The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-05-25
,Jaek-a-Dandy.

We children had been Wishing for a
tame crow ever since rsading Dickens
charming description OF his pet raven.
There we're no ravens where we lived;
but Brother Tom said rows were Just as
good, and could be taught to talk too.
And ono day, when we were playing
Here we goround the mulberry BUSH
in the woods near the honse, little key,
our colored washerwoman's little boy,
came along with a live crow In his hands.
OF course we were curious TO see and
examine the wonderful bird, and
we crowded around key, who seemed
bewiidered at being the object OF so much
Attentions"
aNhere did you get him?" 'eWhat are
you going TO do with him?'t '.How much
will you take for him?y asked Tom, Josie
and Fred, in one breath.
But key only grinned as he answered
each in turn.
loot him out OF his nest In a pnst-oak.
Dey was more of EN-, hut | couldn't get
ony. dis one. I'm a-gwine to raise him
il nanny III let me. But | mout sell
him If l get q good chance.
The opp rtunity was not to be lost, and
In a very few moments key was trudging
homeward with a handful OF coppers and
two nickels-all the change we could
raise among us, and we proudly carried
our new-found treasure to the house.
Mercy D u.s. cried mamma holding
up her hands. What on earth have you
got there?n
"a crow we told her. Sand we're
going to tame him and teach him t. talk.
Nonsense = SO d mamma. fYoa don't
suppose I'll have u crow about the house,
to kill the yolng chickens ard eat up the
eggs.
But we begged and pleaded, till at last
she gave her consent to let us keep II.
slt III be q great t0rment, %grnmbled
grandma. sits a young bird, and you'll
have to feed Il like a baby
But we did not mind the trouble. In
deed Ii was more Of an amusement TO us
to feed our pet on scraps OF meat and bits
Of bread. II opened its mouth so Wide,
and cried 'Caw-aw-awsN IN such q sat.s
factory way,
likely had instructed us as to the manner
of feeding.
.Jess You Peek 1t on de head, AMI M.
open it's mouth like ii does for de ole
birds. 7 he explained
And we found MS advice was good.
We namei our pet "Jack-a-Dandy, :"
and he grew and thf0ge so much that he
twas SOON ubie 10 procure MS own food,
which consisted OF eriekets "A other IN
secfs.
He was SO lame that we could allow him
per ect freedom, without any fear Of his
deserving us.
AS lie grew older he used frequently 10
4 lnt0 the top Of a tall post oak near the
| front door, from which he used to circle
around and around the house, then alighf
on the ground. and come hopping Ia tbs
door, with a cheerful cav. cawl" as II
asserting that there was no place like
home.
tiles bettek than Dick Hardy $ tame
sQnirrel. Tom used to say, for that has
tosbe kept IN d cage.
r.And Bob k00noys pet coon has to be
Fastened 10y a chain, said Josie. But
Jack-a-Dandy IS as free as we are
But mamma was not particularly
pleased with Jack, and grandma continued
to eiumble over his misdemeanors, espe-
clally when ne would rammage Ia her work
baskek ana carry az her silver thimble OK
bright steel bodkin.
"Hess d troublesome creature. z She
would declare, and II I had my way,
he'd got hss neck wrung.
hpt We kept Eg0Qd watch On our favor
lte % ke ik1 ffam getting d tomlschief.
We had used opgSbeat ende4% 10