Lizzie is showing her grandfather her pet bird. Her grandfather has the
gout, and cannot walk. He has to keep his foot resting on a stool, and
all the amusement he has, is derived from Lizzie and her pet bird. It
is a Canary. She has a nice blue ribbon fastened to its foot so that
it cannot fly away. It is eating a cherry from the hands of the old
gentleman. The Canary bird is the most charming of all singing birds.
They can be tamed and when so, are very playful and full of capers. I
will tell you some of their tricks. Some years ago, there was an Italian
gentleman exhibiting some funny birds in New York. I went to see him and
his birds. One Canary jumped on the back of a crow and rode him around
the room. Another Canary bird stood on the barrel of a pistol, when his
master discharged it, without stirring at the report. The master then
suspended a ring from the ceiling to within a few feet of the floor. The
ring was surrounded with pitch and on fire. At his bidding, four or five
of the birds would fly through the ring, without burning their feathers.
He harnessed one to a little wagon and made him draw it around the
table. I was highly amused, and determined to buy a nice Canary and
learn it some tricks.