Cara’s Parrot Who Told Secrets
Poppy the parrot repeats everything he hears, including the secret surprise party!
It was nearly Captain Cleo’s birthday, and Cara had a secret plan. ‘We’ll give the Captain a pirate-ship piñata!’ she whispered. ‘But nobody must say a word.’ Poppy the parrot nodded very seriously.
But Poppy was a parrot, and parrots repeat everything. When Cleo walked by, Poppy said, ‘SECRET! SECRET! A pirate-ship piñata!’ Cara jumped up. ‘Er, nothing!’ she said. ‘It’s just Poppy being silly.’
Cleo raised an eyebrow. ‘A secret?’ she said. ‘What secret?’ Poppy opened her beak. Cara quickly stuffed a cracker in it. Poppy said, ‘Mmph! Mmph!’ which was the nearest she could get.
All week, Cara had to guard the surprise. She hid it under the sail. She kept Poppy busy with crackers and games. Poppy nearly told again three times. Once, Poppy even began to sing the whole plan.
On the big day, Cleo stepped onto the deck, and everyone jumped up. ‘SURPRISE!’ they shouted. Cleo looked so astonished. And then Poppy flapped up and squawked, ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’ before anyone else could.
Cleo laughed so much that her hat fell off. ‘I knew there was a secret,’ she said, ‘but I didn’t know it would be such a good one.’ Cara gave Cleo a pirate-ship piñata, and Poppy got the biggest cracker.
The little lesson
Keeping a surprise secret is hard, but the surprise is worth waiting for.
Let’s talk about it
- Have you ever kept a secret?
- What surprise would you plan for a friend?
Finish stories to collect Cara as a sticker in your Sticker Book.
More Pirates stories
Priya’s Treasure Island
Priya digs up a chest. There’s no gold inside, just a note that says ‘look behind you’.
Gus and the Great Storm
A ferocious storm hits the pirate ship. Only teamwork can bring the crew safely home.
Ravi Finds a Chest
Ravi digs up a chest. There’s no gold inside, just a note that says ‘look behind you’.
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