1 Up in Bill’s aeroplane
　　Kiki the parrot was annoyed. She had been left all alone for a day, and she talked angrily toherself.
　　‘What a pity, what a pity, what a pity, poor, poor Polly! Ding-dong bell, Polly’s down the well,good morning, good morning!’
　　Mrs Mannering put her head in at the door of the room where Kiki was sitting.
　　‘Kiki, don’t be so absurd! Talking away to yourself all day like that! The children will soon beback.’
　　‘Ding-dong bell,’ said Kiki mournfully, and made a cracking noise with her beak¹.
　　‘I suppose you miss Jack²,’ said Mrs Mannering, coming into the room and shutting the doorcarefully behind her. ‘He won’t be long now, Kiki. You’ll hear him and the others any minute.
　　Now be a good bird and don’t make any more noise.’
　　Kiki opened her beak, swelled³ up her throat and gave her famous imitation of an express trainscreeching on entering a tunnel. Mrs Mannering put her hands to her ears.
　　‘Naughty Kiki, naughty! How many times have we told you not to do that?’
　　‘How many times have I told you to shut the door, shut the door, shut the door,’ answered backKiki, and ruffled⁵ up her feathers so cheekily that Mrs Mannering gave her a tap on her beak.
　　‘Funny old bird,’ she said. ‘Ah, listen – that sounds like the children coming back. They’vebeen up in an aeroplane, Kiki! Fancy that! That’s why you had to be left alone all day!’
　　‘Jack, Jack, Jack!’ screamed Kiki, hearing the voice of her owner. Four children burst into theroom, their faces red with excitement.
　　‘Hallo, all of you!’ said Mrs Mannering. ‘How did you like it? Was it fun being so high up inthe air?’
　　‘Oh, Mother! It was the greatest fun in the world!’
　　‘Aunt Allie, I shall buy an aeroplane of my own as soon as ever I’m grown up.’
　　‘Mother, you ought to have come. Bill piloted the plane and he was marvellous’.
　　‘I wasn’t airsick, Aunt Allie, though Bill gave me a paper bag to be sick in.’
　　Mrs Mannering laughed. All the four

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