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Gr 1-4 Despite his "professional dislike" of pigeons, a master craftsman at work restoring stucco on the facade of a church discovers an injured bird and takes it home to nurse. When the pigeon, Sylvia, recovers, she devotes herself to helping the old man complete his task, for age is slowing him down; she "coos encouragement," and she cools his brow in summer. With his crowning masterpiece completed, Angelo can...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In a leisurely story that affords Macaulay ample opportunity to portray the alleys and architecture of Rome from a rich variety of vantage points, an old plasterer who's repairing the exterior of a Renaissance church befriends a pigeon—a bird that wouldn't ordinarily be welcomed by one of Angelo's vocation. This pigeon, however, is "barely breathing"; and though Angelo grumps, "I restore walls, not pigeons," he tenderly nurses the bird back to health, shares his pasta with her, and takes her to the country on his day off. A...Log In or Sign Up to Read More