A lady goes into a pet store one day. \u201cI\u2019m really lonely,\u201d she says to the clerk. \u201cI need a pet to keep me company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d replies the clerk, \u201chow about this parrot? He\u2019s very intelligent, and once he gets comfortable, he\u2019ll talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s perfect!\u201d she says. She buys the parrot, takes him home, and spends the evening waiting excitedly for him to say something. But the parrot just sits quietly on his perch, staring at her.<\/p>\n
The next day, she comes back. \u201cThat parrot still isn\u2019t talking,\u201d she complains.<\/p>\n
The clerk thinks for a moment. \u201cAh! You need this little ladder. He\u2019ll climb it, get more active, and start talking.\u201d<\/p>\n
She buys the ladder and takes it home. The next day, she\u2019s back again. \u201cHe still hasn\u2019t said a word!\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk nods thoughtfully. \u201cHmm. Then you need a mirror. He\u2019ll see himself, become curious, and start chatting.\u201d<\/p>\n
She buys the mirror and places it carefully inside the cage. But the next morning, the parrot is still completely silent.<\/p>\n
The lady returns to the store, frustrated. \u201cNothing works! He just stares at me all day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk scratches his head. Finally, he points toward a small swing hanging near the counter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should buy this swing. Parrots love swings. Once he starts playing, he\u2019ll loosen up and finally start talking.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lady buys the swing and takes it home, convinced that this must be the answer. She hangs it inside the cage and waits.<\/p>\n
The following morning, something feels wrong.<\/p>\n
The parrot is unusually still.<\/p>\n
She walks closer to the cage, calls his name, and gets no response. She opens the cage and gently touches him.<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n
Terrified, she rushes into the store, crying. \u201cMy parrot died!\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk gasps. \u201cOh no! I\u2019m so sorry! Did he ever say anything before he died?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d she sobs, wiping away her tears. \u201cHe finally spoke.\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk looks relieved for a moment. \u201cHe did? What did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
She takes a shaky breath and whispers, \u201cHe said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Don\u2019t they sell any food in that store?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The clerk stares at her in horror.<\/p>\n
Then he slowly looks toward the shelves behind him.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The lady stops crying and looks at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n
The clerk points toward a large sign hanging directly above the pet supplies.<\/p>\n
**BIRD FOOD \u2014 RIGHT HERE.**<\/p>\n
Apparently, while everyone had been trying to teach the poor parrot how to talk, nobody had remembered the one thing he actually needed.<\/p>\n
Food.<\/p>\n
And after all those ladders, mirrors, and swings\u2026<\/p>\n
That was the first thing he had finally managed to say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A lady goes into a pet store one day. \u201cI\u2019m really lonely,\u201d she says to the clerk. \u201cI need a pet to keep me company.\u201d \u201cWell,\u201d replies the clerk, \u201chow about this parrot? He\u2019s very intelligent, and once he gets comfortable, he\u2019ll talk to you.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s perfect!\u201d she says. She buys the parrot, takes him […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":34309,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tales"],"yoast_head":"\n