“I was born,” said the parrot, “in Africa.”
It was a lovely afternoon; and Toto’s
friends were again assembled around the cottage-door.
The parrot, as the story-teller of the day,
was perched in great state on the high back of an
old-fashioned easy-chair, which Toto had brought
out for his grandmother. The old lady sat quietly
knitting, with Bruin on one side of her, and Coon
on the other; while Toto lay on the grass at her
feet, alternately caressing the wood-pigeon and
poking the woodchuck to wake him up.
When the parrot said, “I was born in Africa,”
all the animals looked very wise, but said nothing;
so she added, “Of course, you all know where
Africa is.”
“Of course,” said the raccoon hastily; “certainly,
I should hope so! We know _where_ it is;
if you come to that, we know where it is.”
“Coon,” said Toto, laughing, “what a humbug
you are! How is Africa bounded, old fellow?
Tell us, if you know so well.”
“North by the Gulf States, south by Kalamazoo,
east by Mt. Everest, and west by the Straits of
Frangipanni,” replied the raccoon, without a
moment’s hesitation.
Miss Mary looked much disgusted. “Africa,”
she said, “as every person of _education_ knows
[with a withering glance at the raccoon], is the
exact centre of the universe. It is the most beautiful
of all lands,—a land of palm-trees and
crocodiles, ivory and gold-dust, sunny fountains
and—”
“Oh!” cried Toto eagerly, “excuse me for
interrupting, Miss Mary; but _are_ the sands really
golden? ‘Where Afric’s sunny fountains,’ you
know, ‘roll down their golden sands,’—is that
really true?”
“Certainly,” replied Miss Mary.
“Dear me, yes. A fountain wouldn’t be called
a fountain in Africa if it hadn’t golden sands. It
would be called a cucumber-wood pump,” suggested
the woodchuck drowsily.
“Toto,” said the parrot sharply, “if I am interrupted
any more, I shall go home. Will that
woodchuck be quiet, or will he not?”
“He will, he will!” cried Toto. “We will all
be very quiet, Miss Mary, and not say a word.
Pray go on.”
Miss Mary smoothed her feathers, which had
become quite ruffled, and continued,—
“I was not a common wild parrot,—I should
think not, indeed! My mother came of a distinguished
family, and was the favorite bird of the
great Bhughabhoo, King of Central Africa; and I,
as soon as I was fully fledged, became the pet and
darling of his only daughter, the Princess Polpetti.
Ah! happy, indeed, were the first years of my life!
I was the Princess’s constant companion. She
used to make songs in my honor, and sing them to
her royal father while he drank his rum-and-water.
They were lovely songs. Would you like to hear
one of them?”
All the company declared that it was the one
desire of their hearts. So, clearing her throat,
and cocking her head on one side, Miss Mary
sang:—
“‘Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo,
Fairest fowl that ever grew,
Fairest fowl that ever growed,
How you brighten my abode!
How you ornament the view,
Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo!
“‘Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo,
You have wit and beauty, too;
You can dance, and you can sing;
You can tie a pudding-string.
Is there aught you _cannot_ do,
Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo?’
“That was her opinion of my merits,” continued
the parrot modestly. “Indeed, it was the general
opinion.
“As I was saying, I was the Princess’s constant
companion. All day I followed her about, sitting
on her shoulder, or flying about her head. All
night I slept perched on her nose-ring, which she
always hung upon a hook when she went to bed.
“Ah! that nose-ring! I wish I had never seen
it. It was the cause of all my misfortunes,—of
my lovely Princess’s death and my own exile.
And yet it was a lovely thing in itself.
“I observe, madam,” continued the parrot, addressing
the grandmother, “that you wear no
nose-ring. Such a pity! There is no ornament
so becoming. In Africa it is a most important
article of dress,—I may say _the_ most important.
Can I not persuade you to try the effect?”
“Thank you,” replied the grandmother, smiling.
“I fear I am too old, Miss Mary, even if it were
the custom in this country to wear nose-rings,
which I believe it is not. But how was the Princess’s
nose-ring the cause of your misfortunes?
