When Uncle Charlie died of old age, Bill was bequeathed his
uncle's prized amazon parrot. This parrot was fully grown--with a bad
attitude and a worse vocabulary. Every other word was an
expletive. Those that weren't expletives were, to say the very
least,
extremely rude.
Bill tried hard to change the bird's attitude and was constantly saying
polite words, playing soft music--anything he could think
of to try and set a good example. Nothing worked.
Exasperated, he yelled at the bird. But the bird just got louder. Then
he shook
the parrot. But the bird just got more angry and more rude.
Finally, in a moment of desperation, Bill put the parrot in the
freezer. For a few moments he heard the bird squawking, kicking
and screaming. Then, suddenly, all was quiet.
Bill was frightened
that he might have hurt his dead uncle's prized parrot and quickly
opened
the freezer door. The parrot calmly stepped out onto Bill's
extended arm and said,
"I am truly sorry that I might have offended you with my language and
action, and I humbly ask your forgiveness. I will now, from this day
forth,
endeavor to correct my behavior so that such an ill-conceived outburst
never again occurs."
Bill was completely astonished at the bird's change in attitude
and was about to ask what had caused such a dramatic change when the
parrot continued, "May I ask what the chicken did?"