Pupils at a County Down primary school took a beady-eyed friend under their wing - but the creature appears to
have ruffled a few feathers.
He lived there for two months and was particularly fond of the playground.
Percy followed the children around all day, sat in the front porch when it was raining, loitered around the dinner ladies looking for snacks, and peered through the assembly windows to listen to the songs.
As Christmas Day approached, however, the school principal, Alan Brown, suggested that Percy could soon be on a dinner plate.
Why?
Well, it seemed Percy had taken a dislike to the headmaster.
When he saw Mr Brown he attacked his shoes which became full of holes.
"The reason I dared to suggest to pupils that he would be on my Christmas dinner list was that he suddenly became a little aggressive towards my black shoes."
"He arrived about four or five weeks ago as a small animal and he loves to walk behind me as I go to greet parents in the morning and walks out with me in the afternoon as well."The headmaster said Percy has started to rule the roost, deliveries were having to be taken via another door and even the caretaker had taken to wearing hobnailed boots.
All the children were horrified at the headmaster's proposal and wrote letters begging for mercy for Percy.
They also made placards in protest.
Primary Seven pupil Amber McGimpsey said,
"He is great, he's very colourful. He mainly goes into the key stage one playground and we feed him at lunchtime. He likes most people except Mr Brown".Luckily for the pupils, the principal said he had 'grown to love' Percy, so the bird remained safe for another year.
First published in December, 2012.
