Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-03-01
The Pink Parrot and the Gray Boy.

Once there was a parrot. / knew
him. He wore a pink suit, with a pale,
sulphur-hued plume in his crested cap.
And there was a boy; and / knew him.
He wore a gray suit. There was a
shiny silver buckle on his cap. The
Gray Boy owned the Pink Parrot. The
Pink Parrot owned nothing-nothing
now, not even himself. 1t was a great
change, l tell you, from a forest to a
age, from choosing his w fruit and
nuts to waiting for them upon the
pleasure of a boy. The Pink Parrot
Judged all boys by the Gray Boy, and
he hated boys. He often sat on his
ring, silent, moti0nless, and hated boys
by the hour. The Gray 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!' And the
Pink Parrot would wait, and while he
waited the Gray Boy made faces. In
deed, the Pink Parrot was never GER
tain of his breakfast. Ten to one, when
a luscious grape was all but in his bill,
the Gray Boy would go out of the room
carving the grape with him. He
would say, "Will you have it now, or
wait until you ear get it?" Maybe he
would come back, and maybe he
wouldn't.
But the Pink Parrots day came at
last. The Gray Boy had a watch lately
given him, a lovely-O! a little darling
of a gold watch, hat would tick, and
need to be real "truly" wound up at
night. 1t had a fob-chain and some
charms-anchors and bells, and bows
and arrows, mimic skates and balls,
bats-every thing, in fact, that would
interest a boy, and render his life per-
fectly delightful, was attached to the
| GRAY Bows fob-chain. The Gray Boy,
one morning, the oath Of December in
fact, was to take the half-past 9 train,
all by himself, to join his papa and his
mamma at his grandpa's in the country.
He had gone up stairs to brush his Dat
| and put on his watch. He had left
them up there on the sitting-room ia
BILE, a moment ago. And now, could
he believe his eyes, that his watch was
not on the table? The Gray Boy ran
up to his room, to see If he could have
lef the watch in its case; he ran down,
calling aloud to the housekeeper as he
went. But she had stepped out. He
IAN back again, and stood still, looking
olankly at the table.
All at once, high over his head, there
vas a shriu cackle of laughter. The
cray boy looked up. He gave an an
cry cry. There, in the ebony ring
which had been attached to the ceiling
Dr his swing, high out of reach, swung
ne Pink Parrot. The gold watch was
between his claws, the chain glittering
as it hung. AS he met the Gray Boys
eyes, he cackled again and laughed
maliciously.
'sWat-a-6u! Woit-a-6n" he shrieked
The Gray Boy danced with rage
While he was dancing he heard The
whistle of the half-past-9 train. He
wildly flew down to the kitchen. TIL,
housekeeper had not returned. HI
flew upstairs again, and, tears running
down his cheeks, he flew out into the
street.
wa you hare 1t now, or rat anti
yOu can get IT."
This was what the Pink Parro
shrieked after him, cackling with de
risive laughter until he nearly fell of
1LlC ling. oOSl SobolhS WIN hC4PASSi
rage, the Gray Boy rushed up the wall
toward a tall man in blue with a sta,
on his breast. "P'lice! | say plice!'
The policeman was greatly puzzled b.
the queer misunderstood requests; blu
he went into the house. And whethe,
the Pink Parrot had been used t. see
ing policemen in the green forests o
Australia, and knew him at once, | Cal
not say; but | know he started, lodged
and nearly tumbled out of the rims
when they entered; and carefully tax
ing the watch in his beak he dropped
down to the, table with it, and leavins
it, scrambled out of the room as fast a.
ever he could, squealing and cacklins
like an imp. The Gray Boy had hi
watch again, unhurt; but the day wa
spoilt, his luscious grape was no
brought back. The train was gone, an,
he had to stay in town all through
lonely Christmas Day, and eat a com
mOnplace dinner with the h~ousekeeper
And the Pink Parrot laughed.-EU'
FG17nQn, IN Wide 4U1ke