Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-07-15
Bird Talk.
Jta Bakers story Absss the Califsr-
sts DIs~ Jays.
THEIR SENSE OF HUaoR-AN UNFULFILLED
ACORN CONTRACT.

THEIR SENSE OF HUMoR-AN JNFULFILLED
ACORN CONTRACT.
From Marx Twain's Tramp Abroad"
Animals talk to each other. OF course.
There can be no question about that but |
suppose there are very few people who can
understand them. | never knew bu, one
man who could. knew he could. however.
because he told me so himself He was a
mlddle-aged. simple hearted miner. who had
lived in lonely corner OF California. amnnv
tue ~vvus anu mountains, good many
years. ana had studied the ways Of his only
ncighbors, the beasts and the birds, until he
believed he could accurately translate any
remark which they made. This was Jim
Baker. According to Jim Baker some ami
mails have only limited education, and use
only very simple words. and scarcely ever
comparison or tlowery figure whereas,
certain other animals have a large vocabu-
larry. fine command Of language and a
ready and fluent delivery consequently
these latter talk great deal; they ike it
they are conscious of their talent and they
enjoy showing off. Baker said. that after
long and careful observation he had come to
the conclusion that the blue JAYS were the
best takers he had found among birds and
beasts SAID he
You may call jay a bird Well. so he
is. in measure-because he's got feathers
on him. and don't belong to no church. per
haps but otherwise he Is just Us much hu-
man as YOU be. And I'll tell YOU for why
A jays gifts and instincts and feelings and
interests cover the whole ground. 4 jay
hasn't got any more principle than Con
gressman. A jay will lie, jay will steal, a
jay will deceive. Jay will be;ray and four
times out Of five a jay will 20 back on his
solcmuest promise. The sacredness of an
obligation is thing which you can't cram
into a blue jays head. Now. on top Of all
this. there's another thing jay can out
swear any gentleman IN the mines. You
think a cat can swear. Well, cat can
but YOU give blucJay a subject that
calls for his reserve powers, and where is
Your cat Don't talk to me- know too
much about this thing. And there's yet
another thing IN the one little particular Of
sooldinx-Just good, clean. out-and out
scoldlng-a bluc-Jay can lay over anything
human or divine. Yes sir. jay Is every
thing that man is \ jay can cry, jay
can laugh, Jay can feel shame, Jay can
reason and plan and discuss. a jay likes
gossip and scandal, a JAY has got sense Of
humor. jay ku.~s when he is an ass just
a, well as you do-masbc better. If a jay
amt human. he better take in his sign,
that, all. Now, I'm guIng 70 tell YOU a
perfectly true fact about some blue jaws.
Nv hen ! first begun to understand Jay
language correctly, there was a little Incl
dent happened here. Seven years ago, the
last man in the region but mr moved away
There stands his house been empty ever
since log house. with plank ruof-Just
one blg room. and no more; no ceiling
nothing between the rafters and the floor.
Well one Sunday morning ! wa. sitting out
here IN front OF my cabin, with my cat. tax
ing the sun and looking at the blue hills and
!.-,, <fig 10 shr !,sve- rustllng 80 lonely in
Tho, trees. and thinking Of the home away
sundcg IN the states, that hadn't heard from
in thirteen years. when a blue jay lit On that
house with an acorn in hi, mouth, and says,
"Ih.lo. reckon I've struck something
When he spoke the acorn dropped out of IN,
mouth and rolled down IN the roof .!
cour.c. bu; he dIdn, care; hi> mind " As all
on the thing he had struck. Il vas a knot
hole in the roof. He cooked HI, head To one
side, shut one eve. and put the other onc 10
the hole. like 4 possum looking down Jug !;
then he glanced up with his bright eyes.
gave a vlnk or two with his wings-whIoh
signifies qualification, You understand-and
saws, IL look. like hole, its located like a
hole. blamed If | don't believe it - hole .
Then he cooked his head down and took
another look ; be glance, up perfectly joyful
this time wiuks hi. wing. and his tail both,
and ,ays. %. no, thi. amt no fat thing |
reckon Ii amt in luck-why, IL, per
fcctlN elegant hole" SO he flew down aud
got ;ha, acorn, and fetched II up and dropped
It IN. and was just fitting his head back
with the heaveulIest smile on his face, when
all Of sudden he Was paralyzed into a list
cuing attitude. aud that smile faded grad
ually out OF his countenance, like breath of n
a razor, and the queeTest look OF surprise
took its place. Then he says, Why.
didn't hear il fall" lie cooked his eve at
the hole again, and took long look ;
raised up and shook hi. head; stepped
around to the other side Of the hole and
took look from that side shook his head
again. He studied awhile. then he just
went into the details-walkcd round and
round the hole, and spied into il from every
point Of the compass. No use. Now he
t""A tli!ih4hS d't4tuut oI1 'i4c to'iio VI t'it
roof, and scratched the back of hls head with
b. nigh, foot a minute, and finally says,
Well, rs too many for nae, that's certain
must be mighty long hole. However, |
amt got no time TO fool around here, got
TO tend TO business; reckon rs all right
chance it. anyhow.
80 he flew and fetched another acorn
and dropped il in, and tried to flirt his eve
10 the hole Quick enough to see what be-
come Of It. but he was too late. He held
his eve there as much as a minute; then he
raised Ii and sighed. and saws. .Confound il.
| dom, seem to understand this thing, no
way; however, I'll tackle her again He
fetched another acorn. and done his level
best to see what become of it. but he couldn't.
He saws. We'll, never struck no such hole
as this before I'm Of the opinion its to-
tally new kind Of hole Then he began to
get mad. He held in for a spell. walking
up and down the comb Of the roof, and
shaking his head and muttering to himself;
but his feelings got the upper hand of him.
presently, and he broke loose and cussed
himself black in the face. lneyer see bird
take on so about little thing. When he
got through he walks TO the hole and looks
in again for half a minute; then he says,
.Weu you'r. "a long hole and n deem hole