h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When I was about 11 years old I did visit an uncle of mine who had a few huge birdhouses (aviaries) and for me it was a joyful universe.
There were at least 50 parrots in every birdhouse, and there were pheasants (named “gold” and “silver”) pigeons and Chinese ducks.

What a magical word for me that was.

When I returned I immediately asked my parents if I could create a birdhouse for my own in the garden and that was O.K. For my father (lawyer) it was something of his own childhood (son of a farmer) and he liked the idea.
My mother was more hesitating.

So I started to build my very own birdhouse and when I was finished I started to buy parrots, some pigeons and pheasants. Two years later I also made a birdhouse for Chinese ducks.

Those parrots became my closest friends. They sit everywhere they want; on my head, shoulders, hands or cling at my clothes. They are so much fun, because these have so much pleasure in life themselves.

They started breeding and after a while I had to change their eggs for eggs of stone, otherwise their breeding becomes without end.

These were so much fun; the sounds these make, the playing and fooling around, álso with other animals.
Example?
Well, one day I saw my silver pheasant walking around in my birdhouse and what happened around its tale?
Four parrots were hanging at it, just for fun!!
Wonderful!

Two years later two parrots apparently had planned to flee their birdhouse, because when I entered it, they immediately did fly straight to the door into the outside world.
But, as a boy, I already had developed so much feeling with these animals, that I took my bike and went for a search and could even hear these, despite all the traffic.
Finally I located one of them, knocked at the door and asked the owner if I could get in to try and catch my parrot, who was sitting in front of a window.
I opened the window, looked at him and could just take him with one hand.
The other one I could also locate, but he could not be reached.
Apparently cage birds that escape are very meekly in the first few hours. At least parrots are.

Yes, these are great fun, these gave me wings in my childhood !

Alfredo, 2007.