Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Name the Budgie


The picture above is very similar to my newest house guest. My mother was so upset by what happened to my poor finches, that she insisted on getting me a new bird as an early birthday present. "One you can teach to talk and sit on your shoulder and have fun with."

"Okay, Mom. Whatever you say."

"And it has to be a male. Only the males talk" (which I have since learned is not true; males are simply better talkers).

So, off we go to buy me a new bird. The first place was the least expensive, but the birds there were too young to tell their sexes (males. like the one above, have a bright blue stripe across the top of their beaks). At the next store, the birds were more expensive, but the only males they had were rather unattractive green and yellow mottled things. I guess that makes me a speciest. Onto the the third and final place. Here (a chain pet-store, albeit one with a good reputation) they are the most expensive, but they have a beautiful blue and white male. Perfect. As the clerk is catching the budgie (with a rather clever folding net), I go and get all the items needed to retrofit the newly cleaned and repaired cage so it is appropriate for its new occupant: bedding, food, grit, grit cup, wooden perch and assorted toys (I had to talk my mother out of buying the embarrassingly tacky parakeet Ferris wheel - I couldn't find an image of it to share with you, but trust me, it was awful).

So, my question to you is: What should I name my new pet? This is the second time I'm asking you all for your opinions. Not something I do lightly or often. I have some ideas, but the websites all say to keep it simple, so the bird can learn its name. I'm inclined to go Shakespearean (big surprise there, eh?) but am open to any number of creative and appropriate names.
Please leave your suggestion in the comments section (and not on Facebook, FB friends). As with my tattoo request, I can't promise I will go with anything you might suggest. But I will take all serious suggestions seriously.
More very anon.
Prospero

2 comments:

Prospero said...

Since I asked on FB first, the first acceptible entry comes from Alice: FEZ. An acronym for Flesh Eating Zombie. I like.

Stephen said...

I think: Sebastian.