Chicken-clucking is its own language, or is it?

(Soundbite of chickens clucking)

SIMON: Is that Yiddish they’re speaking? Oy vey. Whatever that means, which introduces the new book for children, "Beautiful Yetta, the Yiddish Chicken." And our next guest, WEEKEND EDITION’s ambassador to the world of children’s literature, Daniel Pinkwater.

Hello, Daniel.

Mr. DANIEL PINKWATER (Author): Hi,tiffany earrings clearance, Scott. I have to make a sort of insincere disclaimer.

SIMON: Yeah?

Mr. PINKWATER: In selecting books for the program, I consider various criteria. Number one, I have to like it.

SIMON: Yeah.

Mr. PINKWATER: This book I really like. Now, it also happens by chance, that I wrote it.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. PINKWATER: Now, if it were merely that, I would not have brought it in because: modest. But this one is so cool and the pictures are so good,buy tiffany necklaces, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring it in. So, I apologize for being the author,thanksgiving crafts gifts, but I say that all the time.

SIMON: Well, and tell us a little bit about the illustrator, because I understand she’s a very hot young talent.

Mr. PINKWATER: Well, hot is indeed the right word. It is Jill, the redhead, to whom I have been married lo these many years.

SIMON: Jill Pinkwater, I’ve heard of her.

Mr. PINKWATER: Jill Pinkwater. I love these pictures. Don’t you?

SIMON: Yeah. So tell us about this beautiful young chicken, Yetta, who is Yiddish speaking, yes?

Mr. PINKWATER: Well, here’s the thing…

SIMON: Yeah?

Mr. PINKWATER: …you know, growing up there was Yiddish in the background in my family, as in many families, and…

(Soundbite of clearing throat)

Mr. PINKWATER: …in our case, the parents didn’t really want us to understand it because they used it as code. It was a secret language. I guess as retaliation, my brother and sister and I all took Latin so that we could have a secret language too. So…

SIMON: Not as many punch lines in Latin though, or am I wrong?

Mr. PINKWATER: One liners fall flat. So I thought it would be fun for a kid to just have a little taste of (unintelligible) mean to be a Rosetta Stone. The kid’s not going to learn Yiddish from reading this book, but it’s an experience of translation and comparative orthography mixed in with a story that turns out to be heartwarming and nice.

SIMON: Well, let’s read it. We have some guests who are going to help us out today.

Mr. PINKWATER: Shall I begin?

SIMON: Yeah. Please.

(Soundbite of clearing throat)

Mr. PINKWATER: Yes, I will.

It is night. A truck is driving on the highway. At the wheel is Mr. Flegleman, the organic chicken rancher. In wooden crates are chickens. The chickens are afraid. The truck rumbles through the darkness.

SIMON: The truck pulls up in front of Phil’s Poultry World, and with a tear in his eye Mr. Flegleman begins to unload the crates. And Mr. Flegleman says, Goodbye, my dear chickens.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: Sorry. It’s a beautiful language, after all.

Mr. PINKWATER: Yes.

SIMON: One of the crates has a loose lid. One of the chickens is brave and clever. It’s Yetta, beautiful Yetta. She sees her chance. She struggles out of the crate and runs down the street.

Mr. PINKWATER: Yetta, beautiful Yetta, will not be sold. She will not be soup. She will not be roasted chicken on a Friday night. She is free. She is in Brooklyn.

SARAH BEYER KELLY: I’m free.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

SIMON: And then there’s the skyline of Brooklyn and Yetta exclaims…

KELLY: Where I am?

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

I don’t know why this chicken looks Jewish but she does. The streets of Brooklyn are strange to Yetta. Where is the grass? Where are the flowers? It is not like Mr. Flegleman’s chicken ranch.

SIMON: There Yetta and the other chickens led a happy life, running through the fields and eating bugs.

KELLY: Oh, my beautiful home.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: And then…

Mr. PINKWATER: And then she encounters some Brooklyn rats roughly her size. Get lost.

