Parrot to the Rescue in Catalan by Mia Bowen Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved
	Jack and Lisa were on school holidays, but it hadn't been a fun holidays yet. It had been raining every day!
"Look!" cried Jack, pointing out the window. "Finally the sun is out!" "Why don't you go on a picnic? You can spend all day outside," suggested Mum.
	First they went down to the shed to find Pere. "Hola! On anem avui?" squawked Pere.
"Anem a fer un pícnic al costat del llac," replied Jack.
	"Anem al llac!" squawked Pere. And with a big flap of the wings, he was off leading the way up the path.
"Fa calor," said Lisa, wiping her face with her hand. "Necessito beure alguna cosa." "Jo també tinc set," said Jack. "On és la llimonada?"
Suddenly, something large swooped down from the sky towards Lisa. Lisa screamed, "Ai!! Auxili! Ajuda'm!"
It was a ferocious magpie and she was on the attack. She thought they were too close to her nest.
"Què hi passa?" cried Jack in alarm. "Vés-te'n!" shouted Jack, flapping his arms around his head as the magpie targeted him. "Jo us ajudaré!" squawked Pere. He chased the magpie high up into the tree, while Jack and Lisa disappeared down the path.
	They ran and ran and ran until they were out of breath ... "Slow down!" cried Lisa. "I think we're lost! I can't see the way to the lake any more."
Lisa looked up into the sky and saw Pere flying above. "Para't, Pere!" called Lisa. "Estem perduts! On és el camí? No el podem trobar."
	"El puc trobar per a vosaltres!" squawked Pere as he zoomed down through the trees and along the path. "Seguiu-me!" he screeched.
"Més poc a poc!" puffed Jack. "No sabem volar com tu! Hem d'anar pel bosc," he called.
"Allà és el llac! Finalment!" cried Lisa.
"Gràcies per tota la teva ajuda, Pere!" said Jack. "De res," replied Pere, preening his feathers in embarrassment.
	They sat down beside the lake and started to set up their picnic.
First, they started with some fruit. Pere called out as his favourite food appeared out of the backpack ...
"... un préssec, unes maduixes, uns albercocs, un plàtan, una taronja ..."
"... unes cireres, una pera, un gotim de rïm ..."
Pere eyed all the food with interest as it was placed on the picnic blanket. "Tinc molta gana. El puc tastar, si us plau?" he asked, bobbing his head towards a slice of fruit cake.
...............	"No en mengis!" said Lisa, grabbing the cake. "Està cobert per formigues." She tried to brush all the ants off. It was difficult. "Les formigues tenen gana ..." said Jack. "I els agrada el pastís." "No us preocupeu!" squawked Pere. "M'agrada el pastís i també m'agradan les formigues!" Lisa raised her eyebrows at Jack. "Ugghhhh!" laughed Jack and Lisa together.
"El pa!" squawked Pere. "T'has enrecordat de portar pa?" "Sí," replied Lisa. "No me'n vaig oblidar." Pere happily grabbed a chunk of bread in his beak.
"Tens formatge?" asked Jack. "Clar! És aquí," replied Lisa as she pulled it out of the backpack. "Dóna'm un ganivet, si us plau," he added. "Gràcies," mumbled Jack through a mouthful of cheese and bread. They all ate for a while, chatting and laughing together.
"Ja n'hi ha prou?" asked Lisa. "En voleu una mica més?" "No ... Tinc mal d'estómac. Potser era massa," said Jack. "Mai!" squawked Pere. They all laughed.
They spent the rest of the afternoon climbing trees, exploring and running around.
The sun was starting to get very low in the sky. "É tard," squawked Pere. "Sí, ara hem de tornar a casa," said Jack.
They packed up their things and headed home down the path away from the lake .... tired, happy and not the slightest bit hungry. Soon they could see the roof of their house through the trees. It was good to be home.
...............	Magpie was happy to be alone again. She was even happier when she discovered some bread they had left behind.