The Parrot Who Wouldn't Talk

The story is set in

The story is set in the pre-independence era in north India. The parakeet's cage is kept at one end of the long veranda of Granny's bungalow. The sett

Aunt Ruby buys the parrot from

Aunt Ruby buys the parrot from a bird-catcher and tries to make it talk. When the bird rejects her and knocks off her spectacles, she becomes rude and

The narrator

The narrator, a ten-year-old boy, feeds the parrot green chillies, ripe tomatoes, and slices of mango. He later leaves the cage door open on purpose s

A few days after escaping

A few days after escaping, the parrot returns and sits on the veranda railing, looking toward the narrator. When Aunt Ruby appears, it repeats her own

The same cruel words that Aunt

The same cruel words that Aunt Ruby used to insult the bird come back to her from the parrot's mouth. The bird becomes a frequent visitor and repeats