Mouldy Makeover

I'll give it a go, says Mouldy. What sort of parrot should I look like.

Like him, says Terence, pointing at P. krameri.

Next you're going to be asking me for feathers, says P. krameri.

Correct, says Terence. We need green, black and red ones. Mainly green.

My green ones are my best ones, says P. krameri. How many?

Fifty, says Terence.

No way, says P. krameri.

You will only need one, says Gaius. Mouldy is small, and he won't need any at the back.

Hey! says Mouldy. None at the back?

Ha ha, laughs P. krameri.

It's not funny, says Terence. Give me a feather.

Keep your hair on, says P. krameri.

He twists around and pecks out a feather. By no means his best one.

Wonderful, says Gaius. Isidore, do you have any scissors?

Would a professor of zoology be without scissors? Of course not.

Isidore fetches his scissors which are engraved with his name.

Nice scissors, says Gauis, snipping the feather into tiny pieces.

Gift of the Museum, says Isidore. For long service.

Very practical, says Gaius. Now, come here Mouldy. We won't glue them on yet.

Why? asks Terence.

We may need to rearrange them, says Gaius.

Mouldy keeps still while Gaius and Isidore try the short lengths in various positions.

I was supposed to be doing it, says Terence.

Let them, says P. krameri. They know what they're doing.

A-choo! says Mouldy. Keep them away from my NOSE!

What does everyone think? asks Gaius. Does he look like a parrot?

A parrot with no beak, says Terence.

I have just the thing, says Isidore.

He goes into the bathroom and comes back with two bright red false nails.

Useful for experiments in imprinting, he says, by way of an explanation for having false nails in his bathroom.

Of course, says Gaius. None of us thought otherwise. Right! A mirror!

Isidore fetches a mirror.

Oo! says Mouldy. I look like a parrot!

From the front, says Terence.

I'll just glue them on now, says Gaius.

He takes out his fish glue, and deftly glues on the feathers and the bright red false nails.

Now for a photo, says Isidore. Then I can get on with obtaining the two parrot passports.

Click! Click!

Two parrot photos.

P. krameri looks somewhat superior, in his.