Pray tell us.”
The parrot looked sadly at the grandmother’s
nose, and shook her head. “Such a pity!” she repeated.
“It would be so becoming! You would
never regret it. However,” she added, “you shall
hear the rest of my sad story.
“The Princess’s nose-ring was, as you may infer
from the fact of my being able to swing in it, a
very large one. She was a connoisseur in nose-rings,
and had a large collection of them, of which
collection this was the gem. It was of beaten
gold, incrusted with precious stones. No other
nose in the kingdom could have sustained such
a weight; but hers—ah, hers was a nose in a
thousand.”
“Pardon me!” said the raccoon softly, “do I
understand that a long nose is considered a beauty
in Africa?”
“It is, indeed,” replied the parrot. “It is,
indeed. You would be much admired in Africa,
Mr. Coon.”
The raccoon looked sidewise at his sharp-pointed
nose, and stroked it complacently. “Ah!” he
observed, “I agree with you, Miss Mary, as to
Africa being the centre of the earth. Pray go
on.”
“I need hardly say,” continued the parrot,
“that the jewelled nose-ring was the envy of all
the other princesses for miles around. Foremost
among the envious ones was the Princess Panka, the
daughter of a neighboring king. She never could
have worn the nose-ring; her nose was less than
half an inch long, and she was altogether hideous;
but she wanted it, and she made up her mind to
get it by foul means, if fair ones would not do.
Accordingly she bribed the Princess’s bogghun.”
“The Princess’s _what_?” asked the bear.
“Bogghun,” repeated the parrot testily. “The
Princess’s bogghun! Don’t tell me you don’t
know what a bogghun is!”
“Well, I don’t,” replied sturdy Bruin; “and
what’s more, I don’t believe any one else does!”
The parrot looked around, but as no one seemed
inclined to give any information respecting bogghuns,
she continued, “The bogghun is a kind of
lizard, found only on the island of Bogghun-Chunka.
It is about five feet long, of a brilliant green color.
It invariably holds the end of its tail in its mouth,
and moves by rolling, while in this position, like a
child’s hoop. In fact, it is used as a hoop by
African children; hence the term ‘bogghun.’ It
feeds on the chunka, a triangular yellow beetle
found in the same locality; hence the name of the
island, Bogghun-Chunka.
“She caressed the bogghun.”
“The bogghun
is a treacherous
animal, as I have
found to my cost.
The one belonging
to my mistress was
a very beautiful
creature, and much beloved by her, yet he betrayed
her in the basest manner, as you shall hear.
“The Princess Panka, finding that the bogghun
was very fond of molasses candy, bribed him by
the offer of three pounds of that condiment to deliver
the Princess into her hands. The plot was
arranged, and the day set. On that day, as usual,
the bogghun rolled up to the door after dinner,
and the Princess, taking me on her shoulder,
went out for her usual afternoon play. She caressed
the bogghun,—ah! faithless wretch! how
could he bear the touch of that gentle hand?—and
then struck him lightly with her silver hoop-stick;
he rolled swiftly away, and we followed,
Polpetti bounding as lightly as a deer, while I
sat upon her shoulder, undisturbed by the rapid
motion.
“Away rolled the bogghun, away and away,
over the meadows and into the forest; away and
away bounded the Princess in pursuit. The golden
nose-ring flashed and glittered in the sunlight;
the golden bangles on her wrists and ankles
tinkled and rang their tiny bells as she went.
Faster and faster! faster and faster! The monkeys,
swinging by their tails from the branches,
chattered with astonishment at us; the wild
parrots screamed at us; all the birds sang and
chirped and twittered,—
‘Come! come! tweedle-dee-dum!
See! see! tweedle-de-dee!
Hi! hi! kikeriki!
They have no wings, and yet they fly.’
And truly we did seem to fly, so swift was our
motion. At length I became alarmed, and begged
the Princess to turn back. She had never before
gone so far in the forest unattended, I told her;
and there was no knowing what dangers might
lurk in its leafy depths. But, alas! she was too
much excited to listen to my remonstrances. On
and on rolled the treacherous bogghun, and on
and on she bounded in pursuit.
