Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-07
Tllr family CirtlE.
The Pink Parrot and the Grey Boy.
BY ELLA FARNAM.

once there was parrot. L knew nm.
lie wore pink suit, with II pale, sulphur
hued plume in his crested cap.
And there was boy; and | knew him.
He wore grey suit. There was Il shiny
silver buckle on his cap.
The Grey Boy owned the Pink Parrot.
The Pink Parrot owned nothing-nothing
now, not even himself. 1t was great
change, l tell you, from forest to cage,
from choosing his own fruit and nuts to
waiting for them upon the pleasure of a
Boy. The Pink Parrot judged all Boys by
the Grey Boy, and he hated Boys. He
often sat on his ring, silent, motionless,
and hated Boys by the hour.
The Grey Boy would bring in grapes
and berries and nuts, and lay them down
in plain sight, but out of reach, saying to
the Pink Parrot, "Wait-a-bit! wait-a.bit. y
And the Pink Parrot would wait, and
while he waited the Grey Boy made faces.
Parrots have a hooked bill, and the up
per jaw is hung with hinge, like box
lid. Did you know it9
The Grey Boy would stand before the
Pink Parrot and draw his chin in to look
like the hooked bill, then he would work
his mouth like hinge. Indeed, the Pink
Parrot was never certain of his breakfast,
rs to time nor quantity. Ten to one, when
a luscious grape was all but in bis bill, the
Grey Boy would 90 out of the room carry
ing the grape with him. He would say,
evil you have it now, or wait until you
can get it?" Maybe he would come back
and maybe he wouldn't.
But the Pink Parrots day came at last.
The Grey Boy had a watch lately given
him, II lovely-O! u little darling of II gold
watch, that would tick, and need to be real
truly" wound up at night. 1t had fob
chain and some charms anchors and bells
and bows and arrows, mimic skates and
ball-bats-evorything in fact, that would
interest boy, and render his life perfect
ly delightful, was attached to the Grey
Boys fob-chain.
The Grey Boy, one morning, the oath of
December, in fact, was to take the half
past nine train, all by himself, to Join his
Papa and Mamma at his grandpa's in the
country. He had been LETT in town, with
the house-keeper, until school should close.
The Grey Boy had had breakfast, and
was now I'LL ready to 60, 1t had been Il
hasly meal but w&s there not to be stuffed
turkey and cranberry sauce for dinner?
He had bid the housekecper good morn
ing, and had gone up stairs for the bunch
of dollhouse rosebuds and the HARPER S
Magazine he was to take out to Mamma,
and to brush his coat and put on his watch.
He had left them up there on the sitting
room table, in readiness, altogether, Il mo-
ment ago. And now how could lie be-
lcve his eyes, that his watch was not on
the table! The Grey Boy was in double
dismay. 1t was near train time, and then
the idea that Il sneak-thief had been in the
house, lie ran up to his room, to see if
he could have left the watch in its case
he ran down, calling aloud to the house.
keeper as he went. But she had stepped
out. He ran back again, and stood still,
looking blankly at the table.
All ut once, high over his head, there
was Il shrill cackle of laughter. / he Grey
Boy looked up. He gave an angry cry.
There, in the ebony ring which had been
attached to the ceiling for his swing, high
out of reach, swung the Pink Parrot The
gold watch was between his claws, the
chain glittcrinS us it hung, AS he met
tile Grey Boys eyes, he cracked again and
laughed maliciously.
l." Wat q bit ~ Wait q BILL" he Shrek
ed.
The Grey Boy danced with rage. While
he was dancing he heard the whistle of
the half-past nine train. lie wildly flew
down to the kitchen. The housekecpcr
had not returned. He flew up stairs again,
and, tears running down his checks, he
flew out into the street,
"WiU yo'ls haze ii noW, or aCI3 until
yOu can get H?'
This was what the naughty Pink Parrot
shrieked after him, cackliug with derisive
laughter until he nearly fell off his ring.
Just sobbing with helpless rage, the
Grey Boy rushed up the walk toward II
tall man in blue with II star on his breast.
"P'lice! | say, p'lice!'
The policeman was greatly puzzled by
the queer, misunderstood request; but
he went into the house. And whether the
Pink Parrot had been used to seeing police
men in the green forests of Australia and
knew him at once, cannot say; but |
knew he started, lodged, and nearly tum-
bled out of the ring when they entered,
and carefully taking the watch iD his beak,
he carefully dropped down TO the table
with it, and leaving it, scrambled out of
the room as fast as ever he could, squeal-
ing and cackling like an imp.
The Gray Boy had his watch again, I'M
hurt; but the day was spoiled, his luscious
grape was not brought back. The train
was gone, and he had to stay in town all
through lonely Christmas day, and eat a
comm on-place dinner With the housekeep,
er. And the Pink Parrot laughed Vide
AWukc.