He’s a great friend of mine, and I think the world of him— but what does he know about sick parrots?”
Eli’s animal center was bustling on a Sunday afternoon. Manny the monkey was a big hit as usual. (Eli gave him a stern warning not to throw banana peels at any visitors.) Gimpel the goat was another popular draw, but too bad for anyone who ignored the signs warning visitors not to lean against his cage. Quick as a wink, Gimpel would take a bite of the person’s skirt or trousers.
Eli was, however, somewhat surprised that nobody was crowding around Tuki’s cage. Usually there were many guests watching the lively parrot. As Eli drew near, he was dismayed to see the parrot looking droopy and out of sorts. Oh, dear!
“Sick as a parrot, are we?” he asked. “What’s up, old fellow?”
Tuki just looked at him dully.
“I’d better get him checked out,” muttered Eli. “I’ll call Mr. Faigelbaum. He’s sure to know what to do.”
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