New-York tribune., 1910-02-13

II -
MI body tilted forward, his wings held free to the
~ vagrant breeze, the long tips of his flying
feathers trailing his scarlet tail the gOr
geous in his soft toned gray col0ring His gold
bright eyes blinked drOWSily. and the black lids
dropped in the intense tropical heat of noon that lay
in a shmmering Opaescent haze upon all India Heat
Man Mittu had known in his tangled South
African forests but such as this where even the
Jungle beasts and their brother parrots of brilliant
pumage and vacant minds, scattered to the shadows
till the sunset hour He hated it as he hated all things
in this land of his abode he lOnged for his haunS
OF other davs away from the stupid man folk.
For them he held small tolerance. One there mad
been until the black plague descended on this sun
cursed land the young subatern who, hunting big
game in the stretches of Mian Mttus own forests,
had upon his small feathered body where it lay
stunned, fair prey for stronger birds ard prowlng
beasts the foot of a wind riven tree after OF
those fierce, sudden storms that occasionally sweep
South Africa.
The young subaltern, detecting a faint futtering
in the feathered breast compassonatey gathered up
the helpless bIrd Warming It as-ln5t his own body
little heart bade him repay with gratitude and the
plentude OF his gifts.
They formed bond of comradeship, these two,
the man and the parrot and when the young suba-
tern, the expiration of his furlough returned
his regiment in India Mian Mittu ourneyed with him
The Wise One thus the gray parrot was known in
those days to his winged brothers and this man of
comprehension learned there to chatter in the
tongue to whistle JInglng barrack tunes and repeat
the regimena calls; voice the barking of dogs and
the nelghlng OF horses; setting the square agOg with
strident orders from the window where he Once
he achieved the discontinue of the entire reg-
ment the everlasting shame and wrath of its Colo
mel and the delight of the subalterns.
Also, the gray parrot learned to perch in cOmpan-
ionable silence upon the high chair back when pic
formed in the curling smoke spirals from the
man pipe and he drited into vague reVerie.
AS brother with brother they lived, Mian Mittu
sharing IN the events OF the day routine with equa
BILE philosophy. At night he assisted graVely at the
card table, drawing COrks with gustO and shrieking
approval when the held the winning hand
Then had come the desolating plague. With it the
regiment fell heir to the Wise One; but it was a
changed Wise One, suky with grief for his lost
rade scarcely yelling his contempt for these man
folk who were too stupid understand the ways of
the little feathered brothers. And since he would not
play the bu1oon for them they left him unheeded to
perch grouchily in his window nook. Even his name
they forgot Mian Mittu, they called him now. after
the fashion of all parrots In this hated land and
above all else he hated that name.
With the passing of time Milan Mittus evil mood
settled to dignted reserve Converse he never vol
unteered He met 1t with naughty stare con
temptuousy cooking his head on side; but he no
longer vented his resentment with beal and claw
upon the unintentionally intrusive.
EVENTUALLY as the first cloud driftcd away
IL there came to the regiment a commander
Colonel Atchison with his young wife and Wee curly
headed Elise And with them came to Mian Mittu
the great love that flames III a parrots heart
and then for all time.
TO their cool, pleasant dining room Mian Mittu
deserving his old post, Ventured one morning, and,
finding his liking made 1t hencetorth his abode
Wee Elise reached promptly for Man Mittu's
fascinating scarlet tail he promenaded across