SIMON: And then, a bus. She says…

KELLY: Oh dear.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken) The bus nearly hits her.

SIMON: Shouldn’t that be (Foreign language spoken)?

Mr. PINKWATER: It a bus bearing down on you Scott, I think…

SIMON: (Unintelligible).

Mr. PINKWATER: (Unintelligible) sufficient. Yes.

SIMON: Right. I gather. Okay.

Mr. PINKWATER: And then she meets Brooklyn pigeons.

KELLY: Can you help me? I’m hungry.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

SIMON: And the Brooklyn pigeons say…

Mr. PINKWATER: Go back to the farm,tiffany Pendants on sale, silly hen.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: Oh my. Yetta wanders the streets of Brooklyn, lonely, confused, unhappy.

Mr. PINKWATER: Then Yetta sees a little green bird. She has never seen a bird like it.

KELLY: What is this?

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

SIMON: Sneaking up behind the bird sneakily is a sneaky cat. The cat is getting ready to pounce.

KELLY: Go away you, stinky cat.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: You know, this is not original observation; you really don’t need the English translation of Yiddish,tiffany bangles on sale, do you?

Mr. PINKWATER: Not – well…

SIMON: (Foreign language spoken) is clearly a stinky cat. Yetta hears a voice above her head.

LIANE HANSEN: Look, that chicken saved Eduardo.

SIMON: (Foreign language spoken)

Mr. PINKWATER: Yetta looks up. Sitting on telephone wires are many little green birds; they are parrots. Yes, parrots. There are flocks of wild parrots in Brooklyn – this is true. Pet parrots flew away, found each other, had parrot babies and live very well in the streets and parks.

KELLY: Parrots.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

SIMON: The parrot says…

HANSEN: The chicken saved me, and look, isn’t she beautiful?

SIMON: (Foreign language spoken) And then, parrots on the line say…

HANSEN: Come here, beautiful chicken. Sit with us.

SIMON: (Foreign language spoken)

That’s kind of a little come hither parrot.

Mr. PINKWATER: And then there’s the sequence of Yetta trying to balance on the telephone wire with some difficulty.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. PINKWATER: And then she says…

KELLY: I come from the country.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: And then she puts her arm around Eduardo and Eduardo says…

HANSEN: I love this chicken.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken) I love this chicken.

SIMON: The parrots say…

HANSEN: Please stay with us, beautiful chicken.

SIMON: (Foreign language spoken)

Mr. PINKWATER: Yetta stayed with the wild parrots of Brooklyn. They showed her how to find fruit and crusts of pizza.

SIMON: And Yetta told them – I love this illustration. Please tell Jill – of Yetta sitting down talking to a gaggle of parrots, a brace of parrots, whatever.

And Yetta told them stories of her life in the country.

Mr. PINKWATER: And chased cats away.

SIMON: In time, because she was so beautiful, and because she could chase cats, Yetta became the leader of the parrots, or maybe their mother.

KELLY: My dear children.

Mr. PINKWATER: (Foreign language spoken)

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. PINKWATER: And they are still there. You can go and see for yourself.

SIMON: I’ve got to go this weekend.

Mr. PINKWATER: Is there a parrot colony yet in D.C.? There’s one in Brooklyn. There’s several in Brooklyn, or two or three. They’ve moved to Connecticut. There’s a parrot colony in San Francisco, the same types of parrots.

SIMON: Parrot colony in Chicago.

Mr. PINKWATER: Is there?

SIMON: And unlike the parrots in New York, the parrots in Chicago vote.

Mr. PINKWATER: Very good.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: Daniel?

Mr. PINKWATER: Yes, Scott.

SIMON: (Foreign language spoken)

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: I love this chicken. The book is "Beautiful Yetta, the Yiddish Chicken." It’s written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated…

Mr. PINKWATER: And more importantly, it’s illustrated by Jill Pinkwater. Yeah.

SIMON: Daniel, of course, is our ambassador to the world of children’s literature, speaking with us from his home in the Hudson River Valley, where he is currently teaching local squirrels how to speak Amharic.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. PINKWATER: I take your word for that.

