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     A constant stir of movement pervaded his shop; whispered twitters, sly rustling; squeals, cheeps, and sudden squeaks. Small feet scampered in frantic circles — frightened, bewildered, blindly seeking. Across the shelves pulsed this endless flicker of life. But the customers who came in said, “Aren’t they cute? Look at that little cage! They’re sweet.” And Mr Purcell himself would smile and briskly rub his hands and emphatically shake his head.
Explanation:

The narrator then remarked that Mr Purcell's shop was always bustling with movements. The pet animals and the birds in Mr Purcell's shop constantly roamed here and there inside the cage. The birds made chirpings, cheeps, squeals, and sudden squeaks while moving inside the cage, and the tiny feet's inside the cage ran around in fear. The pets, on the other hand, appeared to be terrified, worried and looking for something. According to the narrator, the caged pets demanded liberation. They wiggle around inside the cage, not in joy but in the hope that someone would let them out. This never-ending spark of life pulsated across the shelves. The statement implies that the pets in Mr Purcell's shop lived their lives with hopes across the shelves.
 
On the other hand, the customers who visited the shop while looking at the pets would say that the pets inside the cage were adorable and charming. While reading the story, one can understand the differentiation of views given in the story. The caged birds and animals were afraid, and they desired liberation from their confinement. On the other hand, customers seemed to love the caged birds' funny acts while staring at them. They were unaware of how the pets felt while in the cage, or the hilarious acts did not convince the customers that the pets wished to leave the cage.

When Mr Purcell saw his customers' happiness, he would smile, rub his hands, and emphatically shake his head. The phrase "rub his hands" meant to be in keen or greedy anticipation of something. The statement implies that Mr Purcell would rub his hands because he knew that he'd make money if he sold the pets for a fair price. So whenever he saw his customers, Mr Purcell would rub his hands in excitement.
 
Meanings of the difficult words:
 
S.No
Words 
Meanings 
1
PervadeTo spread through all parts of something
2
Whisper A soft, low noise
3
RustlingMake a soft, muffled crackling sound like that caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper
4
SquealA long, high-pitched cry or noise
5
CheepA shrill squeaky cry made by a bird, typically a young one
6
SqueakA short, high-pitched sound or cry
7
Scamper Especially of a small animal or child run with quick light steps, especially through fear or excitement
8
Frantic Wild or distraught with fear, anxiety, or other emotion
9
FrightenFeeling fear or worry
10
BewildConfused and uncertain
11
Flicker A feeling or expression of an emotion or quality that does not last very long
12
Briskly Quick, energetic, and active
13
Rub his hands To be in keen or greedy anticipation of something
14
PulseTo move or beat with a strong, regular rhythm
15
TwitterOf a bird to make a series of short, high sounds
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). Supplementary. I Want Something in a Cage - L E Greeve (36-42). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.