Folks,

Apparently a few people on both sides of the Pond were taken in by this
'urban legend', which probably dates to an 1837 poem by Richard Harris
Barham (1788-1845) called "The Jackdaw of Rheims". When my wife (who is
English) was a girl, Jackdaw-theft was a commonly-used excuse for missing
valuables, based on the theme of this poem.

The poem itself IMHO is positively delightful. The full 162-line text
can be read at:

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/barham1b.html

Enjoy!

Bill
-----------------
The Smiths
Grays Harbor, Washington USA
birdsmiths at hotmail.com