Once, when in a large city, I visited a pet shop that sold a wide assortment of animals. At one end, there were small kittens and puppies, while the shop's middle aisles were filled with aquariums of exotic fish.
The smell of cedar led me to one side where I saw cute hamsters and guinea pigs rooting about the cedar shavings and playing upon spinning wheels.
While all the animals drew many onlookers, it was the bird section that held the most customers. There, birds of beautiful plumage and markings could be found cawwing and crackling.
Most interesting was the parrot. Oh, he cackled away, speaking and whistling many words and songs. Some were a bit unrefined and coarse.
The crowd murmured about his vocabulary. "How wonderful he is," said a small child. "He can talk!" The adults smiled knowingly, nodded and then walked away.
I noted, however, if one did not hasten, they would find that his vocabulary was limited, continually repeating only the words and songs he knew that were of his master's desire.
How sad for him, I thought to myself. There he sat upon his perch, squawking away, a small chain, undetectable to the casual observer, was securely attached to one leg. His wings being clipped; he was not free to fly anymore.
"Polly want a cracker?" said someone.
I smiled and walked away.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2014 01:06PM by Tatjana.