Aaloo had praised Koko enormously after hearing him sing during practice, and that had upset Chilly. He went back home feeling extremely glum. Chilly’s younger brother, Parsley, will narrate what happened on the morning of the competition.

Guess what! I was unable to sleep because Chilly kept tossing and turning and flapping his wings the entire night. And in the morning, when it was time to wake up, he was fast asleep, snoring! It was the day of his competition, but he was sleeping instead of practicing. But he sings so well that I felt he would surely win. I decided to wake him up by singing a song. 

       As soon as he woke up, without a word, he  started getting ready. Aaloo came in just as I was filling up the bottle labelled ‘Best Singer’, which Aaloo had given to Chilly. I said to him, “Right now, you’re calling Chilly the ‘Best Singer,’ but when I start singing, then who will you call the ‘Best Singer’?” Aaloo’s facial expression changed  as if a fly had fallen into his soup. My mother also overheard my remark and said to me, “Dear Parsley, you’re the best at doing somersaults. There is no need for you to sing.” Before I could say anything, Chilly entered.

       You know what, it was I that hadn’t slept the whole night because of Chilly, and yet his expression was as if I had wronged him!         And instead of being happy to see Aaloo, he said, “What are you doing here? You should have gone to Koko’s house. He is your best friend after all!”

        I was so confused after hearing this. No one  told me that Koko and Aaloo were best friends. Aaloo had given the Best Singer bottle to Chilly!

        With a big smile on his face, Aaloo said to Chilly, “Whether you win or lose today, we’ll have a party after the competition. And from today, the Aaloo shake will become the Aaloo-Chilly shake again!” I decided that I wanted a best friend like Aaloo: someone who would always stand by me in both victory and defeat.          “Yes, Son, for us you’re the ‘Best Singer’ and you always will be!” said Mother, hugging him. Chilly started crying, and blubbered, “Th… Th… Mu…” I don’t think my brother should ever cry, because, when he does, so much water drips from his nose and eyes that no one except Aaloo can understand what he is saying.         I looked at Aaloo, and he translated for me, “Thank you, Mummy!” That is what Chilly was saying. But I still didn’t understand why Chilly was crying.