The Parrot Who Spoke Two Languages: A Short Story for Bilingual Kids

High in a banyan tree at the edge of a village lived a bright green parrot named Polly. She had a red ring around her neck and a curved beak that was always busy talking.

Polly had grown up near a Mexican-American family’s home. Every day she listened to the grandmother singing lullabies and the children laughing in the courtyard. So Polly spoke Spanish.

But one summer, a new family moved into the house across the lane. They spoke English. The children read books aloud on the veranda and sang English rhymes. Polly listened carefully, and soon she spoke English too.

Too Different

The other birds in the forest did not understand.

“Why do you talk in two different ways?” asked Cawley the crow. “Pick one. It’s confusing!”

“You mix up your words,” laughed the mynas. “Yesterday you said ‘Good podduna!’ instead of ‘Good morning!'”

Polly’s feathers drooped. It was true that sometimes the words got tangled. Sometimes she started a sentence in English and finished it in Spanish. She began to wonder if something was wrong with her.

“Maybe I should forget one language,” she said sadly to the old owl who lived in the hollow of the banyan tree. “Then I’d be like everyone else.”

The owl blinked slowly. “Mixing words is not a mistake, little one. It is what a busy mind does when it knows many words. Keep both. One day, you will see why.”

The Lost Children

One afternoon, two children wandered into the forest. One was Sophie, the granddaughter from the Mexican-American family. The other was Leo, the boy from the English-speaking family. They had been chasing butterflies and gone too far. Now the trees looked the same in every direction.

Sophie began to cry. “Intiki daari teliyadu!” (I don’t know the way home!)

Leo looked worried. “What did she say? I don’t understand.”

The crows cawed. The mynas chattered. But none of them could help. They could not understand the children’s words, and the children could not understand theirs.

Polly Helps

Polly flew down and landed on a low branch.

“Don’t worry, Sophie,” she said in Spanish. “Bhayapadaku. I know the way.”

Then she turned to Leo. “Don’t be scared. I’ll take you both home.”

The children stared in amazement. “A parrot who speaks both our languages!” Leo said.

Polly became their translator. When Leo asked Sophie if she was hurt, Polly told her in Spanish. When Sophie told Leo she had a scraped knee, Polly explained in English. Soon the two children were holding hands and laughing.

Polly flew from tree to tree, calling back, “This way! Ee vaipu!” and the children followed until they saw their houses at the end of the lane.

A New Kind of Pride

Both families rushed out to hug the children. The grandmother and Leo’s mother, who had never spoken to each other, now stood side by side, thanking the little parrot together.

From that day on, the two families became friends. Sophie taught Leo Spanish words, and Leo taught Sophie English rhymes. And Polly sat on the veranda between the two houses, helping whenever the words got stuck.

The crow and the mynas watched from the rooftop.

“Maybe,” said Cawley, a bit embarrassed, “speaking two languages is not so confusing after all.”

“No,” said Polly, fluffing her feathers proudly. “It just means I can make twice as many friends.”

Moral of the Story

Knowing more than one language is a gift, not a weakness. Our languages help us connect people, understand others, and build bridges between worlds.

Talk About It

• Why did the other birds tease Polly?
• What did the owl say about mixing words?
• How did knowing two languages help Polly save the children?
• Do you speak more than one language? What words do you know in each?

This story for bilingual kids is a wonderful way to help children who speak Spanish and English, or any two languages, feel proud of their gift.

You May Also Enjoy

• The Magic Seed of Kindness: A Short Story About Sharing for Kids
• What the Old Banyan Tree Remembered
• The Village That Argued About the River

More: English Short Stories · Stories in 14 languages · Srikaram home

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