The other cage was then placed next to the little box where the pair of love-birds were, and though they were more shy than the parrot, they made a rush into their house, and they seemed quite as hungry, for they began to eat immediately.
‘We will leave the poor birds now alone a little, and get ready for dinner; and I dare say that my little girls will be nearly as glad of their dinners as the poor shipwrecked birds are.’
The children laughed, and said that they were very hungry, and they hoped that their new birds would soon feel happy in their nice large cages.
After dinner Alice and Beatrice went to see their birds. The parrot was swinging in its ring; but though they spoke to it, and called it ‘pretty Poll,’ it neither spoke, nor moved, nor took notice of the children. They remained standing next the cage, and watched the bird long, and were very disappointed that this wonderful talking parrot could not, or would not, speak a word.
The little green love-birds seemed frightened when the little girls went near their cage, and flew about and fluttered, till Alice and Beatrice left them at their grandmamma’s wish.
The next morning their first visit on going downstairs was to the birds. The parrot was swinging again on his ring, and the love-birds fluttered about; but Alice observed that they had eaten nearly all the seed, and that their feathers were dry and smooth and clean, and bright green, and the children said that they had never seen such beautiful birds before.
Grandmamma said to Alice, ‘This morning you are late, and you must come to breakfast first; but another morning try and be ready a little earlier, and then you may give the birds fresh seed and water and clean sand before breakfast. To-day Mary will show you how to do so.’
Alice ate her breakfast quicker than usual this morning, for she was apt to be slow, and to talk and to waste her time whilst dressing and whilst eating.
When both the little girls had finished their breakfast grandmamma told them to call Mary to feed the birds.
‘May I take two bits of sugar, grandmamma?’ said Beatrice.