GREY PARROT. 43 



displayed the greatest affection. When he received food from her, 

 he kissed her hand with his beak, and said: 'I kiss the lady's hand/ 

 He took great interest in everything his mistress did, and often, when 

 he saw her busy about anything, would inquire, with extremely comical 

 earnestness: 'Well, what is the lady doing there ?' and when she was 

 removed by death, and he no longer saw her, he also felt the loss 

 and sorrowed. It was difficult to persuade him to take food, and to 

 keep him alive. Often too he would re-waken the grief of the mourners, 

 by asking them: 'But where is the lady then?' 



"He whistled wonderfully, especially the tune Ich dank dir durch 

 dienen Sohnj he also sang beautifully. 'Polly must sing a song', he 

 would remind himself, and then begin: 



'Perroqnet mignon, dis-moi sans facon, 

 Qu'a-t-on fait dans ma maison, 

 Pendant mon absence? 



or the following couplet: 



'Olme Lieb und ohne Wein, 

 Konnen wir docb leben. 



Occasionally he would alter this to, 



'Ohne Lieb nnd ohne maison, 

 Konnen wir docb leben,' 



or he would substitute 'Em Kuss — sans facon,' which amused him 

 so much that he laughed loudly. 'Polly, what does Lotty say?' he 

 would ask himself sometimes, and answer at once, as if some one 

 else had asked him the question: '0 my lovely, lovely Polly, come 

 and kiss me.' This was spoken with the correct accent of tenderness, 

 as only Lotty could say it. His self-approbation he expressed by the 

 words: 'Ah! ha! how lovely Polly is!' stroking his beak at the same 

 time with his claw. 



"He was, however, by no means beautiful, as he had the bad habit 

 of plucking out his own feathers. Wine baths were ordered for him 

 as a remedy, which were administered by means of a small syringe. 

 These baths were extremely disagreeable to him; as soon as he noticed 

 the preparations being made, he began to plead coaxingly: 'Don't make 

 Polly wet — oh! poor Polly — don't — make — him — wet!' He was not 

 fond of strangers; those who came to see him, and hear him speak, 

 generally were only able to gratify their curiosity by hiding themselves 

 from him. In their presence he remained as quiet as a mouse; but 

 began to talk faster than ever as soon as they had taken leave, or 

 concealed themselves, as if to indemnify himself for his self-imposed 



