The record-union., 1895-07-27
THE PARROI'S SCHOOL.

! Translated from the Spanish OF Vicente Riya
| Pylacio, by s. II. Gerrish, for the RECORD
| UNION.
! If [ was to affirm that had seen what
/ am going to relate l would, without
doubt. be untruthful. But it was related
! to me by an old lady, who referred to per-
sons who said they had heard it Of trust
worthy friend of the witness, aud on such
basis of certainty I may we'll have faith
in the truthfulness of the following mar
ration
In the southern part Of the Mexican
Republic, and in the sources of the Sierra
Madre. which flows until lost in the
waters of the Pacific, there is little viii
lage, same as all these little towns are
| little white houses, with roofs Of burnt
t tiles, and shaded with the brilliant leaves
Of palm trees. The cool shade OF the
erect cocoanut. the thick tamarind and
gigantic cedar trees, and the rustlIng
pIantain ana banana plants otter them q
refuge from the ardent rays OF tropi-
cal sun.
The ater in little streams cross and
wind through all the little streets, hidden
at times among compact floral Verdure.
In this village there was school-and
1t should be there yet-but at the time we
are speaking Of it was under the govern
ment OF Don Lucas Torcida, a person
very much loved by all the neighbor-
hood. lie never missed the hour he was
accustomed to fulfill his weighty obliga
ton. What martyrs the village school
masters are! In this school, following
the traditional customs and usages gen.
eral in those times. the study for the boys
was species Of orphean, and in different
Il MOI ~ n n
notOny in chorus as they studied the
letters, the syllables, the Christian doc
trine or the multiplication table.
Don Lucas supported with heroic resig
nation that daily task, and at times when
the little ones called out with more enthu-
siasm and better, then you could see ad-
mlralIon formed on the features Of the
sympathetic aud honored face of Don
Lucas.
After o'clock in the evening the chill
dren escaped from the school, throwing
stones, pulling dogs oy their tails, screech-
ing anu Whlstling, but being outside OF
the juristlctional waters of Don Lucas, he
looked tar away as novelist would say,
"tremulous with satisfaction" 1t WAC
then that Don Lucas, belonged to himself,
| took from the street a large willow basket,
servant brought him, cap OF choco-
late with large tarta OF bread (round,
Hat Mexican caSe), and Don Lucas en-
joyed the cool OF the evening, receiving
on his bald forehead the perfumed little
breeze that came nom the woods as a
consOlor to the neighbOrs for the tatigues
! of the day, commenced to dispatch his
modest lunch, dividing lovingly with his
parrot. For Don Lucas had q parrot,
which Was-as they say nowadays
| his weakness, and was always on a
perch at the door of the school, at re-
spectacle hight To escape the boys. and
81. l.. H.
palm leaves to Keep OF the sun. There
the parrot and Don Lucas understood
each other perfectly. Sometimes he
mixed bis words, more or less well
learned, with the chants OF the children.
never increasing the discord with the
cracking ana lnharnonlouS cries that he
had learned in his maternal home.
But when the school was left deserted
and Don Lucas went TO take the chOco-
late, then those two friends had To- give
free expansion to all their affections. The
parrot ran over his perch, from top to
bottom, saying all he knew and all he
! did not know, rubbing his bill with salts
faction on the perch, and hanging by his
claws, head down, 10 receive the sop of
/ bread with chocolate that with paternal
| care Don Lucas carried 10 him.
And thus passed every evening.
Many years passed, and Don Lucas
! came TO have so much confidence in his
/ dear "Perico," as he was called by the
| boys, that he neither cut his wings nor
| cared TO fasten him by the leg with
/ chain.
one morning, it was about 10 o'clock,
/ one of the boys that was casually outside
! OF the sChOolhouse cried out with fright,
! 'Senor maestro, where has Perico flown
/ to?'' On hearing this master and scholars
! launched out In a precipitated tumult to
The door. ali together. and, in fact, in the
| distance like grain OF green enamel in
jured by the rays ofthe sun, they saw the
migrate forcing his flight to gain rs soon
as possible refuge in the neigh boring
/ forest. AS all pursuit was impossible
for neither would they have the power to
detect, or distinguish, among the great
multitude OF parrots that populated these
woods, Don Lucas gavea deep sigh, and
! from the very depths OF his breast cam 0
a Gods will be DONE" returned to &C.
| cupy his seat with his task as schoolnas-
ter, as ii that terrible event had not hap
pened.
After many months hsd passed, Don
Lucas had let the shadows of oblivion
CONVEX the.ingratitude of PericO, he had
occasion to begin journey to one of the
ghboring villages to pass his vacation.
! Very early in the morning he saddled his
horse, partook of light brea ktast. and
went out OF the village, taking courteous
! leave Of the lew neigh bors that happened
10 be met in the streets.
In that country the near towns are
those that are only separated by dis
lance Of twelve or fourteen leagues, and
Don Lucas was compelled to travel the
! greater part OF the day.
/ 1t was = O'Clock in the afternoon, and
the sun was pouring down torrents OF
/ IRE, not the lightest breath of wind
moved the light leaves of the palm trees
that stood sketched over a blue sky as
/ llnmovable as trees of iron. The birds
hidden IN the foliage Of The trees were
very silent and dumb, the locusts only
sung tenaciously III that terrible midday
silence. AS the hosre of Don Lucas adj
vanced, his feet, as they struck the
ground, sounded as monotonous az the
ticking produced by tho pendulum OF a
| clock. Suddenly Don Lucas thought he
heard in the distance the chant of school
children when studying their letters and
syllaOles. At first it appeared to him to
be an hailucination, produced by the
heat. as those that suffer vertigo at first
hear music and bells, but as he advanced
the chanting came sounding clearer and
more perceptible: there was a school III
the midst OF that deserted forest. be re-
manned transfXed with astonishment
aud fear, when from the surrounding
trees there arose taking flight a flock OF
parrots, that came chanting TO the &C.
compartment 'Ba, be, bi, DO, bu, la, le.
| Ii, 10, lu," and past them one of the par
rots flew magessically, and as he passed
near tie frightened master, turned his
head and said to him, joyfully: Don
! Lucas, have school now ~
sir Henry Irviug's QuIxotfc Halo.