Illustration coming soon

Bubby's Parrot Repeats Everything

Ages 6-9 | Story and 9 activities

Bubby has a parrot named Pesach, and Pesach likes to talk.

He is gray with a bright red tail, and he lives in a tall cage by the kitchen window. When the kettle whistles, he whistles back. When the doorbell rings, he calls "Coming!" in Bubby's exact voice.

Every Sunday, Yossi visits Bubby with his mother. And every Sunday, he and the parrot have a long conversation, which mostly means Yossi talks and Pesach stares.

"Hello, Pesach," says Yossi.

"Hello!" says Pesach.

"How are you?"

"Hello!"

"Not a great conversationalist," says Yossi, laughing.

On the third Sunday, Yossi comes in feeling grumpy. His little sister has broken his favorite crayon, and he is still mad about it.

"She's so annoying," he mutters to himself in the kitchen. "She always wrecks my stuff. I can't stand her."

He doesn't notice that Pesach is listening, his head tilts.

The next day, Yossi's sister Tamar comes with Mommy to visit Bubby for the first time since she's had a cold. She walks up to the cage and says, "Hi, Pesach!"

Pesach ruffles his feathers. He looks at Tamar and says, loudly and clearly: "She's so annoying!"

The room goes silent.

Tamar's face falls. "What?"

"She always wrecks my stuff!" says Pesach, in a perfect imitation of Yossi's voice.

Mommy turns slowly to look at Yossi. Yossi feels his face go bright red.

"I can't STAND her!" finishes the parrot happily.

Tamar's lip begins to wobble. "Yossi said that?"

"Tamar, I..." Yossi's mouth is dry. He wants to disappear into the floor. "I was upset. I didn't mean it. Pesach wasn't supposed to hear."

"But he did," says Tamar. A tear slides down her cheek. "And now I heard."

Bubby sighs and sets down her teacup. "Pesach is a very good listener," she says gently. "He doesn't have a filter. He repeats everything, the sweet words and the sharp ones."

Yossi stares at the floor. He feels awful. He said those words when no one was around, but they didn't stay secret. They have come back.

"Tamar," he says slowly. "I'm sorry. I was mad about the crayon, and I said mean things. I don't really think you're annoying. Well, sometimes. But I love you, and I'm glad you're my sister."

Tamar wipes her eyes. "You really mean it?"

"I really do. And I'll help you make a new crayon box, so we can draw together."

Tamar sniffles, then smiles. "Okay. But you have to share your red."

"Deal."

Mommy hugs both of them. Bubby gives them each a cookie.

On the way out, Yossi leans toward the cage. "Pesach, I'm going to say good things from now on. So you can learn those."

"Hello!" says Pesach.

The next Sunday, Yossi walks in and says loudly and clearly, "Good morning, Pesach! You're the best parrot in the world."

"Good morning!" says Pesach. "Best parrot!"

Yossi laughs. It is a lot nicer to hear. He decides that from then on, he will say everything as if the parrot is listening.

Because someone always is.