Peter and Chip
The life story of a parakeet named Peter. He is the one on the left.
His full name was Lord Peter Death Bredan Whimsey. I haven’t the foggest idea where he started life, but he ended up in a Meijer birdcage in late 2006, along with several other rare blue parakeets. Mom, still heartbroken from losing Max, suggested that we get some birds. I had a parakeet, Golda, years ago and remembered that they were fun pets, so I agreed. Mom chose the the gentlest one; I got the wildest one of the bunch. Cages, food, toys and random other stuff was purchased and we went home, with the expected groceries and two unexpected pets. I named mine Chipiparoe after a character in a little story of mine. Mom’s was named Lord Peter Death (read Deeth) Bredan Whimsey after Dorothy Sayers’ hilarious gentleman detective. Pretty soon both names got shortened to Chip and Peter, respectively.
After a few months, Mom admitted that a bird just couldn’t fill the gap and gave Peter to me. This made no difference at all in Peter’s life; he was already sharing a cage with Chip.
First impressions were not misleading in this case. Chip was (and still is) a sailor; swearing and cursing forming his two favorite activities and no, he doesn’t use English. He doesn’t have to. Peter was a gentleman of the old school; he loved to sing for us and was properly horrified at Chip’s more colorful language. Despite their differences, Peter and Chip were fast friends and shared the same big cage for the last 18 months. Under Peter’s influence, Chip gradually learned not to shriek 24/7 (now he just does it when he wants attention, food, the cat to go away, the dogs to go away or us to go away). Chip, in his turn, taught Peter not to be so high and mighty.
This morning I found Peter lying on the bottom of the cage. I’m guessing he must have died in his sleep; his feet were still curled and he rather looked as though he had fallen off the perch. Chip was bouncing back and forth, subdued (a rare state for Chip).
I might go ring the Nine Taylors for Peter on his beloved bell. (Reference to The Nine Taylors, a Lord Peter novel by Dorothy Sayers.)
Hannah
February 21, 2009 at 6:34 PM
Poor Chip is in mourning. He hasn’t cursed in several days. I never thought I would miss it, but it did become a household sound. I hope he recovers well enough to curse away.
February 22, 2009 at 3:11 AM
Can I remind you of that when he does curse?
February 23, 2009 at 6:30 AM
Didn’t Papa have a bird with a very colorful vocabulary? Gosh – I wonder where he learned that?
October 23, 2009 at 7:57 AM
[...] October 23, 2009 Chip’s Life Story Posted by hmh under Life Stories Leave a Comment Remember Chip, the surviving parakeet of the Chip Peter duo? [...]