The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-09-17
Chicago Has Shakespearean Parrot
Windy City Believers Rencanaion See in This Bird the Soul
Of Disappointed ActorHamlet His Favorte Play But He
Likes to Quote from Others.

in an effort to find from what quarter
the startling cry emanated
All were reassured when william"
as he was now to be known, was seen
putting out his feathers and struttinS
up and down the front Of his cage re-
peating: What no, within! A dream
itself is but shadow. Nay, look not
so upon mel" and so on with further
phrases from the immortal bard, de-
livered in the purest English, with
many gesticulation of head and
wing.
The studious man quickly recovered
his equanimity. his notebook and his
glasses. while the keeper picked up his
jaw, spat nonchalantly and the two
Joined forces and proceeded to investi-
gate
mo doubt the bird has been In the
possession Of an actor and has uncon-
! sciously committed the lines to men,
ory while hearing him rehearse. the
knowledge lying latent until some for
| tuitous concourse of circumstances has
brought II to the fore, and" learned
| ly began the studious man.
This theory was Immediately refuted
! by the keeper, who, consulting book,
found from the records that the bird
had been bought from a Swede who
could neither read nor write, even In
+ his own language, let alone English.
| The bird had been in his family for rs
| years. his grandfather having bought
! him for an old horseshoe from deaf
and dumb Cuban, who Is years before
! had traded string Of glass beads for
him to a native of Venezuela, who had
caught him in his native forest by
batting trap with bit of-the gilded
back Of an old book.
No advance from the first decisive
though somewhat hasty conclusion
was made by the many experts who
studied the problem, until some
I thoughtful believers in reincarnation
advanced the opinion that here is a
bona fide example of the truth of their
| teachings.
| Long ago. It is held by the sticklers
for this theory, poverty-stricken but
talented actor wandered for years from
one end of England to another striving
to gain hearing before the footlights.
Kept from his rightful place by the
jealousy OF companions less talented
but more ingratiating than he, he kept
ever Rugged to his breast, inside his
shabby coat, beautiful copy of Shake
speare with a gilded cover. every word
Of which he had committed to memory.
Wandering one day by the seashore
poring over his beloved book, by
chance his foot hit against stone; he
stumbled, the precious volume fell
from his grasp into the sea and was
lost forever from his view Shortly
after the unfortunate actor died and
his restless spirit found home in the
form Of some beast or bird.
Forty times since then had he been
transformed. but never had he found a
voice until he was lured to this parrot
by the subtle influence of the bit Of
gilded book cover that in HIS ancestral
forest had attracted the Bird this was
a bit of the copy Of Shakespeare
washed by the waters of the Venezue-
Ian shores and found there by the her
NIT after long years.
A most ingenious theory is this, and
one in which no one has as yet found
flaw. AS to what time will do in the
matter of refutation or confirmation,
no one can tell. In the meantime the
wiseacres rest somewhat content while
awaiting further developments.