New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-05-23
Jack-a-Dandy.

III. Club.
Jack-a-Dandy.
We children had been wishing for a
tame crow ever since reading Dickens
There were no ravens where we lived:
but Brother Tom said crows were Just as
good, and could be taught to talk too.
And one day, when we We're playing
''Here we go round the mulberry bush''
in the woods near the house, little key.
our colored washerwoman's little boy.
came along with live crow in his hands.
OF course we We're curious to see and
examine the wonderful bird, and
we crowded around key. who seemed
bewildered at being the oh, ect Of so much
attention. y
where did you get him?' ssWhat are
you going to do with him?" ssHow much
will you take for him9'' asked Tom, Josie
and Fred, in one breath.
But key only grinned as he answered
each in turn.
SCOT him out OF his nest in post-oak
Dey was more of EN-, but | couldn't get
ony dis one. I'm a-gwne to raise him
if mammy'll let me. But l mout sell
him if / get good chance. ?
The opp -rtunity was not to be lost, and
in very few moments Il1ey was trudging
homeward with d 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 on us.' cried mamma holding
up her hands. ''What On earth have you
got there?"
"A crow, - we told her. ssAnd we're
going to tame him and teach him to talk =
Nonsense" sd mamma. s.Yoa don't
suppose III have a crow about the house,
to kill the yong chickens and eat up the
eggs. !"
But we begged and pleaded, till at last
she gave her consent to let us keep it.
..lt5ll be a great torment grumbled
grandma. SITS young bird, and you'll
have to feed it like baby
But we did not mind the trouble IN
deed it was more of an amusement to US
to feed our pet on scraps of meat aud bits
of bread. It opened its mouth so wide,
and cried 'sCaW-aw-aW." in such sat.s-
factory way.
Ikey had instructed US as to the manner
of feeding.
Jess you peck it on de head, AMI it'll
open it's II outh like it does for de ole
birds, = he explained.
And we found his advice was good.
We namei our pet Overwhelmingly. y
and he grew and throYe so much that he
was soon able to procure his own food,
which consisted OF crickets and other in
sects.
He was so tame that we could allow him
per ect freedom, without any fear of his
deserving us.
AS he grew older he used frequently to
fly into the top of a tall post oak lear the
front door, from which he used to circle
around and around the house. then alight
on the ground, and come hopping in the
door, with cheerful s'caw! caw.'' as if
asserting that there was no place like
home.
Hes better than Dick Hardy S tame
squirrel = Tom used to say, flor that has
to be keptin a cage"
s.And Bob Rooney's pet coon has to be
fastened by 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 grumble over his msdemeanors, espe-
cially when he would rummage in her work
basket, ana carry of her silver thimble or
bright steel bodkin.
Hes a troublesome creature, she
would declare, ..and if / had my way,
he'd get his neck Wrung.
But we kept good watch on our favor
lite to kesp him from getting into mischief
We had used our best endeavors to