“Suddenly, as we went skimming across an open
glade, a sharp twang was heard: I saw a white
flash in the air; and the next moment I was
hurled violently to the ground. Recovering myself
in an instant, I saw my lovely Princess
stretched lifeless on the ground, with an arrow
quivering in her heart!
“At the same moment the bogghun stopped; and
out from the surrounding coppice rushed the Princess
Panka and her attendants.
“‘Where is my molasses candy?’ asked the
bogghun. Three of the attendants presented him
with three one-pound packages; and thus in a
moment I understood the whole villanous plot.
The Princess Panka rushed to where Polpetti lay,
and snatched the golden nose-ring from her lovely
nose. Fastening it in her own hideous snub, she
sprang to her feet with a shrill yell of triumph.
‘At last!’ she cried,—‘at last I have it!’
“‘Hideous witch!’ I exclaimed. ‘You have
no nose to wear it in! You are uglier than the
blue-faced monkey, or the toad with three tails.
The very sight of you makes the leaves drop off
the trees with horror. You odious, squint-eyed—’
“‘Catch that parrot!’ shrieked the enraged
Panka. ‘Wring that parrot’s neck! Pull his
feathers out! Let me get at him!’
“I rose in the air, and flying round her head, continued—‘Snub-nosed,
monkey-faced, bald-headed
[this adjective was not exactly correct, but I was
too angry to choose my words], hump-backed
_Ant-eater_!!!’ and with the last word, the most
opprobrious epithet that can be applied to an
African, I gave the creature a peck in the face
that sent her tumbling over backwards, and flew
off among the trees. A storm of arrows followed
me, but I escaped unhurt, and flying rapidly, was
soon far away from the spot.”
“‘Hideous witch!’ I exclaimed.”
Here the parrot paused to take breath, having
become quite excited in telling her story.
“Ahem!” said the woodchuck. “May I be permitted
to ask a question, Miss Mary?”
“Certainly,” replied the parrot graciously.
“What is it, Woodchuck?”
“Did I understand,” said the woodchuck cautiously,
“that the bogghun _never_ takes his tail out
of his mouth?”
“Never!” replied the parrot. “Never, upon
any occasion!”
“Then how,” asked Chucky, “did he eat the
molasses candy?”
“Woodchuck,” said the parrot, with great severity,
“the question does credit neither to your
head nor to your heart. I decline to answer
it!”
The woodchuck looked sulky, and scratched his
nose expressively. The raccoon, who had been
on the point of asking the same question himself,
frowned at him, and said he was ashamed of him.
“Pray continue your story, Miss Mary!” said he.
“I assure you we are all, with perhaps _one_ exception
[the woodchuck sniffed audibly], quite faint
with excitement and suspense. What became of
you after the Princess’s death?”
“I remained in the forest,” said the parrot. “I
could not go back to the village without the Princess;
the King would have put me to death if I
had made my appearance.
“For some time I lived alone, associating as little
as possible with the uneducated birds of the forest.
At length, finding my life very solitary, I accepted
the claw and heart of a rich and respectable green
parrot, who offered me a good home and the devotion
of a life-time. With him I passed several
quiet and happy years; but finally we were both
surprised and captured by a band of American
sailors, who had penetrated to this distance in the
forest in search of ivory. They treated us kindly,
and carried us miles and miles till we came to a
river, where other sailors were waiting with a
boat. In this we embarked, and after rowing for
several days, came to the mouth of the river, near
which their ship was waiting for them.
“In the confusion of boarding, my husband
managed to make his escape. He flew back to
the shore, calling to me to follow him; but, alas!
I was too closely guarded, and I never saw him
again. He was a very worthy parrot, and a kind
husband, though sometimes greedy in the matter
of snails.”
The parrot sighed, meditated for a few moments,
with her head on one side, on the virtues of her
departed lord, and then continued,—
“My life on board ship was a very pleasant one.