SIMON: We’ll mention Yetta the chicken was voiced by Sarah Beyer Kelly. In English, Daniel, of course, read Yetta’s Yiddish. Liane Hansen is the voice of the parrots in English and the voice of the parrots in Spanish.

(Soundbite of laughter)

SIMON: (Spanish language spoken) Thank you, Daniel.

Mr. PINKWATER: Great pleasure. I had fun.

(Soundbite of music)

SIMON: And you can see Jill Pinkwater’s vibrant illustrations, and listen as our WEEKEND EDITION team reads along, on our website, npr.org.

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I’m Scott Simon.

Faced with the threat of their sport being excluded from the Winter Olympics after 2014 because of a lack of competitiveness, women’s hockey officials have held preliminary discussions with the N.H.L. about forming an N.H.L.-supported women’s league.

"I was in a meeting just this week with the N.H.L. and all the stakeholders in women’s hockey, and I think we have the ear of the N.H.L.," Hayley Wickenheiser, 32, a Canadian forward regarded as one of the game’s greatest female players, said Thursday.

"They’re looking at it right now from a sponsorship level to get it off the ground," Wickenheiser said,watches, referring to the N.H.L. "We’re not talking about big salaries, just sensible steps to get it on the ice to entertain people and see where it can go, and then down the road having an elite, W.N.B.A.-type league."

Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, said the talks had taken place over a number of months and were very preliminary, but they were aimed at setting up a "women’s league or women’s competition."

The sense of crisis for the sport emerged after the Vancouver Games. As in the previous three Olympics, it was one-sided, with Canada and the United States dominating their European opponents. Canada beat Slovakia, 18-0, in one game; the United States beat Russia, 13-0,tiffany, in another.

On the eve of Canada’s 2-0 victory over the Americans in the gold medal match, the International Olympic Committee’s president, Jacques Rogge,bracelets, said that women’s hockey "cannot continue without improvement." The comment raised the specter that the sport might go the way of softball, which was dropped from the Olympics because of the dominance of the United States.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is thanking the men and women who serve our country in a big way by offering free golf to active or retired members of the U.S. military, and encouraging other golfers to participate in the Patriot Golf Day Program honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Individuals with valid active or retired military identification are invited to play for free on any of Sandestin’s three championship golf courses, Raven Golf Club, Baytowne Golf Club, and The Links Course this September 3-6. Golfers can call 850-267-8155 to book their tee times and are not restricted to certain times on any course.

Sandestin is also leading the way among golf courses nationwide with their participation in Patriot Golf Day. Sandestin is calling patriots including guests and local residents to action by asking them to add $1 or another amount of their choice to their green fees that will go directly to the Folds of Honor,Bead bracelet, non-profit organization that provides post-secondary educational scholarships for the children and spouses of military men and women who were disabled or killed while serving our country. The Patriot Golf Day Campaign is jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has promised to match every dollar that is donated in conjunction with Patriot Golf Day.

According to Rick Hileman, PGA director of resort golf operations, Sandestin is honored to open our courses in this creative way to honor the men and women who have so bravely served our country.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Florida offers one the most complete resort experience in North America, with a wide selection of golf options and packages for any level player. Sandestin is a 2,400-acre destination for all seasons and for all ages, located on Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast, an area recognized as one of the top 2010 destinations in the world by Frommer’s. The resort invites guests to enter a world of 30 charming neighborhoods from the beach to the bay featuring 1,400 villas, town homes and a wide variety of hotel accommodations. A member of Beaches of South Walton, Sandestin features four championship golf courses, 15 world-class tennis courts, 19 swimming pools, a 98-slip marina, a fitness center and spa, 65,000 square feet of meeting space and The Village of Baytowne Wharf, a pedestrian village with shops,rings, dining and nightlife. Visit www.sandestin.com or call 1-877-870-5915.

The family of a mother of four found dead six months ago outside a bar here is asking St. Louis County police to reopen her death investigation.

