i65 



ting Its head down against the bars of the cage and 

 ruffling up Its feathers. It wanted her to scratch 

 its head. 



Polly was very jealous of a canary whose cage 

 hung in the same room. 



If the mistress spoke to the canary, the parrot 

 would shake the bars of the cage, biting them with 

 its hard beak and screaming. 



This screaming was very harsh and unpleasant. 

 To break Polly of this habit, the mistress would 

 cover the cage with a black cloth whenever it began. 



Then from under cover, the parrot could be 

 heard talking to Itself. " Poor Polly. Want to 

 go to bed, Polly ? Want to go to bed ? Poor 

 Polly, want to go bed ? " Then, with sudden 

 energy, " No, no, no ! Poor Polly ! " 



Bobby, the canary, was a fine singer. As long 

 as no one was in the room, Polly would sit listen- 

 ing to the song very quietly. The mistress could 

 see the parrot through the crack of the door, sit- 

 ting silently on its perch. It would tiirn its head 

 first on one side and then on the other, and click 

 Its beak approvingly. The moment any one came 

 In, however, Polly would try to drown out the 

 canary's song by talking or screaming. 



