Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-11-21
"cRlP," THE TALKING CROW.
A True and Fascinating Story.

Grip came into my possession In this
wise. One day in April CHANGED to
meet a couple of urchns who had been
robbing and destroying crows nests,
thinking they were doing a vast good
for the farmers by exterminating the
robbers of their cornields | had long
believed that the crow was not so
black as he was painted, and that for
every kernel OF corn he stole he des-
troyed many grubs and Insects, which
would have injured crops far more than
the bird could have done with all of his
depredations.
A sorrier object never saw than this
poor kidnapped baby crow crouching in
the folds of a ragged and tattered old
hat He was very ugly in his half
hedged feathers, with large head and
long heak. but he looked so pitful that
my heart went out to him at once
We soon had made bargain The
boys then ran off with happy faces and
stil happier hearts clutching a few
dimes in their little fists, while proceed
ed homeward with my newly found pet
wrapped in my handkerchief.
As soon as | reached home I placed
him i'm good-sized chicken-crate under
large pne-tree IN the front yard, where
] fed him bread and milk, which he
gulped down greedily. and, like Oliver
Twist, kept crying for more, until
thought his appetite never would be
appeased. I kept him in the crate for
several days, feeding him very often
When he saw me approaching he would
spread his wings, open his mouth, and
shrilly Cav, cav cawi' for something
to eat. His appetite was voracious.
lie would eat anything given to him ;
meat. bread cake, fruit, eggs. all went
greedily into his gullet. I wondered how
the parent. crows ever kept filled the
Jaws of a hungry family.
Grips babyhood did not last long He
grew so rapidly that in three weeks he
was n full-pledged crow, with beautiful
glossy black feathers. of which he was
very proud.
\ large bed of pansles near the house
which was my pride. was his especial
delight Every morning | would pluck
the blossoms which were so like little
faces that smiled up to me. Grip was
ALWAYS on hand to assist me- but he
would ruin every flower by shipping 1t
Off andS he did II so spitefully. ! knew
that hes was jealous of the flowers I
loved. &.
Go way. Grip go way" would
say to him. sometimes using a little
switch to drive him off. The moment
I was out of sight. however, down he
would swoop again into the pansy- bed
and "snip. snip" would go their heads.
There was scarcely an hour in the day
when some one was not calling out. 60
'wav Grip. go way" for the whole fam
lily kept watch over those pansies
At times Grin would be very loving
Alightng on my shoulder. he would cud-
die down close TO my face. uttering soft
little croaking notes. Then he would
slyly pull the pin from my collar and
begin snatching at the hair-pins in my
hraids. At other times, when | called
him. he would not come to me- but
would alight near me. and look al me so
impishly while I pleaded Come here.
Grip; come. Grippy come here
One day I was coaxing him thus as he
hopped along on the top board of the
fence He put his head down and
seemed to be checking and swallowing.
After several such spasms he uttered the
words. Go way. Grip. go way" very
distinctly. could hardly believe my
ears. Grip my crow could say three
words: Go way. Grip" For a long
time he had chartered and made cultural
noises. He would scream and laugh
like young imp. But now he could
talk, and aside from being surprised |
was delighted. He soon learned to say
Go way Grip" without effort. and not
long after that | heard him say. Come
here. Grip come, Grippy. come here"
in the same coaxing tone | used to hims
Rainy days were his delight Then he
held high carnival on the woodpile,
where he would chatter and laugh, coax
and scold by turns: Come here, Grip.
come here" In a soft, coaxing tone
then harshly. Go way, Grip. go way"
II sounded as II two children wore
quarreltng.
Later he learned to say "Al right"
Hurry up" and almost any hour in
the day he could be heard. Of not seen.
practising his new accomplishments.
During that fall I taught the district
school, half a mile from home. 1t was
a pleasant walk. in good weather. Grip
was on hand to see me safely on my way
each morning. He would hop or fly
along. or ride on my shoulder, until he
came to the bridge which spanned the
creek just halfway to the school-house.
Then he would fly up into tall willow
tree bending over the water Thus far
would he go. but no farther.
One morning however. he alighted on
the window of the school house. tapping
loudly with his beak upon the glass to
he let in. The children all knew Grip.
He was famed throughout the neighbor-
hood of his powers of speech and his
impish and cunning pranks. Immedi-
ately the hands went up to beg permits
sion to let him in with promises to be
good and to study hard.
The unanimous request was granted,
and Grip flew to my desk and began pick
ing up pencils and pieces of chalk. Then
he went from one desk to another. look
ing for more pencils. No doubt he
thought he had struck rich field.
must confess that lessons were forgotten,
so intent We're the children in watching
this strange bird. which hoped from
desk to desk and peered into their
faces in such curious way.
Alasl he came to an untimely death.
One night he failed to meet me at the
willow upon my return from school. No
one had seen him that afternoon.
I found him in a shed. crouched upon
an old barrel, looking very sick and
miserable and with green stains upon
his bill. The can of Paris green was
found overturned in the barn. and that
told the story. The poor fellow had
been eating the poison. He refused
food. uttering plaintive little croacks as I
stroked him and said Poor Gripi" I
left him for the night hoping his crow
constitution was strong enough to re-
sist the deadly poison.
In the morning l found him sitting as
l had left him, but no soft croak greet
ed me. He was cold and stiff in death.
Do you wonder that my tears fell freely,
and that I felt no shame in weeping
for a dead crow.-[Eudora Block in the
November st. Nicholas.
Relationship Established.