Ed the Vacuum cleaner salesman approached the house.
The last house today, whether I make a sale or not, he thought.
As he came to the door he noticed a clear glass block inside the wall next to the door with a button. Below the botton a small sign read: Buzz for Doorman.
Ed also noticed
a slot with a "Insert 25 cents for cracker" sign above it next to another slot with no sign.
Ed pushed the buzzer button. He was startled to see a parrot emerge from a pet door on the side of the glass block.
"I'll ring the bell for a cracker!" said the parrot.
Ed noticed a light had come on displaying a doorbell at the back of the glass box.
Ed stood there thinking for a few moments. He had some pocket change, but this was crazy.
"How 'bout a cracker?" said the parrot.
"How 'bout you ring the bell, you pretty bird" said Ed. He didn't think it would work, but it was worth a try.
"Cracker?" said the bird back to him.
Ed sighed. He decided to knock on the door instead. He rapped on it 4 times.
As soon as the knocking ceased, the parrot blurted out "Cheapskate!" and wobbled back through the tiny pet door inside the block.
Ed waited. No one was answering.
For Cryin' out loud, thought Ed as he reached into his pocket for a quarter.
He pushed the buzzer again to have the parrot re-emerge.
"Cracker?" said the parrot.
Ed dropped a quarter into the slot. It dropped down a shaft and made the ca-ching sound that coins will.
Quickly a cracker dropped from the top of the glass block.
The parrot immediately said "Thank You!" and quickly hopped over to the doorbell proceding to ring it with its beak several times. It then scurried back to pick up the cracker and disappear through the pet door again.
A few moments later, the parrot re-emerged to say "Sorry, they're busy. Have a good day!"
Ed couldn't help but chuckle. At least he'd have a good story for the pub tonight.
Little did Ed know, that he could have just slipped a cracker through the unmarked slot.
Inside the house the parrot was in his larger cage that attached to the pet door and glass block. A man stood there and told the parrot "Good Jeaves".
"Who was it?" asked a woman in a blue sweater.
"Salesman by the looks of him through the peephole" said the man as he tossed a cracker to Jeaves.
"Salesman!" said Jeaves. "Cheapskate!"