Nancy Beveridge

A Great Family Pet Nancy Beveridge

My daughter wanted a pet she could hold. My aunt had purchased a parakeet for my cousin, and they were enjoying the pet. We lived in a village with under three thousand people, so we could certainly not buy a pet there. Ten miles north, there was the town of Bloomington, Illinois, which had two shopping malls at that time. One of them had a large Woolworth store, which had a department that sold birds and everything you needed. My daughter assumed the responsibility of caring for Chippie and teaching him to talk. If birds have a personality, he had a good one and everyone in the family made him a part of their life. He actually seemed part of the family, and we wanted him to enjoy his life with us. You may wonder why we only got one bird, but we knew that if you want your parakeet to talk, you only get one. Chippie was always ready to climb on your finger when you touched his chest. He actually seemed to enjoy being stroked over his head and down his back. I was amazed at the length of the sentence he learned when he said, "Chippie come over here so I can get you." My husband was clever in what he did, so Chippie could enjoy lunch with him. He was A Great Family Pet.