This musical whimsy is based on the well known folk tune Turkey in the Straw. After the introduction we meet our friend as we all know him from the folk tune.
At Moderato we catch the turkey in a melancholy mood, as he thinks back to the good old days, spent as a youngster at Old McDonald's Farm, which is next door to the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. But that's another story.
Sadness overcomes him at Adagio. The mood passes and next we see him happily dancing a jig. Fate makes an appearance in the shape of the human hand; there is a short chase, and our turkey cries for the last time.
After a brief period of mourning, we find that our friend has gone the way of many other turkeys, and has ended up on the Christmas table. A short Coda concludes the piece.
Linguistic footnote: The Turkish word for turkey translates as 'Indian bird'.
