Carol received a parrot for her birthday. This parrot was fully grown with a bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren't expletives were, to say the least, rude.

Carol tried hard to change the bird's attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, anything she could think of to try and set a good example.

Nothing worked. She yelled at the bird and the bird got worse. She shook the bird and the bird got angry and more rude.

Finally, in a moment of desperation, Carol put the parrot in the freezer. For a few moments she heard the bird squawking, kicking, and screaming then suddenly there was quiet.

Carol, frightened that she might have hurt the bird, quickly opened the freezer door. The parrot calmly stepped out onto Carol's extended arm and said: "I'm sorry that I might have offended you with my language and action and I ask your forgiveness. I will endeavor to correct my behavior."

Carol was astonished at the bird's change in attitude and was about to ask what had made such a dramatic change when the parrot continued: "May I ask what the chicken did?"

Source: Internet email, author unknown.