Carrier Pigeon

Hello, I am a carrier pigeon. Coo, coo. I have a special superpower. I can fly far, far away, but I always know how to find my way back home. It is my secret talent. A long, long time ago, there were no phones to call grandma and grandpa. There were no computers to send smiley faces. So, people needed me to carry their words. I was a special messenger, and I loved my job. I felt very important flapping my wings to help people talk to each other from far away.

When it was time for a mission, a person would write a tiny, tiny message on a small piece of paper. They would roll it up and gently tie it to my leg with a soft ribbon. Then, whoosh. I was off. I would fly up, up, up into the big blue sky. I soared over tall green trees and shiny, wiggly rivers below. I used the bright, warm sun as my map to show me the way. A very famous leader named Julius Caesar used my great-great-grandparents to send his messages a long, long time ago, around the year 50 BCE. Another brave pigeon friend of mine, named Cher Ami, helped soldiers by carrying an important message on October 4th, 1918. I am so proud of my family.

I was like the very first air mail. I flew faster than anyone could run to deliver my special letters. Today, you can talk to your friends on a phone or see your family on a tablet super fast. It is like magic. But all that super-fast talking started with a little bird like me, flapping my wings to bring a 'hello' from one person to another. My job was to bring people closer together, and it made me so happy. Next time you are in the park and see one of my cousins, give them a little wave and say 'coo, coo'.