A little bird told us

At first he didn't know whether to be proud as a (1) __________ or mad as a wet (2) __________

He thought he had put all his (3) __________s in a row. But (4) __________ -eyed middle management made him eat (5) __________. He seemed to have the Ancient Mariner's (6) __________ around his neck. The (7) __________ of happiness was out of sight.

"Don't be a silly (8) __________!" he said to himself. He wasn't born yesterday. He knew the (9) __________ didn't bring him. And it was too soon for his (10) __________ song. He had hardly committed a (11) __________ sin. It wasn't his fault that anyone else had (12)__________ed out and failed to put a (13) __________ in a pear tree.

But he didn't want to be a stool (14) __________ or be (15) __________-holed as such.

Nor would he turn warlike or (16)__________ish. He might be only a (17) __________ weight. But he would not (18) __________ before the challenge or put his head in the sand like an (19) __________. He would say what he thought and not simply (20) __________ the company line, but he would be harmless as a (21) __________. And certainly he would never cheat people or, to put it another way, (22) __________ them (or, in archaic terms, (23) __________ them). He smoothed his (24) __________-black hair, put on his (25) __________-tailed coat, and slowly (26)__________-walked in the middle of the block to where he could talk (27) __________.

In this he proved to be wise as an (28) __________. He found that sometimes the (29) __________ in the mine shaft comes out alive, not dead as a (30) __________. One could be neither fish nor (31) __________, and still not be crazy as a (32) __________ or absolutely (33) __________. Ecclesiastes was right – the race is not to the (34) __________.

Suddenly he was (35) __________ of the walk. He had risen to the (36) __________ seat. Even middle management had nothing to (37) __________ about. Obviously, (38)_________s of a feather flock together. They all (39)__________d their necks to see him. He was happy as a (40) __________. The only problem was which blue tie to wear for the cameras, the (41) __________ or the (42) __________'s egg.

(1) peacock; (2) hen; (3) duck (4) eagle; (5) crow; (6) albatross; (7) bluebird; (8) goose; (9) stork (10) swan; (11) cardinal; (12) chicken; (13) partridge; (14) pigeon; (15) pigeon; (16) hawk; (17) bantam; (18) quail; (19) ostrich; (20) parrot; (21) dove; (22) rook; (23) gull; (24) raven; (25) swallow; (26) jay; (27) turkey; (28) owl; (29) canary; (30) dodo; (31) fowl; (32) loon; (33) cuckoo; (34) swift; (35) cock; (36) catbird; (37) grouse; (38) bird; (39) crane; (40) lark; (41) teal; (42) robin.