The message of this fable-like children’s story by Virginia Woolf is that kindness can lead to rich rewards. A frail old widow is so poor that sometimes she goes without food to give her dog its bone. One day, she learns that her miserly brother has died and left her a house and £3,000. The house, which is inhabited by a foul-mouthed parrot, is in terrible condition and there is no sign of her brother’s money. She treats the parrot kindly, and the clever bird not only saves her life, but also leads her to his gold.
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