The story of the widow and the parrot teaches people that it pays to be kind to animals.
The story starts with a poor old woman sitting mending some clogs, as she had no money to buy new ones. The postman brings her a letter that informs her that her brother has died and left her a house and 3000 pounds.
So she borrowed some money off a friend and travelled to the house, only to find that it was run down and worthless with nothing but an old grey parrot inside screaming 'not at home'. However she is kind to the parrot and treated it gently.
Distraught at the fact that she would have to go home empty handed, and even have to sell the parrot to pay back her friends, she wonders off into the rain.
It soon begins to get dark and the old woman is lost and tired and begins to give up hope. When suddenly the air is filled with a bright light, enough light for her to cross the river and get back to the village.
When at the village she sees that the light is caused by her run down house on fire. She goes to stay with a villager for the night.
The old woman is woken in the night by the grey parrot tapping at her window and beckoning her to follow. She obliges. The parrot takes her to the ruins of the house and begins to squawk excitedly and tapping at some now exposed bricks under the stove that would have been hidden if it were not for the fire.
Together they dig up the bricks and find the 3000 pound stashed underneath, hidden by her crafty brother.
The old woman and the parrot return to her cottage and live happily off the 3000 pounds.