CHAPTER 1
Something to Squawk About
The Alden children pulled a wagon down the street, taking turns tossing rolled-up newspapers onto the porches and steps of each house.
“Good one,” Henry, a tall fourteen-year-old, said to six-year-old Benny. “Right in front of the door, just the way Mr. Fisher likes it. I guess that’s it for today.”
But that wasn’t it for Watch, the Aldens’ dog. Something made his ears prick up. He took off for the dogwood tree on the corner.
“Watch! Watch! Where are you going?” twelve-year-old Jessie Alden called out. She ran after her dog. “Do you see a squirrel up there?”
Henry, Violet, and Benny Alden raced over to the tree. What was making Watch so excited?
“Squirrels don’t mean a thing to Watch,” Henry said. “He must have seen something else.”
The four children stood at the foot of the tree and stared up. All they could see were leaves and branches. But a second later, they heard a voice.
“Watch! Watch!” an odd voice squawked.
To see better, ten-year-old Violet brushed back a few wisps of her dark hair. “Somebody’s up in the tree. Somebody who knows Watch.”
“Watch! Watch!” the odd voice repeated.
By now Benny Alden was jumping up and down. “I see it! I see it!” he said to his brother and sisters. “It’s not a somebody. It’s a gray parrot.”
Nearly hidden in the branches was a light gray bird.
It looked quite at home in the dogwood tree.
Watch raced around in circles. He whined and sniffed. He scratched the tree trunk. But none of that got him any closer to this talking bird who knew his name.
“Watch! Watch!” the parrot squawked again.
Jessie tapped her forehead. “Of course! That’s Grayfellow from the Pretty Bird Pet Shop. Remember how the owner, Mrs. Tweedy, told us he liked to peck at shiny things like jewelry and her watch when she feeds him? I bet that’s why he said ‘watch’ when we called Watch’s name.”
Watch plopped himself down on the grass. He rested his head on his paws. A silly bird had gotten the better of him.
Henry clipped a leash to Watch’s collar. “Come on, boy. Let’s go get Grandfather and come back with the car and a ladder. We’ll give Mrs. Tweedy a call to let her know we found her missing bird. There’s a bundle of old newspapers we have to give her anyway.”
After Henry left, Benny got a good idea. He dug into the pocket of his jeans. “I have some sunflower seeds. Maybe Grayfellow will come out when he sees a good snack.”
Before Benny could get out his seeds, the children heard more noise. This time it was coming from the nearby bushes.
Jessie grabbed Benny’s arm. “Shhh. I hope that’s not a cat,” she whispered. “Let’s leave Grayfellow up in the tree until Henry gets back.”
The children heard branches crackling. Something was moving in those bushes. Jessie tiptoed over and carefully parted the branches. “Arthur!” she screamed when she saw a boy’s face stare back at her. “Why are you hiding in these bushes?”
The boy wriggled his way out and turned to leave without answering Jessie.
“Don’t go,” Jessie said in a gentle voice. “We didn’t mean to scare you. What are you doing here?”
The pale, thin boy mumbled something the Aldens couldn’t hear.
Jessie moved closer to him. “Arthur, come meet my brother Benny and my sister, Violet. You’ve probably seen them around school. Violet, Benny, this is Arthur Byrd. He’s in my class.”
“Were you playing hide and seek?” Benny asked.
“Uh … no,” Arthur answered. “I was looking for my cat. She’s lost.”
“Guess what?” Benny asked. “We found a lost animal, but not a cat. A parrot. It belongs to Mrs. Tweedy at the Pretty Bird Pet Shop. My big brother went to get a ladder. We’re going to get this parrot down. Maybe we can look for your cat, too.”
Arthur put his hands in his pockets, then took them out. He started to say something but stopped. Finally he spoke up. “I, uh
Something to Squawk About
The Alden children pulled a wagon down the street, taking turns tossing rolled-up newspapers onto the porches and steps of each house.
“Good one,” Henry, a tall fourteen-year-old, said to six-year-old Benny. “Right in front of the door, just the way Mr. Fisher likes it. I guess that’s it for today.”
But that wasn’t it for Watch, the Aldens’ dog. Something made his ears prick up. He took off for the dogwood tree on the corner.
“Watch! Watch! Where are you going?” twelve-year-old Jessie Alden called out. She ran after her dog. “Do you see a squirrel up there?”
Henry, Violet, and Benny Alden raced over to the tree. What was making Watch so excited?
“Squirrels don’t mean a thing to Watch,” Henry said. “He must have seen something else.”
The four children stood at the foot of the tree and stared up. All they could see were leaves and branches. But a second later, they heard a voice.
“Watch! Watch!” an odd voice squawked.
To see better, ten-year-old Violet brushed back a few wisps of her dark hair. “Somebody’s up in the tree. Somebody who knows Watch.”
“Watch! Watch!” the odd voice repeated.
By now Benny Alden was jumping up and down. “I see it! I see it!” he said to his brother and sisters. “It’s not a somebody. It’s a gray parrot.”
Nearly hidden in the branches was a light gray bird.
It looked quite at home in the dogwood tree.
Watch raced around in circles. He whined and sniffed. He scratched the tree trunk. But none of that got him any closer to this talking bird who knew his name.
“Watch! Watch!” the parrot squawked again.
Jessie tapped her forehead. “Of course! That’s Grayfellow from the Pretty Bird Pet Shop. Remember how the owner, Mrs. Tweedy, told us he liked to peck at shiny things like jewelry and her watch when she feeds him? I bet that’s why he said ‘watch’ when we called Watch’s name.”
Watch plopped himself down on the grass. He rested his head on his paws. A silly bird had gotten the better of him.
Henry clipped a leash to Watch’s collar. “Come on, boy. Let’s go get Grandfather and come back with the car and a ladder. We’ll give Mrs. Tweedy a call to let her know we found her missing bird. There’s a bundle of old newspapers we have to give her anyway.”
After Henry left, Benny got a good idea. He dug into the pocket of his jeans. “I have some sunflower seeds. Maybe Grayfellow will come out when he sees a good snack.”
Before Benny could get out his seeds, the children heard more noise. This time it was coming from the nearby bushes.
Jessie grabbed Benny’s arm. “Shhh. I hope that’s not a cat,” she whispered. “Let’s leave Grayfellow up in the tree until Henry gets back.”
The children heard branches crackling. Something was moving in those bushes. Jessie tiptoed over and carefully parted the branches. “Arthur!” she screamed when she saw a boy’s face stare back at her. “Why are you hiding in these bushes?”
The boy wriggled his way out and turned to leave without answering Jessie.
“Don’t go,” Jessie said in a gentle voice. “We didn’t mean to scare you. What are you doing here?”
The pale, thin boy mumbled something the Aldens couldn’t hear.
Jessie moved closer to him. “Arthur, come meet my brother Benny and my sister, Violet. You’ve probably seen them around school. Violet, Benny, this is Arthur Byrd. He’s in my class.”
“Were you playing hide and seek?” Benny asked.
“Uh … no,” Arthur answered. “I was looking for my cat. She’s lost.”
“Guess what?” Benny asked. “We found a lost animal, but not a cat. A parrot. It belongs to Mrs. Tweedy at the Pretty Bird Pet Shop. My big brother went to get a ladder. We’re going to get this parrot down. Maybe we can look for your cat, too.”
Arthur put his hands in his pockets, then took them out. He started to say something but stopped. Finally he spoke up. “I, uh
Similar Books
