Ever wonder what your pet really thinks about you? What if they’re not just watching you fumble with technology—what if they’re taking notes?In “Who’s a Good Bird Now?”, we meet Archimedes: an African Grey parrot with a flair for the dramatic, a vendetta against discount birdseed, and an unsettlingly sophisticated understanding of voice-activated assistants.This isn’t your typical “cute animal story.” Archimedes opens with a declaration that immediately lets you know what you’re in for:
“Let me be clear about something from the start: I am not your average parrot.”
And he means it. This is a bird who claims to have “whispered secrets into royal ears” in Byzantine courts and watched Renaissance alchemists “turn lead into nothing but debt and despair.” Now? He’s stuck in a cage, subjected to tap water he suspects “flows from the same tap they use to rinse their gym socks” and the daily indignity of being asked: “Who’s a good bird?” But when Archimedes discovers that his captor’s “smart” home responds to voice commands… well, let’s just say the Roomba enters what can only be described as “berserker mode,” and the coffee maker becomes an instrument of psychological warfare. The result? A hilarious, surprisingly philosophical tale about power, respect, and what happens when the overlooked finally decide they’ve had enough.
Want to find out if Archimedes gets his freedom—and what he’s planning next?👉 [Read the full story on Reedsy] and drop a comment letting the author know your favorite moment. (Mine involves ice cubes, a screaming human, and a thermostat reading 91 degrees.)Because sometimes the revolution starts with a single squawk.