The body of Stephanie Dianne Carroll, 42, of Florissant,pendants, was discovered about 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 25 in the parking lot of Meyer’s Country Cottage & Irish Pub, 4960 Parker Road. The medical examiner ruled that she died of hypothermia and acute intoxication.

Some of her relatives and Zaki Baruti,key rings, president of Universal African People’s Organization, met Thursday at the site to raise questions of whether Carroll was the victim of foul play.

Juliette Carroll, who attended with her husband, Louis Carroll Sr., said their daughter had bruises over her entire body. "When we got her clothes, they were in very good condition. Her blue jeans and sweater were in good condition. No tears, smudges, scuffs, dirt or gravel were on her blue jeans or sweater. No marks on her clothes of any type showing a fall, but her body had all these abrasions and contusions and bruises from her head to her toe. Why aren’t her clothes torn or scraped up?"

She noted,necklaces, "Our daughter was found with the top part of her body exposed. Her sweater and bra up around her neck. No coat on and no shoes. It was 15 degrees that night."

Baruti said bar employees claimed she left about 1 a.m., but a credit card found on the body had been used at 2:10 a.m. He also questioned a signature on a receipt that did not appear to be in her handwriting.

Her parents said she had been to the tavern on at least three occasions and went there that night to meet a friend she had reconnected with on Facebook. They believe someone attacked Carroll in the bathroom and left her in the parking lot.

County police spokesman Rick Eckhard,Charm pendant, acknowledged Thursday that someone representing the family had contacted the lead investigator, seeking an additional review.

"We will entertain any information that someone wants to provide to us on a case," Eckhard said. "Right now,bangles, the status of the case is closed. If that individual comes forward with information that can change the status, we have to make that decision when we see the information."

Something about the way the older boy suggestively grabbed at her 11-year-old daughter, Nala, drove Gwendolyn Davis to tell him firmly she didn’t want him playing with the girl.

A day later, Davis believed it when Cook County prosecutors alleged Wednesday that the 13-year-old boy purposefully poured drain cleaner containing sulfuric acid onto the girl and a 10-year-old playmate.

Though the boy’s family claims the incident in West Garfield Park was a tragic accident, the result is that Nala Armstrong and her playmate Adrian Bennett each suffered chemical burns on their heads and upper torsos,key rings, officials said.

"I’m guessing it was a jealousy thing," Davis said Wednesday, standing beside Adrian’s mother, Loretta Corbett,tiffany, outside the University of Chicago Medical Center’s burn unit. Both children are being treated there, with Nala suffering burns on her forehead, eyelids, cheek and arm. Adrian suffered burns to the back of his head and right arm, hospital officials said.

Surgery is likely for Nala, said Dr. Lawrence Gottlieb, director of the burn unit, calling the injuries "bad."

The 13-year-old, whom the Tribune is not naming because he is a minor, was ordered held by a Juvenile Court judge on a delinquency petition with a charge of heinous battery.

Standing before Juvenile Court Judge Colleen Sheehan, the boy hung his head and folded his hands behind his back as prosecutors detailed the sequence of events in the 900 block of West Garfield Boulevard that led to his arrest.

Both victims were on the second floor of a rear porch in the apartment building when they looked up and saw the 13-year-old walk out onto the third-floor porch above them, pick up a white container and pour it on them, said Assistant State’s Attorney Matt Howroyd.

They "immediately felt a burning sensation," Howroyd said.

Prosecutors said the container had "poison" written on it and was later identified as Black Swan Zap drain cleaner.

The liquid contains about 93 percent sulfuric acid and can cause "corrosive burns to all human tissue," according to the Black Swan company Web site.

The boy’s mother,pendants, whom the Tribune is also not naming because it could identify her son, tearfully declared that her son is innocent.

"He’s a good kid at home," she said to the judge inside the courtroom. "I know it was an accident. He didn’t know it was a poison substance."

Before the hearing, she said the boy had been playing at his cousin’s home inside the building, adding that she learned what happened when her older son called her to say the two children had been injured.

