arriving at school, the first person I meet is Mrs Prendergast.
“Hi Button, I’m Mrs Prendergast. I’m your teacher. Welcome to your first day at Big School.”
I liked Mrs Prendergast. She was cool. I liked her hairstyle. Some of the other kids called her Mrs Pointergast because of it. But I liked it.

My Teacher. Mrs Prendergast

At recess, Pied, my bestest friend, came up to me in the playground.
“Who’d you get as a teacher, Button?”
“Mrs Prendergast” I replied
“Oh she’s great. I had her last year. She’s terrific. You will have so much fun with her.
Hey Button, you hungry? I asked Mum to pack a few extra cockroaches into my lunch box.”
“No, I’m fine Pied. Mum packed me some too.”

"Where’s your manners, who’s your friend Pied? Hi, I’m Cedrick the Rainbow Lorikeet & Pied’s friend and who are you?”






“Hi Cedrick, pleased to make your acquaintance. I’m Button the Kookaburra."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Button. My. You are big” he says looking me up and down.

“And what an impressive beak you have as well”.

“

Gee, thanks Cedrick, I was worried it wasn’t big enough. Kookabuuras are supposed to have big scary beaks”

“G’day Cedrick? Who’s the new chick”

“G’day back to you Kym. This is Button the Kookaburra, Button this is Kym the Eastern Koel. I think you’ll like him, Button. He’s pretty funny. He wants to grow up to be a clown”


 “Magician! Not a clown Cedrick, a Magician! You’re always getting that wrong.”  Corrects Kym.

“What’s the difference Kym?” I asked innocently.

“The Difference? The difference is huge Button. A Clown is a buffoon. They run around in funny clothes, really big shoes & fall over a lot. That’s how they get people to laugh. Now, a Magician, well, we use magic. It’s doing the impossible that get me my laughs, Button.”
“I’ve never seen magic Kym. Please, please, will you do a trick for me?”
“Well, I don't know Button. The teachers don't like it when I do my magic”
"C'mon Kit, why not show your crown trick?" said Pied.
"Ok. Now Button I want you to look at my head. Are you focused?
"Ah ha" I replied.
"Now I want you to blink"

Shazam. He is adorned in a splendid crown.

Button laughed & laughed.

"Do another. Do another" she begged.
"Button do you know what a Griffin is?"
"Yes, mum tells me they're a mythical creature from yester year. Part bird, part horse"
"Well blink again my young friend"

The mythical Saratoga Griffin

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"
“Magic Button. Magic. I’m Kym the Magician”


Someone in the playground yelled “Bang! Stick em up. I’m the Bushranger Ned Kelly”

Most of us laughed as we knew Ned Kelly died like 100 years ago. All but one. He stuck his wings straight up.

“Who’s that Pied?” I asked.
“The guy over there with his wings up, that’s Whitey the Cockatoo, he’s a bit jumpy.”

After recess we went back into class and Mrs Prendergast was giving us a lesson on Bullying.

“Now class, I want you to give me some examples of bullying if you can?” said Mrs Prendergast.

“Miss, Miss” I said eagerly.

“Yes Button, what have you got”

“Miss, I have an older brother. He is 7. He’s always doing stuff to me.”

“Like what Button”

Like this Miss. He holds his beak over mine.

I have to smell his breath before he let's go.

And Miss,  I think Daphne the Lorikeet bullies me

when she pushes me off the balance bar.

And most of all Miss,

I hate it when they get right in my face.

“Now class, Button has given us three outstanding examples of Bullying, and I think she needs a big class thanks”

Wow, my first day of Little School and I think they all like me. They were cheering & clapping and all.

After school I was going to fly home with Kit when he suggested we might have more fun if we just hopped home. Boy we must have looked funny doing this all the way home.

Kit says he’s a Green Catbird. He also says he is part Ninja.

“What’s a Ninja?” I asked.

“Button, a Ninja can disappear in plain sight”

“I’d love to see that, Kit”

I will blend into the background which

will leave me completely...................

.............Invisible.

What a Day.
What..... A..... DAY.....

Dear Diary…. Today…..This very day…..Was....The Best Day of my whole short life.