Posted 7/04/2004 06:20:00 PM by Douglas

It's always heart-warming to see the members of a small town come together to rescue an escaped parrot.

A desperate parrot escaped from her cell at the Wellington Medical Clinic and held would-be captors at bay for about three tension-filled hours last week.

Stitch, a bright green Quaker parrot, apparently decided enough was enough and made her daring break when her handler, Joe Meegan, opened Stitch's cell door to give her a fresh dish of water.

She suddenly jumped up and flew out," Meegan said. "She actually circled the courthouse three times. She was impressive. She looked like a hawk or a falcon."

Slow news day? It gets better.

Some birdbrains in the crowd suggested using a trained cat or a shotgun to end the standoff, but Stitch's owner, DeJon O'Rear, nixed those ideas.

They say the quickest way to get a bird in the hand is through its stomach, or something like that. O'Rear hit on the idea of a bribe to capture the particularly parlous parrot.

She dug out a bag of Stitch's favorite treat, Dos Sombreros tortilla chips, and Stitch melted.

"She really likes those chips," Meegan said. "I bet she would learn to play the piano for the right amount of chips."

Not quite as dramatic as a little girl trapped in a well, but at least it had a happy ending.