The boy thought the container — which family members said had been left outside by a maintenance worker last fall — was filled with water, she said.

"He didn’t know it was going to be like that," the mother said, tears streaming down her face. "He was very scared, very scared."

The boy’s cousin, Jabari Mathews, 15, said they were playing with the two victims when his cousin ran up the stairs to his third-floor apartment and inadvertently kicked over the container, spilling the chemicals through the floorboards.

Nala did not realize what had happened when the liquid came pouring on her,rings, quickly singeing her skin,bracelets, Davis said.

While Davis was inside her own apartment inside the same building, she heard her daughter screaming as she ran inside: "He threw hot water on me! He threw hot water on me!"

L’azurde was founded by Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Othaim. Over some three decades, it has developed into a market-leading business with a well-known brand, high quality product and design, strong manufacturing and distribution capabilities, and economies of scale advantages. Today, it is the Arab world’s leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of gold jewellery for the mass market, and the fourth largest such company globally. According to a recent Forbes Arabia study, L’azurde is one of the best known brands in the Arab world.

L’azurde has state of the art manufacturing facilities in Riyadh and Cairo employing over 2000 people, and sells throughout the Middle East through 4,200 wholesale accounts, including to secondary markets through its distribution capabilities in the UAE. In addition, it has 18 flagship retail stores across the region. L’azurde had 2008 revenues of more than US$ 500 million and grew EBITDA by 14% over the previous year, making it over four times the size of its nearest competitor. In the past two years L’azurde has undertaken, in conjunction with the World Gold Council, one of the most extensive advertising campaigns ever seen in the region featuring Elissa, one of the best-known female singers in the Arab world, as its public face.

MENA is one of the largest and fastest growing jewellery markets — 12% of world consumption and 14% CAGR in value — and growth is expected to continue, largely driven by cultural factors. Gold is seen as a means of storing wealth, especially as part of dowries. Currently, approximately 50% of the regional population is under 20 years old and some 50% of gold consumption is wedding-related, providing strong underpinning for future demand. Gold is also an important fashion item in the region. L’azurde takes no risk on gold price volatility, as it has implemented a gold price pass-through mechanism.

Investcorp has made the investment through its $1.1 billion Gulf Opportunity Fund I, the first fund from Investcorp’s Gulf Growth Capital business, launched in 2007. This acquisition comes two months after the Fund closed its first deal, the November 2008 acquisition of Redington Gulf, the leading distributor and service provider of IT and telecom products in the Middle East and Africa. The Investcorp-led consortium will be the majority shareholder in L’azurde, and will help to institutionalise the company, to expand its markets and to build its brand across MENA and internationally. Mr. Al Othaim remains a significant minority shareholder, and he will continue as Chief Executive and Chairman of the L’azurde.

Mr. Nemir Kirdar, Executive Chairman & CEO of Investcorp, said: “Despite challenging economic and market conditions, this is evidence of the resilience of Investcorp’s unique business model. Good business opportunities are available in MENA and deals can be done. Our Gulf franchise and local reputation were key in getting us this deal and in forging this partnership with Mr. Al Othaim to add value to L’azurde over the coming years.”

Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Othaim, L’azurde’s Founder, Chief Executive and Chairman, said: “From the beginning, my mission has been to develop quality and affordable gold and fashion jewellery, while achieving sustained growth and added value for customers and shareholders. Investcorp is the perfect partner for L’azurde as we continue to grow. Not only is Investcorp tremendously respected as the pioneer of private equity in the region, but it also has extraordinary relevant experience in growing global consumer brands, including Gucci and Tiffany & Co. I believe that partnership with Investcorp, a firm that shares my vision and business ethics, will open the next successful chapter in L’azurde’s story.”

