Two ceramic pet bowls, one filled with water and the other with dry food, rest on a folded green knitted blanket.

Original artwork, not a still

Marie Corelli

I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon and a cat that comes home late at night.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker jokes that marriage was unnecessary because three pets already cover a husband's duties. The dog growls in the morning, the parrot swears all afternoon, and the cat comes home late at night. The humour is a dry swipe at husbandly habits.

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