Lateral Thinking Questions

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ANSWER: L.T.Q. #32  !
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Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 11:45:00

>Well, I'm back in the office again, and here's a Valentine's Day question for you.

What's LOVE got to do with it?

Here is this week's question:

When Clara Clatter was purchasing her new parrot, the salesman assured her that it would repeat any word it heard. About a week later, Clara returned the parrot complaining it hadn't uttered a single word. Given that the salesman had spoken the truth about the parrot's abilities, why wouldn't the bird talk?

ANSWER:

The parrot was deaf.

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 Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue... What's, uh... What's wrong with it?
 Customer: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's deaf, that's what's wrong with it!
 Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,... he's resting.
 Customer: Look, matey, I know a deaf parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.
 Owner: No no he's not deaf, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!
 Customer: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone deaf.
 Owner: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!
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If you are a Monty Python fan, check out the Monty Python's Flying Circus Sketch Site for the text to most of the sketches!

Actually, the parrot probably wouldn't have talked, deaf or not, within the first week anyway. It would need to have time to get comfortable in the new environment before it would feel like talking.

>Ridley and Orson will tell you the answer later...

Did you know that both Ridley and Orson can talk? I've heard them a couple of times. The problem is that they talk so quietly that when I get close enough to hear them, they stop talking! They must be talking about me, eh? I can imagine what they are saying today; Orson was particularly bratty this morning, and it took me over 20 minutes to corral him! But how do you spank a budgie when he's being a bad boy?

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