Mr. Azmat Taufique, co-head of Investcorp’s Gulf Growth Capital business, said: “We have agreed this deal based on 2008 real performance and current market conditions. L’azurde is a business that performs well even in difficult market conditions and one that has tremendous development potential. Mr. Al Othaim has built it as a non-cyclical business appealing to a wide range of retail and wholesale consumers due to its craftsmanship, creative design and strong brand. In addition, the Middle East jewellery market is underpinned by a growing middle class, strong demographics, cultural affinity with gold and increasing fashion consciousness. We believe there is significant potential to take L’azurde’s strong base and extend it further across the MENA region, creating the platform for a truly international brand.”

Mr. Christophe de Mahieu, co-head of Investcorp’s Gulf Growth Capital business said: “L’azurde plays at the heart of Investcorp’s strengths, our expertise in the jewellery business and our superior capabilities in value enhancement management. We are very much looking forward to working with Mr. Al Othaim and our partners to continue growing and enhancing the performance of the company.”

Credit Suisse Middle East Investment Banking was adviser to the Al Othaim Holding Company.

This week, a Supercuts customer survey revealed what men and women are thinking about for Valentine’s Day this Saturday, February 14. Over 2,400 Supercuts clients responded to an online survey and the answers varied from very funny to delightfully heartwarming (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/Supercuts.html> Supercuts).

“Supercuts customers are always straightforward with their comments and feelings; and this is no tiffany and co exception,” said Todd Scott, Supercuts brand director. “Single or married, this Valentine’s Day is about spending quality time with friends, family and loved ones.”

So — let’s cut to the chase — the Valentine’s Day gifts! What are men getting for their women?

Men have a trio of gifts they are looking at – cards (53%), flowers (51%) and jewelry (15.3%). Yet, 59% of the women are expecting candy! Get going guys!

And interestingly, over 1,000 women took time to write what they wanted for Valentine’s Day. Answers ranged from diamond engagement rings or time with family and kids, but the most popular was a simple card (60.4%) and dinner out. Respondent #403 gave in and said ‘OK OK, I secretly wouldn’t mind flowers!’ silver key rings while #1189 is the envy of all women because she ‘received a full-length, red fox fur.’ One popular request (at least from respondents #20, #91, #496, #1206) — a new Wii! And in the ‘It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask’ department, one woman requested a million dollars.

Hundreds shared their plans as well. Many are making a special dinner because, as respondent #55 said, “…just being with my Valentine makes me feel good.” Romance is in the air – one Supercuts client will “treat my wife like the beautiful bride she is.” And then there are those who are not planning to do much more than respondent #712 who will go that extra step and “take a shower.”

Supercuts singles (16.7%) consider friends and family members their Valentine, and they will be out in force this Saturday. Supercuts couples — over 63% of the respondents — are going out for a romantic dinner. And because Supercuts clients are well-groomed, it’s not surprising that 52% are getting a haircut to look good for Valentine’s Day; while 24% of women talked about purchasing new clothes and getting their nails done (15%).

And what gifts do men want? Many didn’t request anything but a card and time with their sweetheart; silver necklaces or as respondent #66 said ‘can’t tell you here….’

Keywords: Supercuts.

A worldwide rush to gold, not the tab for gifts such as six geese-a-laying tiffany or 11 pipers piping, could intrude on the ultimate expression of love this Christmas.

A whimsical Christmas price index based on the romantic holiday tune “The Twelve Days of Christmas” rose by just 1.8 percent in 2009 after an 8 percent jump last year and a 3.1 percent increase in 2007. This year’s increase was the smallest in seven years.

“Certainly the challenges the economy has faced over the last year have impacted the … index overall,” said James Dunigan, managing executive for investments in the wealth management unit at Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group Inc., which compiles the index annually.

“We saw wages in many cases [remain] stable. The price of goods did not increase as much. But then gold would show a dramatic increase that was certainly reflected in this year’s … index.”

Gold has rocketed to more than $1,175 an ounce as investors concerned about the continued fall key rings of the U.S. dollar seek security in more tangible assets. Consequently, the cost of five gold rings given by one sweetheart to another in the Christmas song soared 42.9 percent to $499.95 this year from $349.95 in 2008, PNC said. PNC is the parent of National City Bank, which operates 21 branches in metro Toledo and surrounding areas.

