The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-05-09
STORIES OF PARROTS.
One Belonged to Queen Elizabeth and
Lived High.

- =
Lived High.
The very Oldest parrot story on rec
ord comes down from Queen Eliza
beth's day She owned a fine talking
bird, gifted with SO much w.1 and goo,
sense, her majesty was far fonder OF
him than her hawks and greyhounds.
He wore a ruff of bright ribbons
about his neck, little gold bells on his
feet, and, sitting on his royal mistress
shoulders, would give saucy. answers to
the noble ladies and gentlemen to
whom her majesty gave audience.
One day, when the queen went on
water party in the royal barge,
whether in fright or frolic, Polly, who
had been providing about the boat, fell
plump into the river.
A ferryman boldly jumped in and
rescued the frightened bird. Then
dispute arose as to how much the man
should be paid.
LET us leave it to the parrot" said
the queen. Polly, who had sat silently
preening his bedraggled feathers, looked
up, winked his round, red eyes and said
In a gruff voice: ooh, give the knave
a groat!" and that put an end to the
dispute.
The cleverest parrot ever known was
the property of poor actor named
O'Keefe. The bird not only talked
cleverly, but sang sweetly in tenor
voice. His favorite song was God
Save the King" but not a sound would
the parrot make on Sunday.
He enjoyed church going and sat SOL
EMMY on the back of pew, paying the
most respectful attention to all that
was said
One day, when the sermon proved
very long, and tiresome, the good
clergyman arrived at an impressive
pause, just to give weight to his words,
and the sober-sided parrot screamed
out, "Amen! amen! now let us be off,"
and scuttled out the door, near which
his master sat, leaving the weary con-
gregation, and after bit the good-na-
tured clergyman, too, laughing heart
lily.
The fame of this parrots achieve
ments reached the royal palace, where
upon King George commanded him 10
sing before the court
When Polly entered the royal pres
ence and was ordered to sing God
Save the King" not sound would the
bird make. Then his majesty, put in
quite rage by this obstinate discour-
tesy, stalked out of the room
Hardly had the door closed, however,
when the parrot broke gaily into the
national anthem, in voice so fine that
the king delightedly re-entered the
room and offered O'Keefe a princely
sum for so gifted bird.
O'Keefe loved his feathered friend
too dearly to part with him, and, tuck
ing Polly close to his breast, under his
shabby coat, begged his majesty's
leave to keep him.
When the parrot died the British
museum bought the skin and stuffed it,
and to-day Polly is to be seen in the
museum at Oxford.
A learned Philadelphia Polly sang
charmingly both in German and Eng
lish. He loved to sit in a sunny back
window and toss seed and crumbs to
hungry city sparrows; not only were
his feelings hurt, but he would scream
and scold, unless permitted to bless all
the family goodnight and good-morn-
ing.
He enjoyed the companionship of a
mate which laid several eggs, but
could never hatch them, so in despair
they set out to adopt some children.
Poking about the room one day they
CHANGED upon a box in which were
three tiny gray kittens, with which the
mother parrot was delighted.
Though the kittens struggled, she
gathered them under her wings, and
after a while the cat gave her babies
entirely into the birds care. !,
The parrots learned to drink milk at
the same saucer with their adopted
children, and the Kittens trotted con.
tentedly about at their foster parents
bells and had rough-and-tumble games
together on sunny back porch.