Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-05
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about that usually drives men to the flow
ing bowl.
Several months ago a lot of people
moved in next to the house where I've had
room for years. My business keeps me
up nearly all night, and usually get home
about O'Clock in the morning | natur-
ally want to sleep a little, and it has been
my habit to stay in bed until noon. Well
the day after these people moved in 1 was
rudely awakened from my beauty sleep
along about in the morning by a series of
piercing shrieks, followed by shrill whistles
and cat calls. My window overlooks the
area of the adjoining house. and the sounds
Heated in with volume enough to wake the
dead. l ran to the window, expecting to see
L don't know what.
Looking out into the area, I saw a
green parrot with a yellow topknot swing
ing head downward from. a perch nailed
to the brick wall, yelling like mad. He
minutes before 1 could attract his atten-
ton Finally, by frantically waving a bath
towel out of the window, caught his eye,
and he rested a minute while he straight
ened up and looked at me with a ma
hcious leer. Then L Clipped in, soothingly:
Pretty polly; good birdy. Polly want
cracker? and lot of that rot. He cooked
his head sidewfse, and, carefully sizing me
up, yelled at the top of his cracked voice:
IhieYes, thieves, outside; sic him, Bull;
sic him, Bull; whooe, ha, ha. ha.' and then
he nearly fell off his perch laughing.
This brought out his owner long
haired, elderly looking man, who looked
up at me and scowled. He handed that
measly bird piece of apple and, after
giving me a savage glance, went back into
the house. Everything quiet as long
as the apple lasted, and | had begun to
think L was going to get back to sleep, but
in about ten minutes the yells and shrieks
commenced again, and went on steadily for
half an hour, while l tossed about on the
bed and rained down maledictions on the
bird and its owner.
That was the first morning, and the
same thing has been going on ever since
L went down to the police station at the
end of the first month and made complaint
The sergeant looked me over and said he
would investigate the matter The parrot
continued to exercise. his vocal chords
however, right along, Sundays included.
After two trips to the station, L succeeded
In having an officer sent to the bird 5
owner with instructions to tell the man
the bird must be kept quiet, or the owner
would be hauled up in court for maintain
ing nuisance. For week there was not
a sound in the vicinity, and l was getting
large chunks of sleep of mornings The
perch on the wall disappeared, and
hoped the parrot had been sent away for
the summer.
Il was just turning over for my second
nap day before yesterday morning when
the air was suddenly split with a long
Drawn whistle, keen as knife blade. Then
from the area came something like this:
Hey, hey, hey, Brown. Get up, get up,
get up. Whoooe, whoooe, hey, hey, hey,
Brown, up, up, up, get, get, get up. Ha,
ha, ha.'
Il rushed to the window with a howl of
rage, and grabbed the water pitcher from
the washstand as 1 passed. There was
that Internal bird walking about in the
yard, yelling my name like a demon. Over
in the corner, in a rocking chair, lolled my
lcng-haired neighbor. He pretended to be
reading paper which he held before his
face, but he wasn't, for I could see the
paper shaking as he laughed. 1 was 50
mad | couldn't speak. l tried twice, and
something in my throat choked me-
fired the pitcher at that cussed bird
and banged down the window Then l
dressed and went around to the police sta
ton to lodge another complaint. And
there is where the worst of it came in.
The sergeant said a gentleman had already
been there to complain of my throwing
things into his back yard. He refused to
hear my story, and said it was a pretty
serious thing to be throwing pitchers at
people. Then he wound up by giving me
warning.
I'm going to move, and I want to get
some place where man can have some
rights and seclusion. That Internal neigh
Dor of mine had spent whole week in his
house teaching that feathered limb of
Satan to call out my name. Oh, yes, I'm
sleepy, and I'm sore. too; especially on
yeilow-top parrots and long-haired men"