Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-01-07
THE TALKING BIRD.

THE TALKING BIRD.
A BIRD so very remarkable for it's
powers of speech is about to be described
that it will be well to premise that the
sketch to be offered is perfectly true
not the least fiction-and furnishes an
interesting addition to the curiosities of
natural history.
The subject of the narrative is a par
rot which belongs to Mr.. Peter Trueftt,
photographer, Edinburgh, and may be
seen in that gentleman's establishment
at SO Princes street by any respectable
lady or gentleman who may wish to make
it's acquaintance. am grateful to Mr..
Truefitt for his kindness in authorizing
me to make this statement, because it
will save me from being suspected of in
venting the story of the birds extraOr-
binary talkativeness.
/ became acquainted with Mr.. Trueftt
in the summer of 1878, and having occa-
sion to visit him one Saturday afternoon
was invited to drink tea with the family.
The only other stranger present was a
Er. P, who, like myself, had called
on business Mr.. P was Spiritual
ist, and of Spiritualism in his converse
tiCn there was no end. He told us of
having been present at a seance in Lon
don the previous week and could assure
US that he had seen human body pass
horizontally through the air from one
room to another without any support
save that given to it by the "spirits. "
Whats" [ exclaimed, "a human body
pass through the air horizontally with
out any supportw Mr.. p quietly an
swered: 81 have said So" There was
silence for moment; and then a voice
| hear it yet-quiet, grave, solemn, but
intensely satiriCal, uttered these words
"MY CONsGENCEr' [ turned round and
found, to my establishment, that the
speaker who had so suddenly and unex-
pectedly introduced himself was par
rot, which, after having thus expressed
itself, sat ON the lower part of it's cage,
with its head on one side, looking straight
across the table at Mr.. P. "Won-
dertulr' calculated. Mr. p trembled,
but could not keep his eyes from the
parrot. Eth, you rascal" said Poll,
:" go to the kitchen. You're a Fenian.
That's what say" And having thus de-
livered itself it sprang into it's
ring, and shouted at the pitch of it's
voice: Ring the bell, ring the bell.''
Mr.. P became pale, rose to his feet,
called for his hat and umbrella, and
finally said "good-by," and took his de-
parture He did not long survive this
fright. Peace be with his ashesl
AS the reader may suppose, was at
once an adnirer of Poll | had heard
parrots in a cracked voice endeavor to
say Pretty POLL" but what other par
rots had attempted this parrot had
achieved, and having been assured that
what he had said was nothing to what
he could say, [ was determined to inter
view him. This determination 1 made
known to MIR. Truef1tt, who invited me to
spend the following Monday with him.
According to appointment | went
early and was ushered into the dining
room by the servant Breakfast was set,
but, with the exception of Mrs. Truefitt,
no one had come down stairs Poll was
in his usual place, and appeared to be
very much excited. l got out my peck
et-book and pencil to be ready. "We1l
take our seats at the table, said Mrs.
Truefitt; and we had no sooner done SO
than Poll perched on one of the bars
which ran across his cage, and looking
toward the door of the room shouted in
sound, clear, distinct voice: Peter
come to breakfast. Polly wants his
breakfast. Quick, you rascal" 1t being
summertime there was no coal in the
CRATE, but, lifting the poker, Mrs. True,
fit made feint of stirring the fire, when
the parrot, in a most pathetic voice, said
"Is it very cold?" When Mr.. Truefitt
entered the room Poll more sthan sur
prised me by bowling most gracefully
and saying: "Good-morning, Mr.. True.
fit; hope you are we'll" But when the
auntie of the family appeared the joy OF
the bird was unbounded "Auntie," he
said, " comment gous, portez-0oLS? What
news in the Scotsman this morning
Come and kiss he, auntie. Come and
kiss me, darling. Kiss me, then. Oh
kiss mer This was uttered in mos
atteOtionste voice. felt astounded, and