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Mr. Reginald Phillipps,



A TAME RAVEN.


By Reginald Phillipps.


My garden here in London is covered over with wire-netting;

and in it for some years I had a Raven ; and the Raven’s name was

Grip.


Grip was quite a boy when he came to me, and, like other

boys, had to learn his lessons.


Now Grip used to listen to all that was said to him with the

greatest attention ; with his head on one side, he would sit like a

statue till his lessons were over, taking in every word to the best of

his ability.


After lessons, Grip would no longer sit still and mute.

Having refreshed himself with a good shake, and satisfied himself

that the coast was clear, he would carefully repeat over what he

had heard. Thus the wise learn.


Solomon tells us that to every thing there is a season, and a

time to every purpose under the heaven ; a time to laugh : a time to

speak ; and so on for other matters. Grip gave this the consider¬

ation due to so great an authority, and arrived at the conclusion

that, if there was one time more suitable than another for a good

laugh and a good speak, the early morning was that time. He

thought that, as none were about to see him, none would be near

enough to hear him. For this reason he went through his per¬

formances while hidden away in a shed, Ostrich-like thinking that

where he could not see he could not be seen. In the gray dawn,

he would begin with a sepulchral Halloo ! Halloo ! which, having

been gone over to his entire satisfaction, would be followed by

Boiv-wow, Bow-ivoiv, and then by fits of the most distressful cough¬

ing, worthy of the last man in the last stage of consumption.

Then there would be an ogre-like Haw, haw , haw. Several other

words and sounds would follow in course, but sooner or later there

would come the cat. The music of the cat is not pleasing at three

or four o’clock in the morning, even when it be that of a genuine

She. But when the notes come thrilling forth from the throat

of a Raven, in a shrill falsetto voice—well, the neighbours com¬

plained ; and Grip had to be shut up every night, an indignity he