Petted and caressed by the sailors, I soon lost my
shyness, and became once more accustomed to the
society of men. I learned English quickly, and
could soon whistle ‘Yankee Doodle’ and ‘Three
Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue.’ One
phrase I objected very much to repeating, ‘Polly
wants a cracker.’ I disliked crackers extremely,
and could not endure the name of Polly; but for
some time I could not get anything to eat without
making this stupid remark.
“One day I received a shock which nearly
caused me to faint. I was sitting on the taffrail,
watching two of my particular friends, Joe Brown
and Simeon Plunkett, who were splicing ropes.
They always spliced better, I noticed, when my
eye was on them. They were talking about some
adventure in the forest, and suddenly I caught
the words, ‘golden nose-ring.’ I had been half
dozing; but this roused me at once, and I began
to listen with all my ears.”
“How many ears has she?” growled the woodchuck,
in a low tone.
“Twenty-five,” replied the raccoon, in the same
tone. “They are invisible to idiots, which is
probably the reason why you have never noticed
them.”
“‘How did you get that nose-ring?’ asked Joe
Brown. ‘You have begun to tell me once or
twice, and something has always stopped you.
Were there many of them lying around? I
shouldn’t mind having that myself.’
“Judge of my feelings when Simeon Plunkett,
before replying, pulled out from the breast of his
flannel shirt a huge golden ring, set with jewels,—_the_
identical golden nose-ring which had caused
the death of my lovely Princess. I shuddered,
and came very near falling from the taffrail; but,
composing myself, I listened eagerly, and heard
Simeon tell the other how, as he and his mates
were returning to their boat (he had been with a
second exploring party sent out from the ship),
they found a well, and stopped to fish in it.”
“To fish in a well?” interrupted Bruin. “What
did they do that for?”
“To see what they could catch,” replied the parrot.
“What do people fish for in this country?
“The first thing they caught was the body of
a young woman, with this golden ring in her nose.
Her feet were up, and her head was down; and altogether,
Simeon said, it was very evident that,
in stooping over either to drink or to admire her
beauty in the well, the weight of the ring had
overbalanced her, and caused her to fall in.
“When I heard this news I flapped my wings
and crowed, to the great astonishment of the
two sailors. My enemy was dead, and Polpetti
avenged. My joy was great, and I wanted to
thank Simeon Plunkett for being the bearer of
such good news; so I perched on his knee, and
sang him the sweetest song I knew,—a song
which had often brought tears to the eyes of my
lost husband. But he only said, ‘Princess [they
all called me Princess, I should observe], if any
other bird made such a row as that, I’d wring its
neck.’ The Americans, I find, have absolutely _no_
ear for music.
“We reached America after a pleasant and
prosperous voyage.
“But he only said, ‘Princess, if any other bird made such a row as that, I’d wring its neck.’”
“After that my adventures may be told in a
few words. Joe Brown presented me, as a great
treasure, to the captain’s wife, Mrs. Jeremy Jibb;
but I found her a most unpleasant person to live
with. She kept me in a cage,—a tin cage,—me,
the favorite companion of the Princess Royal of
Central Africa! She fed me on crackers, called
me Polly all the time, and treated me in a most
degrading manner generally. If I had been a
canary-bird, her manner could not have been more
insufferably patronizing. After enduring this life
for several weeks, I managed to make my escape
one day while Mrs. Jibb was cleaning my cage.
After a long flight, I reached this forest, in whose
pleasant retirement I have remained ever since.
Here I find society and snails, both of excellent
quality; and, with these, what more does one require?
And here I hope to pass the remainder
of my days.”
The parrot’s story, with the various pauses and
interruptions, had occupied a good deal of time;
and when it was finished the party broke up,
promising to reassemble on the following day.
Before they separated, Toto asked, as usual, who
was to tell the next story.
“Tell it yourself, Toto,” said the wood-pigeon;
and all the rest chimed in, “Yes, Toto shall tell
the next himself.” So it was settled; and they
all shook paws, and departed.