He first saw the yellow bird on a grey day in November. It was flying in a feeding flock of Juncos. At first he thought it was a canary, but when he got his binoculars he saw it was more like small parrot. He put out bird seed on the feeder and the yellow bird flounced at the Juncos and picked at the sunflower seeds. When he slid open the sliding doors to get a better look the yellow bird said ``Fuck you,'' and flew off.
``You too,'' he said and went indoors.
Next day the bird was in the yard again.
``That yellow bird cursed at me this morning,'' his wife said.
``Someone gave it a foul mouth,'' he answered, ``its not the bird's fault. We should catch that bird. It will die when the snow comes.''
The bird was standing in a lilac bush waiting for food. It had an expectant look. He put out more bird seed.
``Fuck you,'' the bird said.
``I think he means ``Thank you,'' he told his wife.
At Christmas there was a snow fall. He rigged a net and actually caught the bird and put it in a cage. He covered the cage to keep the bird quiet.
Everyone was coming to Christmas dinner. Even the nephew he'd turned in to the cops for smoking crack with his friends on the front lawn.
Everything went well enough until little Rodney took the cover off the yellow bird's cage.
``Fuck you, fuck you,'' the bird said.
``He means thank you!'' the man yelled as he replaced the cover.
After dinner his crack smoking nephew approached with a nasty smile.
``Thank you, uncle!'' he said.