THE PARROT WHO WOULDN'T TALK

All-Time Favourites for Children By Ruskin Bond

- KASHMIRA SARODE

Illustrations by Kashmira Sarode

Published by Penguin Random House India

‘YOU’RE NO BEAUTY. Can’t talk. Can’t sing. Can’t dance!’ With these words, Aunt Ruby would taunt the unfortunate parakeet who glared morosely at everyone from his ornamental cage at one end of the long veranda of Granny’s bungalow in north India.

In those distant days, almost everyone—Indian or European—kept a pet parrot or parakeet, or ‘lovebird’ as some of the smaller ones were called. Sometimes these birds became great talkers, or rather mimics, and would learn to recite entire mantras (religious chants) or admonitions to the children of the house, such as ‘Padho, beta, padho!’ (‘Study, child, study!’) or, for the benefit of boys like me—‘Don’t be greedy, don’t be greedy’.

These expressions were, of course, picked up by the parrot over a period of time, after many repetitions by whichever member of the household had taken on the task of teaching the bird to talk.

AFTER THAT, AUNT RUBY GAVE UP HER ENDEARMENTS AND BECAME QUITE HOSTILE TOWARDS THE POOR BIRD.

But our parrot refused to talk.

He’d been bought by Aunt Ruby from a bird catcher who’d visited all the houses on our road, selling caged birds ranging from colourful budgerigars to chirpy little munias and even common sparrows that had been dabbed with paint and passed off as some exotic species. Neither Granny nor Grandfather were keen on keeping caged birds as pets, but Aunt Ruby threatened to throw a tantrum if she did not get her way—and Aunt Ruby’s tantrums were dreadful to behold!