Orlik...my beloved friend....!

One of my little treasures was a pale blue budgie I named Orlik. He was my love and playmate and simply an incredible little bird.He never liked his cage closed and therefore knew when he was being punished if we ever did .lol

It all began simple enough. You buy a young bird. It always has to be a special bird that attaches itself to your soul and that only speaks to you.You bring him home in a box, get him adjusted to his cage. Buy him treats. Teach him to sit on your finger and before you know it, this bird is all over you.

As soon as I would come home from school, he would fly and sit on my shoulder. We’d do our kissy kissy stuff and he’d share a bite of my apple with me.When I would read, he’d like to tangle himself in my hair and nibble my ear, chirping gently.

It all felt so good but if you crossed him by shooing him away, he’d head for that tiny place under the tip of your nose and give that piece of skin a good bite.
It brought tears to your eyes cause it’s a sensitive spot but he’d make his point, that his feelings were hurtand you would then wag your finger at him looking like a fool calling him a bad bird, (cause he’d try to catch it), and put him back into the cage.


We’d both sulk until I’d feel sorry seeing him with this pitiful sad expression and let him back out. We’d kissy kissy again and he’d search my face for crumbs.

He shared meals with the family on the kitchen table. If we had soup he’d sit on my soup dish and I’d feed him cooled off soup from my spoon.

He made sure to check every plate to see what was served.Then he’d run around the table picking up any pieces of bread crumbs he could find.Everything was fun and games with him.



He’d run up your arm to watch you eat paying attention to everything that went into your mouth. Then you’d lift your glass of water to him and he’d climb deep inside for a good drink. All you’d see was his tail. Then you’d open your mouth and he’d peer in to see if there was any cleaning to be done in there. That was very funny. We’d say stupid bird putting your head into the lions mouth. Loll
While the dishes were being cleared, he’d land on the floor and begin to attack your feet.

You’d have to be very careful not to step on him so instead of working, you’d lie down on the floor with him and take out your change. A dime was easy. He’d pick it up and begin carrying it all around, head held high. Then you’d change that to a nickel and he’d carry that around but you could see it wasn’t so easy cause it was a heavier coin. Then you’d give him a quarter. Now the struggle began cause he was determined to take this coin some where but he wasn’t quite sure as to where. So he’d drag it around the floor till he tired out. We gave him another 50 cent piece.

That was a real comedy to watch because he’d circle it many times trying to figure out how he was going to handle this situation. But he didn’t give up.

We had a plant that grew like a vine and it ran along our wall in the living room. He’d love to sit on it. From that vine we learned how to play tag. I’d run up to the plant and touch him with my finger and run away. He’d chase me, sit on my shoulder and then fly back to the plant. We’d play like this a good while every day.
Then one day he truly surprised me.

I called him Orlik and he answered me OOORlik. It was so difficult for him and I felt sorry I didn’t choose him an easier name. I couldn’t believe my ears. He talked. This was his present to me.




Of course this followed with so much love between us, lots of pats and kissies and rubbing of head to cheeks. The two of us were perfectly content with one another

My neighbor had an old green bird and so we decided to bring them together at the dinner table. Orlik was a gentleman. He ran up to greet her but she was stand offish and snobby and would turn her head away. After being pestered she began to run away.

It was so funny watching them run around the table both knowing they could easily fly but neither of them did.

When she saw she couldn’t get rid of him she decided to tolerate him standing beside her.

He’d see some crumbs and he’d walk back and forth to make sure she saw them as well and she’d walk over eventually and slowly nibble on them.

Orlik didn’t quite know what to make of her. She wasn’t playful and he finally began to think she was down right boring.



But he continued to entice her to do as he did showing her the tricks of the trade so to speak. Her interest began to grow as she watched him. When she had enough, she’d run up to her own owners and hung around them on the table.

We invited her often to our table to play with Orlik but it never failed. She’d always come in cool and reserved and he would have to do a lot to warm her up to his idea of fun.

Orlik was so attached to people, always wanting to please, that one day we had a storm brewing and my Mom opened the door to take the clothes off the line.

He flew to her shoulder and I ran after him but before anyone could do anything the wind picked him up and swooped him high, high, high into the air.

We both screamed Orlik! Orlik! and he was looking at us but there was nothing he could do.

Our Orlik’s wings were spread out and he was blown out of site.

Life teaches you that no matter what you do, one mistake, could cost you plenty.

Since I knew there was no way for him to return, I prayed he wasn’t hurt and managed
to find a window somewhere to sit on and perhaps find another family who would be willing to love him as much as we did.

We never forgot the joy he brought into our home and as you can see,

we can never forget him either.