Swapsy Makes a Trade

Swapsy is a black-and-white magpie with shiny blue-green wingtips and a nest full of treasures: buttons, bottle caps, a silver thimble, and one very small marble. Swapsy loves treasures. But even more than treasures, Swapsy loves a good trade.

One afternoon, Swapsy and Lindy the lamb were sitting on Hollow Hill, deciding what to do.

“Let’s play my tag game!” said Swapsy.

“I want to play my puzzle game,” said Lindy.

They both wanted to choose. And there was only one afternoon, so only one game could go first.

Lindy’s nose went pink. “You always get to choose.”

Swapsy’s feathers ruffled. That’s not true! But then Swapsy remembered Dinah’s question. How much, really? Swapsy thought back. Yesterday they’d played Swapsy’s game. And the day before, too.

“Hmm,” said Swapsy. “Maybe I have chosen a lot lately.”

Lindy looked a little surprised.

“So how about a trade?” said Swapsy. “You choose the game today. And I’ll choose the snack we have afterwards.”

Lindy thought about it. “Can the snack be clover cakes?”

“I’ll choose clover cakes,” said Swapsy. “Deal?”

“Deal!” said Lindy, and her nose went from pink to its happy colour.

So they played the puzzle game. And Swapsy, who had thought puzzle games were boring, found out that this one was actually fun, because Lindy knew all the tricky bits. Then they had clover cakes, which Swapsy chose, and they were delicious.

On the way home, Swapsy hopped along feeling bright and pleased, the way you feel when you’ve found a shiny button in the grass. We both got something good, Swapsy thought. Lindy got her game. I got to choose the snack. And we both had fun.

That’s what makes a trade special. In a trade, nobody gets everything. But each person gets something they want.

“Next time,” Lindy called after Swapsy, “you can choose the game, and I’ll choose where we have the snack!”

“Deal!” Swapsy called back.

That is Swapsy’s middle. When two people can’t both have the same thing, try a trade. You get this, I get that. Front seat for you, music for me. Your game, my snack. When the trade is fair, everyone goes home happy.