The Winning Bird

On one occasion, so eager was the great Hansenne to win a certain race, that he promised Renier Gurnay, "If I win 1st prize this day the winning bird shall be yours, as a present from me."  When the blue hen arrived, Gurnay seized the bag containing it and sped towards headquarters at a pace faster than he had ever ran before.  Nor did he run so swiftly in vain because the blue hen was quickly announced the winner of the 1st prize.  Gurnay was jubilant.  when the club officials confirmed that Hansesnne's blue hen had indeed won the race, Gurnay did not return to Hansenne's loft but went homewards with the winning blue hen, where she was placed in the loft as another valuable addition to his growing collection of racing pigeons.  Stage by stage his stock increased until, after the death of Hansenne, he acquired those particular birds from the master's loft that he required to form the sound foundation of his strain, the strain that was destined to create world's records over all distances.  In course of time he became universally acknowledged as the "Champion of the Pigeon World," and was publicly proclaimed by the late George Gits as "The Emperor."

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