Harry thought this was the strangest thing his father had ever done, and he told him so, but Mr. Tillian just ignored him. Rocky was good company for Mr. Tillian. When business was slow, Mr. Tillian would turn on a small color television he had sitting in a corner, and he and Rocky would watch the soap operas. Rocky liked to scream when the romantic music came on, and Mr. Tillian would yell at him to shut up, but they seemed to enjoy themselves. The more Mr. Tillian grew to like his parrot, and the more he talked to it instead of to people, the more embarrassed Harry became. Harry would stroll past the shop, on his way somewhere else, and he’d take a quick look inside to see what his dad was doing. Mr. Tillian was always talking to the bird. So Harry kept walking.

Harry syntes, det var det mærkeligste, hans far nogensinde havde gjort. og det fortalte han ham, men hr. Tillian ignorerede ham bare. Rocky var godt selskab for Mr. Tillian. Når forretningen gik langsomt, Mr. Tillian tændte for et lille farvefjernsyn, han havde siddende i et hjørne, og han og Rocky ville se sæbeoperaerne. Rocky kunne lide at skrige da den romantiske musik kom, og hr. Tillian råbte til ham hold kæft, men de så ud til at hygge sig. Jo mere hr. Tillian blev til at holde af sin papegøje, og jo mere talte han med det i stedet for til folk, jo mere flov blev Harry. Harry ville slentre forbi butikken, på vej et andet sted hen, og han kiggede hurtigt indenfor for at se, hvad hans far lavede. Mr. Tillian talte altid med fugl. Så Harry blev ved med at gå.