“ Willie Winkie.”



339



of his own he did not wish to come out of his cage at the exact

moment that the door was opened. The liberty was taken of

removing him, — more or less head foremost. Again, for reasons of

his own—(not carried to any logical conclusion, as I can do

anything with him)—this wounded him in his inmost feelings.

Perhaps he thought the acquaintance not far enough advanced to

warrant such familiarity.


Be it as it may, — the result remains in a relentlessly vin¬

dictive attitude on his part. He has been treated with respect and

with the courtesy due from man to man ever since. He has been

courted ; he has been cajoled. The result is nil ! He will not make

it up. He will not be friendly, and he will bite and worry the

outstretched hand of friendship until, perforce, it is withdrawn.


We went off to Devonshire for a ten days motor trip, but on

our return, we found him just the same pugnacious little fury to one

of us, and the same gentle little friend to the other. I have done

nothing to make him like me, and it is always my task to put his

gently protesting little body back into its cage when we feel we

really must have the windows open again ! Frankly, I am flattered

at the attentions of this feathered scrap of creation ; but a nice

sense of the proportion of things is borne in upon me when I realize

that I share his affections with the hotel waiters. Hotel waiters

are his dearest friends, although he has also a weakness for early

morning housemaids. For these, he dances unbidden his very best

steps, and sings his cheeriest song.


But the ivaiters ! Let the door open and a heavily laden tea

tray appear, followed by the bearer thereof—and at the instant

“ Winkie ” has flown from my shoulder, straight as a die, to the

well oiled locks so tempting to his funny little soul, and is dancing,

dancing, dancing and singing his heart out in greeting. Carry a

slippery tea tray, over balanced by a tall hot-water jug, and try to

duck the onslaught of a little grey arrow shot upon you like a bolt

from the blue ! The effect is disastrous; and despite my now

instinctive dive across the room with outstretched finger, calamities

too agitating to relate have occurred more than once.


“ Winkie ” is curiosity personified. Everything in the room

must be investigated, and the heavy curtains at the windows falling



