4i8 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



Ikey's greatest horror was his bath. 

 This ceremony was performed by 

 placing his cage on the ground in the 

 backyard and pouring water over him 

 with a sprinkling can. He would sit 

 on the bottom of his cage, huddled up 

 as small as possible so as to escape 

 am,- drop of the detestable liquid. If 

 anvonc appeared in the basement 

 doorway. Ikey would rise up with a 

 hopeful air. At last a friend had ap- 

 peared who might prove a friend in 

 need! "Bring a 'brella," he would 

 screech. "Bring a 'brella. quick!" 

 Well he knew the use and purpose of 

 umbrellas for if it were raining and 

 any member of the household were 

 preparing to go out he would advise, 

 "Better take a 'brella." 



When desired to exhibit his powers 

 of speech for the benefit of visitors, 

 Ikey took malignant delight in being 

 obstinately silent. No oyster was ever 

 more dumb and nothing could coax 

 him into any sort of utterance. 

 Through it all his bright, round eyes 

 would be keenly alert, expressing the 

 intense gratification he felt in being 

 stubborn and aggravating. 



In warm weather though, from his 

 cage in the window-sill, he would 

 address passers by. Our house was 

 opposite the medical school and the 

 successive classes of students soon 

 knew Ikey. They delighted in provok- 

 ing the bird and getting him to talk 

 back and to using his ready and com- 

 prehensive flow of strong language. 

 The boys would stand across the way 

 and tell Ikey uncomplimentary things 

 about himself. He promptly rejoined 

 in vigorously personal remarks, cran- 

 ing forward and giving as good as they 

 sent. . . Frequently the exchange of aca- 

 demic personalities became so fervent 

 that Ikey had to be brought back into 

 the room and covered up. This he 

 fiercely resented and let us know that 

 we were tyrants and most unfair; just 

 when it had become so interesting and 

 just as he was getting the best of those 

 fellows across the way. 



All the college yells Ikey had at his 

 beak's end and of all his songs the old 

 Boola song was the bird's favorite. 

 Athletic days were his festive occasions 

 for he could join in the noise and really 



be one of the gang. When the students 

 came down the street singing Boola, 

 Ikey would catch the sound before any 

 of us and he would become positively 

 hysterical in his excitement. Through 

 the open window, he would join in the 

 song, although he always sang a note 

 or two behind the rest. What he lacked 

 in time and rhythm, he more than com- 

 pensated for in volume of sound how- 

 ever, for without half trying, he could 

 outscreech the whole city. 



The bird knew colors too and the 

 crimson Harvard flag would goad him 

 into frenzy. This was not because of 

 the color for he liked red dresses and 

 ribbons but because it was Harvard's 

 flag and Ikey was the staunchest par- 

 tisan and "rooter" that Yale ever had. 

 Give him a little Harvard flag and he 

 would tear it into shreds and trample 

 on them, whereas if handed the Yale 

 colors he would hold them in his beak, 

 strut jauntily back and forth on his 

 perch and rhapsodize about it in the 

 parrot's native tongue. 



He liked to have his head scratched 

 and would often say, "Ikey's got a 

 headache. Po-or Ikey. Scratch Ikey's 

 head." He was generally accommoda- 

 ted but it had to be done with caution 

 and with a long pen or pencil for the bird 

 was treacherous and gladly used his 

 cruel beak whenever he got an oppor- 

 tunity. While his talents were high 

 his disposition was low and in addition 

 to his cruelty he sat for hours planning 

 mischief of the most impossibly ingen- 

 ious kinds. 



Two cats and a dog were regular in- 

 mates of the house and sad experience 

 had taught them to give that horrible 

 bird a wide berth. When no person 

 was in the room Ikey would drive the 

 animals out by the sheer power _ of 

 speech — a veritable triumph of mind 

 over matter. Words were poured at 

 the animals in torrents, addressed in 

 turn to each by name so there should 

 be no possibility of mistake. At differ- 

 ent intervals the sounds affected the 

 targets at which they were aimed, the 

 fox-terrier being the first to yield. He 

 would slink from the room in honest, 

 abject fashion, not attempting to dis- 

 guise his disgust and ignominy. The 



