Finish Your Squoot

What do you like to eat? asks Roo-kai.

Squoot! says Squattu.

Squoot means nothing in English, says Roo-kai.

It rhymes with scooter, says Terence.

That's no help, says Roo-kai. Besides the fact that it doesn't.

Maybe she wants you to go to the shops on a scooter, says Terence.

I very much doubt it, says Roo-kai.

Me too, says Terence.

Squoot, says Squattu, pointing at a green apple which Gaius has left in a bowl.

Squoot is an apple! says Terence.

Try it, says Roo-kai. 

Terence grabs the green apple and offers it to Squattu.

Squattu looks at the apple.

Squapple, says Squattu.

She wants you to peel it, says Terence.

As if I could peel it, says Roo-kai. But I don't think she wants me to peel it. She's trying to say apple.

Squapple rhymes with apple, says Terence. That's good.

Squattu is encouraged. 

She might attempt to speak English. She has heard enough words.

Squetter than squooter, says Squattu.

Better than scooter? says Roo-kai. Yes, it IS a better rhyme than scooter.

Scooter was MY rhyme, says Terence.

It was pretty bad, says Roo-kai.

Squattu starts biting the apple. 

Squit! Screen squapples are squard!

You know what I think? says Roo-kai. She can speak English. She just needs to learn to swallow her squeaks.

Squallow? says Squatty. Cgh! Cgh!

The effort of saying squallow while trying to squallow a squunk of squeen squapple with the squin on makes her squough.

Terence whacks her on the back like Belle has to do to him sometimes.

The squunk of squapple flies out.

Okay? says Rookai.

Okay, says Squattu.

She did it! cries Terence. She swallowed her squeak!

Yes, says Squattu. I think I've got the hang of it. 

Will they laugh at her bat joke?

That was a bat joke, says Squattu. The hang of it.

Very good, says Roo-kai. 

I can't squank you enough for helping me to speak proper English, says Squattu.

Not a problem, says Roo-kai. It's what best parrots do for second best parrots.

I'm not a second best parrot yet, says Squattu. But I'd like to apply for the drone job with Gaius in the morning.

What's this about? asks Roo-kai. Is there a drone job?

Yes, says Terence. Gaius is getting a drone to look for possums.

So what's the job? asks Roo-kai.

Squintelligence! squeaks Squatty. I mean intelligence.

Then you'll need to eat brain food. Finish your squoot, says Roo-kai.