Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-09-18
A REMARKABLE PARRorT.


A REMARKABLE PARROTT.
A True Account of a Wonderfully Intel1i-
gent Bird.
The following account, says the New
York Observer, of an intelligent speak
ing bird, which seemed almost to have
been endowed with reason, was sent to
us by a lady, n of our subscribers
Since receiving it we have made further
inquiry, and have the following assur-
nee from the writer: ''The account is
strictly true. l have heard a great
many wonderful things about Miss
al observation"
Last fall my colored cook asked me
If she might have her parrot sent to her.,
and l rather u%nwillingly consented.
One morning the village express wagon
came to the door bringing Miss Polly ="
who, to the great amusement of the
driver, was talking very distinctly and
sensibly. After dinner I went to the
Kitchen to see the new arrival and as
soon as she saw me she said: "Hellos,
gall" Now why that parrot did not
say "good-bye'' Or any other words
was a mystery to me, but on a longer
acquaintance 1 found she used word,
she considered suitable for the occasion.
The next morning while taking break
fast l left the door open, AZ Polly was
alone in the kitchen, and soon / heard,
a voice like a child's, singing these
words. and to the right tune:
I'm the cross, in the cross,
BE my glory ever,
I'LL my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river"
After a pause she said: "Sing, Pol
ly," and then changed the tune and,
sang: "Oh think of the home over
there" and then, I suppose thinking
of breakfast, she said: "Polly want
bread and butter,'' "Polly want tea"
Polly wan potato"
After a little while I became very
fond of Miss Polly, and she of Inc.
When I went to the kitchen would!
peep into the door, without saying a
word, and after a severe look, Polly
would call: "What are you doing?"
and when I entered she would jump
for Joy and say: Chow do you do,
love?" "Polly pretty we'll" Some-
times if | was giving directions to my
cook, Polly would chatter so fast that
you could hear no one else, and if T.
took a book in my hand she would
make believe read in a continuous
strain.
One of her great delights was to have
me open the cage and let her come out'
and crawl upon the top, when she would
say: .'Aha, Miss Polly!' and laugh
loud and long. One day, when she
was enjoying her freedom on the top Of
the cage, l put my head down on my
hands and made believe cry aloud.
Polly gave me just a look, then came
quickly down and jumped in my lap
and looked in my face. l thought per-
haps this exhibition of feeling was acct
dental, but 1 tried the experiment an
other day when Polly was behind the
cage, and she climbed directly over and
came in my lap as before.
One day some very little kittens camo
to the house. l took one and stroked
it, and Polly looked on for a moment.
then came to the wires OF her cage, put
down her head and said: .Want to
scratch Polly" in this way showing her
jealousy of the kitten.
1t was quite an amusement to the,
school-children to hear her say her let
tiers. They would call to her if she was
in the yard, and she would answer
them. One thing [ found rather
troublesome. If a child or a man ran
quickly past the house she would call
Fire! Fire!" so loud that you could
hear her a long distance off. She must
have heard people cry fire in the streets
Of Brooklyn, where she formerly lived.
Always when L left her she would say:
Goodbye, love-" Goodbye, dear"
One day [ said to her: ..Polly, how
nice it would be if You could live again
in another world" l was startled to
hear her answer: ''That's So"
These are a few of the singularly APP
propriate remarks Miss Polly made, and
l am sure you will agree with me that
she is q very wise bird.