Tuki to the Rescue

While most of the animals took things in stride, Pinny the Peacock was feeling irritable. Pinny was used to being a star attraction. Children would crowd around his cage, and when he’d open his marvelous tail, there would be gasps of admiration. But now visitors were few and far between, and Eli and his team were too busy to pay Pinny the attention he felt he deserved. He retreated to a corner of his cage, sulking.

Manny the monkey, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the goings-on. He loved it when everybody was busy, because it meant he could more easily get away with his tricks. He waited until Tuki the parrot flew close to his cage, and made a grab for one of the bright feathers in the parrot’s tail, pulling it out.

Tuki gave a loud screech and flapped his wings furiously. Eli scolded the monkey, but decided to deal with his mischievousness another time, when he wasn’t so busy.

Little did Eli know that an unseen person was watching through the fence. It was Mr. Ingleton the Inspector, always looking to make trouble for the Animal Center. At Tuki’s furious screech, he rubbed his hands in glee. Aha! There must be something wrong with the parrot to have made him screech like that, and he’d noticed a peacock that looked miserable as well. He would write a report, claiming there was an illness affecting the birds at the Center, and send it to the mayor. With a bit of luck, the Center would be closed down!