The Jennings daily record., 1902-12-27

and "snip. snip" would go their heads
There was scarcely an hour in the day
when some one was not calling ont
Go way, Grip. 60 way" for the
whole family kept watch over those
pansies.
At times Grip would be very loving
| Alighting on my shoulder he would
cuddle down close to my face. utterlne
soft little crOaking notes. Then he
would slyly pull the pin from my col.
lar, and begin snatching at the hair
pins in my braids. At other times
! when / called him lie would not come
to ME. but would alight near me. and
look at me so impishly while plead
ed. "Come here, Grip; come, Grippy.
come here
/ One day was coaxing him thus as
he hoped along on the top board OF
| the fence. He put his head down and
seemed to be choking and swallowing.
After several such spasms he uttered
the words. go way, Grip. so way
very distinctly. could hardly believe
my ears. Grip. my crow, could say
three words: "Go way. Grip For a
long time he had chattcred and made
cultural noises. He would scream and
laugh like young imp. But now he
could talk. and. aside from being sur
prised l was delighted. He soon
learned to say Go 'way. Grip" with
out effort, and not long after that
heard him say, "Come here, Grip;
come, Grippy. come here" in the same
coaxing tone used to him.
Rainy days were his delight. Then
lie held high carnival ON the w0odpile,
where he w.uld chatter and laugh,
coax and scold by turns: "Come here.
Grip. come here.'' in soft. coaxing
tone; then harshly. go way. Grip. go
way" 1t sounded as If two children
We're Quarreling
Later lie learned to say Cali right"
Hurry up" and almost any hour in
the day he could be heard, If not seen.
practicing his new accomplishments.
school. half mile from home. 1t was
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 OH my shoulder. until
he came to the bridge which spanned
the creek just half way to the school
house. Then he would fly up in 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 be let In. The children all
knew Grip He was famed through
out the neighborhood FOE his powers of
speech and his impish and cunning
pranks. Immediately the hands went
up to beg permission 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
picking up pencils and pieces Of chalk.
Then he went from one desk to anoth-
Ell. looking for more pencils. No doubt
he thought he had struck rich field.
I must confess that lessons We're for
gotten. SO intent were the children III
watching this strange bird. which
hoped from desk to desk and peered
into their faces in such curious way.
Alas! 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.
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 plaintivc little croaks as
I strolled him and said Poor Grip" l
left him for the night, hoping his crow
constitution was strong enough to re-
sist the deadly poison
In the morning I found him sitting
as / had left him, but no soft croak
greeted me. He was cold and stiff in
death. Do you wonder that my tears
fell freely. and that felt no shame in
weeping for a dead crow?-St. Nicho-
las. .s.,