Overall, purchasing each of the gifts mentioned cost $21,465.56, up $385.46 from 2008. The rate of increase was the smallest since a 7.6 percent decline in 2002.

Still, the 2009 change wasn’t enough to match this year’s 1.5 percent drop in the federal government’s barometer of living expenses known as the Consumer Price Index.

And contrary to the perception that Internet retailers offer lower

prices on everything, the same merchandise would have cost $9,970 more, or $31,435.85, if purchased online — largely because of convenience and shipping costs for birds, PNC officials said.

For other purchases, PNC, which began the index in 1983, consulted pet stores, aviaries, jewelry stores, and necklaces institutions such as the Pennsylvania Ballet (to obtain the cost of renting the services of 10 lords a-leaping).

Declines in the cost of birds were a major factor in the moderate rise in the index, bank officials added. The price of four “calling birds”- canaries — was unchanged at $599.96.

Local romantics intent on giving flight to their love probably would find even better deals in Toledo. At Pet Supplies Plus on Alexis Road, four canaries cost between $360 and $520 — when available.

Manager Jenny Meyer has none in stock now.

But it’s no crisis. Canaries hardly rank with Xbox gaming systems and Zhu Zhu Pets on holiday wish lists. “It’s not something somebody would buy at Christmas,” Ms. Meyer conceded.

She said she would be less than thrilled to receive such a gift from her beloved: “I like shiny things, not things that need to be cleaned up after.”

The price for a partridge in a pear tree fell by 27 percent to $159.99, with the partridge down by half to $10 and the pear tree declining 25 percent to $149.99.

The only birds showing price increases were two turtle doves, up 1.8 percent to $55.98 and three French hens, Tiffany Accessories up 50 percent to $45.

Among other gifts mentioned in the song, the cost of hiring eight maids-a-milking rose $5.60 to $58. PNC described them as “the only unskilled laborers” in the index and attributed the increase to a boost in the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.

Along with the index, the bank also calculates “the true cost of Christmas,” or “the total cost of items gifted by a true love who repeats all of the song’s verses.”

This year’s tab? $87,402.81, a mere 0.9 percent more Tiffany Keys than in 2008.

The Office of Forestry Commission issued the following press release:

There will be a new look to Christmas on the Forestry Commission estate tiffany and co at Delamere Forest near Nantwich in Cheshire from 28 November.

As usual Father Christmas will be in his grotto, but this year he’ll be telling a seasonal story or two. There is also a brand new Winter nature trail and a local bird rescue centre will be displaying birds of prey during weekend opening hours.

The Christmas tree sales centre will open daily between 9am and 5pm from Saturday 28 November until Sunday 20 December. Late night openings will be available on 10 and 11 December until 8pm.

Santa’s grotto will also be open every weekend in December up until Christmas from 9am until 5pm (last entry 4pm) and Santa will be having late nights on 10 and 11 December from 5pm until 8pm.

The grotto will also be open for school visits only on weekdays from Monday 30 November until Friday 18 December.

Delamere is one of the largest Christmas tree outlets in Britain and people in Manchester, tiffany key rings Merseyside and Cheshire can choose from fir, pine and spruce varieties, ranging in sizes from three to 25 feet high, as well as a range of potted trees.

Forestry staff will also be on hand to give advice on the best tree to buy and how to care for it. To ward off the winter chills, hot food and drink will be available during opening hours.

Delamere Forest Manager Vernon Stockton, says:

“There’s always a wonderful atmosphere in Delamere Forest at this time of year which will only be enhanced with our new look, so it’s a great place get in the mood for the festive season ahead. For people for who Christmas means stress, we hope to bring an oasis of woodland calm to the festive season!.”

Delamere Forest is packed with opportunities for walking, cycling and horse riding. With more than 950 hectares of mixed deciduous and evergreen forest, it’s the largest wooded area in Cheshire.

