Turkey tales

Your delightful photograph and report on Mr Moodie’s turkeys (Scotsman, December 11) reminded me of a story from the hills between Bohemia and Moravia.

A family there acquired a turkey poult intending to rear it for Christmas. The poult was even given a name, Terka (a Czech nickname for Tereza, hence a pun on turkey), which, however, evolved gradually into a family pet, and acquired a habit of coming in from the yard and pecking at the kitchen door at meal times to be let in and get scraps of food.

Due to loving care and attention it was putting on weight very nicely. Still, near the fateful date, the husband was entrusted with the duty of delivering a whack to the bird’s head and plucking the unfortunate victim, which was then

left on the cool tiles in the hall.

Sitting at the table at dinner time, they heard the familiar pecks at the door. In came the naked Terka, who demanded the usual scraps.

There was no option but to commute the sentence and knit a quick Christmas present in the form of a sweater for

Terka, who enjoyed wearing it until the next moult.

Needless to say, Terka achieved a certain celebrity status in the village and lived a happy life until nature took its course. Merry Xmas.

DR PAUL MILLAR Hon Consul-general of the Czech Republic in Scotland