THE TWO PARROTS. OLIVER GOLDSMITH. WE are told by Comte de Buffon, that his sister had a parrot which would frequently speak to himself, and seemed to fancy that some one addressed him. He often asked for his paw, and answered by holding it up. Though he liked to hear the voice of children, he seemed to have an antipathy to them, and bit them till he drew blood. He had also his objects of attachment, and though his choice was not very nice, it was constant. He was excessively fond of the cook-maid; followed her everywhere, sought for her when absent, and seldom missed finding her. If she had been some time out of his sight, the bird climbed with his bill and claws to her shoulders, and lavished on her his caresses. His fondness had all the marks of close and warm friendship. The girl happened to have a sore finger, which was tedious in healing, and so painful as to make her scream. While she uttered her moans, the parrot never left her chamber. The first thing he did every day was to pay her a visit; and this tender condolence lasted the whole time of her confinement, when he returned to his former calm and settled attachment. Yet all this strong predilection for the girl, would seem to have been more directed to her office in the kitchen, than to her person; for when another cookmaid succeeded her, the parrot showed the same degree of fondness to the new comer the very first day. Willoughby mentions a parrot which, when a person said to it "Laugh, Poll, laugh," it laughed accordingly, and immediately after screamed out-"What a fool; to make me laugh.” A parrot which had grown old with his master, shared with him the infirmities of age. Being accustomed to hear scarcely anything but the words, "I am sick," when a person asked it "How do you do?" “ Į am sick," it replied with a doleful tone, stretching itself along; "I am sick." A gentleman who resided at Gosport in Hampshire, and had frequent business across the water to Portsmouth, was astonished one day on going to the beach to look for a boat, and finding none, to hear the words distinctly repeated" Over, master? Going over?" (which is the manner that watermen are in the habit of accosting people when they are waiting for passengers). The cry still assailing his ears, he looked earnestly around him to discover from whence the voice came, when to his great surprise, he beheld the parrot in a cage, suspended from a public-house window on the beach, vociferating the boatman's expressions. The following curious instance of limited loquacity occurred with a brace of parrots in London. A tradesman who had a shop in the Old Bailey, opposite the prison, kept two parrots for the inconvenience of his neighbours, a green disturber and a grey. The green parrot was taught to speak when there was a knock at the street door; the grey put in his word whenever the bell was rung; but they only knew two short phrases of English a-piece, though they pronounced these very distinctly. The house in which these "Thebans" lived had a projecting old-fashioned front, so that the firstfloor could not be seen from the pavement on the same side of the way; and one day when they were left at home by themselves, hanging out of a window, some one knocked at the street-door. "Who's there?" said the green parrot, in the exercise of his office. "The man with the leather!" was the reply; to which the bird answered with his further store of language, which was "Oh, ho!" The door not being opened immediately, as he expected, the stranger knocked a second time. "Who's there?" said the green parrot again. "Away with your who's there," said the man with the leather, "why don't you come down?" to which the parrot again made the same answer, "Oh, ho!" This response so enraged the visitor, that he dropped the knocker and rang furi 66 ously at the house-bell; but this proceeding brought the grey parrot, who called out in a new voice, "Go to the gate." To the gate?" muttered the appellant, who saw no such convenience, and moreover imagined that the servants were bantering him. "What gate?" cried he, getting out into the kennel that he might have the advantage of seeing his interlocutor. "New-gate,” responded the grey parrot, just at the moment when his species was discovered. CHRISTMAS. SIR WALTER SCOTT. HEAP on more wood! the wind is chill; We'll keep our Christmas merry still! While round, in brutal jest, were thrown While Scalds yell'd out the joys of fight. And well our Christian sires of old Loved when the year its course had roll'd, And brought blithe Christmas back again With all his hospitable train. Domestic and religious rite Gave honour to the holy night: On Christmas-eve the bells were rung; Then open'd wide the Baron's hall The vulgar game of "post and pair." The fire, with well-dried logs supplied, Then the grim boar's-head frown'd on high, How, when, and where the monster fell. The wassel round, in good brown bowls, It was a hearty note and strong. White shirts supplied the masquerade, THE SPARTAN LAD. REV. DR. GEORGE ASPINALL. THE Grecian mother took the shield, "With it or on it, son, return,” |