'All right, you know what to do,' whispered Horace. 'Go!'
Two canaries - Boris and Norris - flew briskly down to the letter-box in the front door and, perching precariously, leaned onthe flap until it opened a crack. A third canary - Clarice - pushed a small stick into the crack to hold it open while Boris and Norris shifted position and pushed harder. After a good deal of huffing and puffing, between them they managed to widen the crack until it was just big enough for something small, such as a canary like Alice, to squeeze through.
'Good luck, Alice,' called Horace. 'And don't forget the signal. We'll be back later to see how you're getting on. It might be a while; it depends how we get on at the other pet shops.'
Alice waved her wing in acknowledgement and, without futher ado, slipped through the open flap and into the shop.
