Monty and Enzi are parrots who are the subject of language experiments conducted by Sandra, a scientist. Monty was born in captivity; Enzi, who is about 10 (human) years older than Monti, was captured in the African rain forest for the experiments. Enzi is angry about being taken from his home and does not want to cooperate with Sandra. Monty persuades him to answer Sandra’s (idiotic) questions because he fears that if Enzi remains stubbornly silent, he'll be sold and they’ll be separated. When the parrots speak English, it is halting and harsh, though grammatically correct. When they speak “parrot” (which we hear as English) their language is elegant, beautiful, brilliant and graceful. Even as Sandra begins to realize that parrots can have souls, Enzi persuades Monty to escape with him. Actors who sing play Monty and Enzi.