Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1879 — A Parrot’s Love for a Child. [ARTICLE]

A Parrot’s Love for a Child.

Globe Democrat. - j ' Some months ago I met a gentleman from Alabama, who was possessed of remarkable conversational powers, and during a conversation Of a couple of hours he related the following parrot story, which I verily believe to be the best I ever heard: "Dr. —, of Montgomery, Ala., owned a parrot dliring and after the war that was the pride and wonder of all Montgomery county. He had learned so many phrases and witty sayings that the darkies wheu they came to town on Saturdays would congregate around his cage in large crowds and applaud by .saying: ‘Bress G«d! dat ’ar bird \got white folk’s sense!’ The Doctor, like all physicians, was frequently called out at night by some one’s ‘halloo’ at the front gate. Polly learned all this, and one night when the Doctor answered a shrill •halloo’ by coming to thedoor and asking what was wanted. Polly answered from a bunch of rosebushes, ‘Ha! ha! ha! I fool the Doctor that time; hi! he! ha!’ Polly received a sound threshing for this trick, and was quite sullen for a week or so, when one dark, rainy night the Doctor woke up to hear some one at *he gate ‘raising Cain;’ and repeating his ‘hajloo’ frequently. Going to the door he called out and asked who was there. From the tip-top of a tall Lombardy poplar the parrot screamed out in fiendish glee: ‘Ha! ha! ha! You can’t catch Polly k this time! You can’t! •jt can’t!! you can’t!J!’ All the Doct ©r’spersuasive arts were called Into requisition to get übe parrot down from her high perch, but she could not be deceived, coaxed or flattered into doing as he commandt ed or entreated* her. She resolutel kept her perch all night in the rain and waited until he started oft next morning on his daily round before she ventured down. The Doctor had a little boy aged about two years, and for ‘whom the parrot formed a strong attachment. Warren was the child’s name, and by and by he fell sick. The parrot moped around, and appeared to be quite melancholy. At times, when the child was left alone for a few moments. Polly would hop en the edge of the cradle, and, spreading out her wings, she would vibrate them like fans, and ask as she heard the nurse ask: "Poor baby! baby want water? baby sick? baby hungry? poor baby? Polly’s so-o-o sorry." Finally the child died, and the parrot slunk away for the two days proceeding the funeral, and was neither seen nor heard. On returning from the cemetery, the, family met it, waddling along in the middle of the road, repeating to herself in the tenderest and most mournful manner: "Where’s little Warren? Poor baby! baby sick? Biby want water? P-o-o-o-o r baby! Polly’s so-o-o sorry." ’ Bhe was picked up and taken back home, but never spoke another word until the day of her death, when she cried out: "Hawks, hawks," and the next minnte was whisked away in the talons of a monstrous chicken hawk that had been watching for an oppor-, tunity to carry her off for several hours. Veritas.