The Swallow Family

Ethel has a lifelong dream to fly, but in reality she hates aeroplanes. If only I could grow wings, Ethel thought, then I could fly like a bird. Ethel was also a bit of a scatterbrain. She was always getting lost and losing her way. She often took long walks and often got lost. One morning Ethel walked and walked and walked until eventually she stumbled across an old barn. The barn was very old. It looked tired. It's bricks were a dirty dull red and it's big wooden door hung off it's hinges. Ethel stood and starred for a while and to her suprise out shot a small aeroplane. An aeroplane with a beak. It's tiny, Ethel thought, how can it carry any passengers. The small plane stopped and glided down towards the telephone wire near where Ethel was standing. There balanced several little beaked aeroplanes in a row all chatting. Ahhh Ethel chuckled, they're not aeroplanes at all, it's my friends the swallow family back from their travels. It was true the gliders were indeed Mr and Mrs Swallow and it was true, they had been away for a very long time. Ethel sat down and welcomed them back to Wollaton Park. They were delighted to see her and told her of their long, tiring journey across South Africa, across Southern Spain, up through France and finally back to Nottingham where their mud nests awaited their return. Ethel could not believe it possible. '...and we didn't use a map' exclaimed Mr Swallow.

Over the Thames Swallow Migration box by John Dilnot
http://www.johndilnot.com/