"Magpies" is the story of an old, native, grandmother who lives in the city. She always talks about death and dying. She is afraid of being buried in the grave like white people of the city. She is in love with nature and wants to be buried according to her own rituals and traditions. She asks a young and strong man called Ambrose to put her on the "cottonwood tree in Heavyshield's cabin." Ambrose promises that he will fulfill Granny's wishes, however when Granny dies Ambrose is away. Granny's daughter Wilma buries her according to Christian customs.
             I believe this story is very sad. This story is told with a very different writing style. The tone of it is humorous. The writer uses humor to deal with serious subjects like death and burial.
             The story had a stronger effect on me since I recently heard about my father's death. I have empathy for Granny's fear of death and getting buried. I can't even imagine how it must be like to experience death. The taught of being buried also scares me.
             I have learned that different religions and cultures have different rituals for burying their death. Christians, Jews, and Muslims, for example, bury their death in the ground (graves). In many cultures in India Hindus burn the death body and throw the ashes in the holy river of Gangues. Native people, on the other hand, like to be with nature and therefore they leave the death bodies on the mountains or on the trees for animals to eat.
             In the "Magpies" Thomas King has given the readers an inside view of the native peoples' traditions and values. Its characters are most interestingly portrayed. This story allows the readers to think beyond their own paradigms.
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