Gloucester Road

…Had they been more than minimally alert, the flâneurs at that ungodly hour straggling homewards up the Gloucester Road would have had their vigilance rewarded by a very peculiar manifestation. To be seen, fastidiously keeping within the margins of the cycle lane there depeynted: a large African Grey parrot, astride a tiny scooter. Perched behind this creature was a most comely blue and yellow budgerigar. And what might you expect…

…The same charabanc conveyed them up the same stretch of Gloucester Road. Mrs Bianca Corby slumped insensibly on the same cushion as had her predecessor in that morganatic office, viz. Mrs Arabella Perroquet, and for all her prostration blessed it with a similar quality and comparable quantity of guano. Mr Jagtar Singh in the very same black turban and the very same braid conveyed them to the very same infirmary…

Some hours later, there was to be observed toiling up the Gloucester Road a certain large African Grey parrot of our acquaintance. The large African Grey parrot of our acquaintance, withal he was large when measured against the physical scale, yet seemed morally diminished - dirty and bedraggled he was, and several of his red tail feathers had gone astray. He was very unsteady on his feet, and stumbled every…