164 



red so brilliant that it seemed to burn in the sun 

 like a bunch of geraniums. 



" The bird is beautiful," said the lady, " but what 

 a pity to send it to me. My parrots all die." 



"If you want it to live," said a friend, "don't 

 give it any water." 



" Not give it any water ! " said the lady. " I 

 never heard of such a thing." 



" All your parrots die. That's because you give 

 them water. If you want this one to live, don't 

 give it any." 



Polly's mistress followed this advice. The par- 

 rot did not seem to suffer for want of water. 

 From year's end to year's end it did not have any, 

 and it lived and throve. 



The mistress bathed the parrot herself. She 

 put it in the bathtub, and rubbed it with soap and 

 water. This always made the parrot furious. It 

 would shriek with rage. She had to be very care- 

 ful then to hold it so it could not bite her. 



Except when it was being bathed, the parrot was 

 very fond of its mistress. 



It would call to her at the top of its voice when 

 she was out of the room. When she came in, the par- 

 rot would talk to her with soft little throat notes, put- 



