Chapter 2

6 The Human Lady's Home 'Here we are,' the Human Lady said. She carried Dave across a neatly cropped lawn, lined with yellow and purple flowers. Her front door was bright orange with a golden, sunflower-shaped knocker. Mean Cat had skulked behind the Human Lady the entire walk back to her home. She hissed and spat at me as I

followed, careful to keep my distance from the menacing terror. 'What's going on?' a voice called out. We all turned to watch a red-faced Little Human ride his scooter over the lawn towards us. He spotted my injured friend straight away, and plonked his bottom down on the grass. He tugged off his left shoe and pulled off his sock, releasing smells of something similar to a cheese and pickle sandwich. 'Take this,' he said, waving the sweaty sock at the Human Lady. 'You can use it as a bandage.' He then grabbed a bottle from the bag hanging on the front of his scooter and opened it, tipping some water into the lid.

Me and the Little Human watched as the Human Lady wrapped my friend up tightly in the damp sock, and fed him some water. Dave gulped down the drink and shrank back into the Human Lady's hands. 'Is he yours?' the Little Human asked. 'I think he is now.' The Human Lady smiled. 'I'm going to make sure he gets better.' 'What's his name?' the Little Human said, stroking my friend's head. 'I think I'll call him Dave,' replied the Human Lady. 'And who's that?' They were both looking at me. The Little Human's arm stretched out so long that his plump finger almost brushed my beak.

'Oh, he's just another pigeon,' she said. 'What's his name?' The Human Lady shrugged her shoulders. 'What do you think we should call him?' 'How about... Another Pigeon?' 'I'm sure we can do better than that!' The Little Human stuck his face in

mine and stared hard. 'What about Prince Googlybrain Sizzlepants Ninja Mallet Face Wheely Shmeely Pancakeness Snotball Jelly?' I shook my head at the Human Lady, praying she would say no. 'Perhaps something a little less snotbally?' the Human Lady said. The Little Human tickled the feathers on my back with his podgy fingers. 'He smells a bit like the toilet after my Grandpa Skipper uses it.' 'Skipper is perfect!' the Human Lady said. 'I was thinking Toilet.' 'He's definitely a Skipper,' she said quickly.

The Little Human stroked my head one more time and shouted, 'Bye Skipper!' as he charged off, leaving track marks across the lawn and flower beds. The Human Lady jiggled her hand in her bag, following the sound of her keys. 'Are you OK?' I called out to my friend. 'She wants you to call me Dave,' Dave replied, his voice weak. 'Are you OK, Dave?' 'Yes, but you need to keep that cat away from me,' he said. The Human Lady opened the front