The Parrot Who Would Not Talk
by Ruskin Bond (Mulberry)
Look closely at the pictures of the two parrots and find five differences.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Quick answers
1. This story tells us something about parrots. Complete the following sentences.
a. Parrots can imitate human voice/talks.
b. Parrots like eating green chillies, ripe tomatoes and mangoes.
c. Parrots don't like living in a cage.
d. The sound that a parrot makes is called a squawk.
e. When a parrot is sitting on a branch or a twig, we say that it is perching on the tree.
Reference to context
2. "One day, the parrot suddenly dived forward and knocked off Aunt Ruby's spectacles off her nose."
a. How had Aunt Ruby got the parrot?
= Aunt Ruby had got the parrot from a bird catcher who had visited all the houses on their road.
b. What did Aunt Ruby want the parrot to learn?
= Aunt Ruby wanted the parrot to talk like human.
c. Why do you think the parrot knocked Aunt Ruby's spectacles off her nose?
= I think the parrot knocked Aunt Ruby's spectacles off her nose because he became frustrated due to her continuous insistence to teach him talking.
3. "One afternoon, while everyone was in the dining room, I gave the parrot his lunch."
a. The narrator is the person who tells us a story. Who put the narrator in charge of feeding the parrot?
= The narrator's grandmother put him in charge of feeding the parrot.
b. What mistake did the narrator make after giving the parrot its lunch?
= By mistake the narrator left the cage open after giving the parrot its lunch.
c. What happened because of this mistake?
= The parrot flew away to the nearby mango orchard.
Read, reflect and write
4. Why did Aunt Ruby dislike her parrot?
= Aunt Ruby tried to teach the parrot to talk. It did not like to do so. Aunt Ruby wanted the parrot to kiss her. It did not do so either. Moreover, one day the parrot dived forward and knocked Aunt Ruby's spectacles off her nose. Because of all these, Aunt Ruby disliked her parrot.
5. Was the narrator unhappy when the parrot escaped? How do you know?
= The narrator was scared and confused but not unhappy when the parrot escaped. He was scared because what the elders would say.
His grandfather remarked that the narrator's aunt's parrot had escaped. In reply to this the narrator put the excuse that the door was quite loose.
6. What did the parrot do to make Aunt Ruby's face turn ruby-red?
= The parrot glared at Aunt Ruby and screamed at her in her familiar tones : 'You're useless! Can't talk, can't sing, can't dance!' This made Aunt Ruby embarrassed and she went ruby-red and ran inside her room.
7. The Animal Welfare Board of India has made a rule that we are not allowed to keep birds in cages. If someone in your family wanted to keep a bird in a cage as a pet, what would you say to stop them?
= The Animal Welfare Board of India has made a rule that we are not allowed to keep birds in cages.
If someone in my family wanted to keep a bird in a cage as a pet, I would insist them not to do so. I would try to make them understand that no one can live a happy life being in a cage. Just like we can not live happily being in jail. Then I will remind them about the rule made by the Animal Welfare Board of India.
About the Author :
Ruskin Bond is one of India's most loved children's authors. He lives in Mussoorie. He has written over 500 short stories and essays. Many of his stories are about his life in the hill stations where he grew up. He says book readers are special people and that a great book is like a friend.