The bird man always drops by our compound to visit me after his usual rounds. It is fascinating--our pet birds all recognize and remember him. Whenever he walks into the gate, all of them erupt in a chorus of joyous squeals.

Our tenants have begun buying pet birds too, but it is rather distressing that the little children keep them in those tiny raffia cages designed simply for temporary transport.

Others, like Ifram, purchase as many birds as he can afford and then sets them free. I try to remind him that it is like paying the ransom for kidnapped African girls: the kidnappers succeed in making their business and then go ahead and kidnap some more.

Yet others don't like having pet birds because of a "Hansel and Gretel" complex. They feel that they have Hansel and Gretel in the cages and possibly don't like the idea of their being pushed into a stove!