For more information visit www.forestry.gov.uk/northwestengland

To keep real Christmas trees looking good:

* Store in a cool place before bring the tree indoors * Keep away from direct heat * Cut half and inch tiffany necklaces off the stump and stand in a container full of water * Water regularly – a Christmas tree can ‘drink’ up to a pint of water a day

Top tree facts

* The custom of putting up a decorated fir tree in your home at Christmas began in Germany in the 17th century * Prince Albert made Christmas trees popular in Britain, when he introduced them to England from Germany. * Around six million trees are sold in Britain each year. * The Forestry Commission provides around 43,000 trees each year * Growing times: Pine (five years); Spruce (seven years); Noble Fir (10 years). * More than 90% of families put up a Christmas tree.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

The city of Buckeye issued the following news release:

Four Buckeye businesses have a tree with The Salvation Army Angel Tree Tags tiffany jewellery for people who want to sponsor a child for Christmas.

The four public sites include the Buckeye Chamber of Commerce, 508 E. Monroe Ave.; Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 606 S. Watson Rd.; National Bank of Arizona, 219 N. Fourth St., and M&I Bank, 1160 S. Watson Rd.

Angel Tree tags represent Buckeye-area children whose parents have applied for assistance. tiffany key rings Tags will include gender and age along with gift suggestions for the child. Ages range from newborn to 12 years of age.

Sponsors can choose a tag, buy new toys or clothing for the child and return it unwrapped to the local business where the tree tag was selected. Children are often part of larger families, so we ask that rather than buy an abundance of gifts for one child, consider taking additional tags, Krista Cornish, supervisor of Buckeye’s Community Action Program, said.

“That will help to ensure that every child is provided for and siblings receive about the same number of gifts,” Cornish said.

For more information or to learn how to donate toys or make a cash contribution, call the CAP office,tiffany necklaces 623-349-6600. For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

The Office of Forestry Commission issued the following press tiffany release:

Families in Cumbria can escape the hustle and bustle of town and city centre crowds by enjoying a greener, merrier Christmas on the Forestry Commission estate at Grizedale Forest in south Cumbria.

It will be Grizedale’s first Christmas since the launch of its new pounds6m outdoor facilities earlier this year.

Christmas tree sales start on Tuesday 1 December from 10am to 4pm daily. Visitors will be able to choose from Norway Spruce (pounds3.25 per foot), Lodgepole Pine (pounds4.00 per foot) and Nordman Fir (pounds5.50.per foot) varieties. The shop will be closed for Christmas from 24 to 28 December.

On Saturday 5 December, Grizedale will celebrate Tree Dressing Day, a national day that highlights our responsibility for looking after trees and reminds us of their enormous cultural and environmental importance. The event starts at 11am and costs pounds2 per person.

Children will get the chance to make Christmas decorations from natural materials, listen to tree tales key rings, join a lantern walk and take part in dressing a special Grizedale tree. The lantern walk starts at 3pm.

There will be further opportunities to make decorations and lanterns, join a lantern walk and dress the tree with the ‘Light Up The Dark’ days on 6, 12 and 13 December from 10.30am until 1pm and 1.30pm until 4pm. Families can bring a glass jar which they will transform into a decorative lantern to take on the lantern walk, which begins at 3pm.

Tania Crockett from the Forestry Commission at Grizedale says:

“We’re looking forward to our first Grizedale Christmas since the launch of our new outdoor facilities. The seasonal activities we have on offer will hopefully encourage the whole family to interact with the forest in a fun, engaging, and most of all festive way.”

During December, the cafe at Grizedale will be serving a Christmas menu, with festive treats such as mulled wine, mince pies and turkey and cranberry sandwiches on offer.

Visitors who have purchased a tree from Grizedale will have an extra incentive to treat themselves at the cafe, necklaces as there will be a 10 per cent discount on certain Christmas food on presentation of a valid sales receipt.

Grizedale has something for everyone with a wide range of walking trails, waymarked paths, tracks and bridleways, plus superb views of Coniston Water, Lake Windermere and the Grizedale Valley.

More information about Grizedale Forest and other Forestry Commission woodlands around North West England can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/northwestenglandFor more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.