After his wife died, an old Jew received a parrot from his sons to keep him company. After a time, he discovered that the parrot had heard him daven so often that it learned to say the prayers. The old man was so thrilled he decided to take his parrot to the synagogue on the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah.
The rabbi protested when he entered with the bird, but when told the parrot could "daven" (pray), the rabbi, though still skeptical, showed interest. People started betting on whether the parrot would daven, and the old man happily took bets that eventually totaled $50,000.
The prayers began but the bird was silent. As the prayers continued there was still not a word from the bird. When the prayers ended, the old man was not only crestfallen but also $50,000 in debt.
On the way home he thundered at his parrot: "Why did you do this to me? I know you can daven, you know you can daven. Why did you keep your mouth shut? Do you know how much money I owe people now?"
To which the parrot replied: "A little business imagination would help you, dear friend. You must look ahead: Can you imagine what the stakes will be like on Yom Kippur?"
