Chapter 6

MORNINGS WERE BUSY. There was everyone’s breakfast to get, and all the cages had to be cleaned out. And this morning Dog had lost time over the parrot’s toilet arrangements. Esme tried to help with the usual chores but she kept being distracted by bits of grape and stray peanuts. So Dog hadn’t even started on clearing up the mess that the parrot’s box had left behind when she heard Uncle’s heavy footsteps on the stairs.

As Uncle came into the shop, she crouched over the sawdust and bits of string, trying to hide the fact that she hadn’t sorted it out. But Uncle saw. He came and stood right over her. Even without looking up, Dog knew how red his face was getting.

“I thought I told you to sort that box out,” he said. Dog answered by sweeping the sawdust even faster than before, but Uncle kicked the brush out of her hands. Dog kept very still, staring at his big, heavy feet.

“When I tell you to do something, I expect—” But Uncle didn’t get the chance to finish, because his own voice began to call loudly from the storeroom.

“Dog! Dog!” said the voice, exactly the way Uncle had called out last night.

Uncle turned angrily towards the sound. “What’s going on?” he growled.

There, waddling carefully over the floor, trailing strands of newspaper and string behind it, was the macaw. “Delivery? Delivery?” it said with Uncle’s voice. “I’ll give you delivery!”

Dog’s heart raced with fear. There was no way to protect the bird from Uncle’s anger, and surely this would make him very, very angry indeed.

Uncle staggered back and sat down heavily on the sacks of Pussy Poo. The parrot stood at his feet, still speaking his words, in his voice. But instead of getting angry, Uncle just stared and stared at the bird. “You,” he told it at last, “are going to make me a fortune!”

“A fortune!” said the parrot. “A fortune!”