This is the Friends of History Debating Society, the Dallas Special Edition.

Jeremy Zackas is here.

Jeremy has a 10-year-old spoodle named Dallas.

Over these last weeks, at first we didn't pay that much attention to it, but then it became unusual.

Dallas is friendly with a magpie family, And in the morning, his routine is to eat

his dinner, but leave some for the magpies. And then he goes back to his kennel and watches them

as they come trooping in. These are magpies. You've got to understand. Jeremy's taught me. Magpies attack anything near

their family, anything. They're very aggressive. They follow people on bicycles to peck their heads.

You've got to wear a bicycle helmet when you're sailing, especially in springtime, which it is.

It's springtime. But, all right, that was the first

iteration of Dallas. Then it became clear, I think, last week, or maybe so, that other

magpies and crows know about Dallas, leaving food out. And Dallas is fine with that. He's got a

reputation now. Dallas's got a reputation now.

Dallas's buffet.

However, now we've come to a turn in the road.

And I told Jeremy I was beginning to think this is Dallas of Assisi.

Because a new friend has shown up.

What happened, Jeremy?

Well, John, this week I can now report that to his menagerie,

we can add the humble sparrow.

Now, the sparrow is a very skittish little bird

that normally doesn't trust anything, anywhere, anytime.

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