276 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



was not superannuated, and was, withal, ambitious, his case 

 was still not a desperate one, although we had assured him 

 most positively, that we would not fall in love with him we 

 had only invited him there to help us pass the time. 



Bern looked wise at the assertion, but said nothing. The 

 next morning we gave him water for a bath, which he im- 

 mediately used, and then sprang upon my head very much 

 to my surprise ; then he darted to the window, then back to 

 my head, screaming all the time most vociferously, until 

 finally I went to the window, for peace sake, and stood in 

 the sunshine while Bern composedly dressed his feathers, 

 standing on my head first on one foot, then on the other, 

 evidently using my scalp as a sort of foot-stove, and my head 

 for a movable pedestal for his impudent generalship to perch 

 on when he felt disposed to be comfortably elevated ; and had 

 clearly come to the conclusion as I was so fond of trans- 

 porting him from his native land that I should serve as a 

 convenient craft to bear him where his moods commanded. 

 In a word, he had determined to turn tyrant ; if I had had 

 the deliberate purpose of using him as a mere toy, he had at 

 least the coolness to make me available, and from that time 

 I became the victim of the most unequalled tyranny. Did 

 I neglect his morning bath beyond the instant, my ears were 

 assailed with screams and cries till I was forced to my 

 duty ; I must bear him into the sunshine or my hair was 

 pulled ; 1 must bring him his breakfast or he pecked my 

 cheeks and lips ; in fine, I was compelled to become his con- 

 stant attendant, while, in the meantime, he most diligently 

 assailed my heart by endearing confidences. He would sit 

 upon my arm and sleep, he would get into my work-box, and 

 while I watched that he did not pilfer a little, he would 

 quietly seat himself on its edge, and in a low, sweet voice, lull 

 my suspicions by such tender melodies, that finally I could no 

 longer say "I will not love you, Bern I" but gave him the 

 satisfactory assurance that he was not quite so much of a 

 tease as I had tried to think him ; and he now received my 



