276 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 
was not superannuated, and was, withal, ambitious, Lis case 
was still not a desperate one, although we had assured him 
most positively, that we would not fall in love with him — we 
had only invited him there to help us pass the time. 
Bem looked wise at the assertion, but said nothing. The 
next morning we gave him water for a bath, which he im- 
mediately used, and then sprang upon my head ver}^ much 
to my surprise ; then he darted to the window, then back to 
my head, screaming all the time most vociferously, until 
finally I went to the window, for peace sake, and stood in 
the sunshine while Bem composedly dressed his feathers, 
standing on my head first on one foot, then on the other, 
evidently using my scalp as a sort of foot-stove, and my head 
for a movable pedestal for his impudent generalship to perch 
on when he felt disposed to be comfortably elevated ; and had 
clearly come to the conclusion — as I was so fond of trans- 
porting him from his native land — ^that I should serve as a 
convenient craft to bear him where his moods commanded. 
In a word, he had determined to turn tyrant ; if I had had 
the deliberate purpose of using him as a mere toy, he had at 
least the coolness to make me available, and from that time 
I became the victim of the most unequalled tyranny. Did 
I neglect his morning bath beyond the instant, my ears were 
assailed with screams and cries till I was forced to my 
duty ; I must bear him into the sunshine or my hair was 
pulled ; 1 must bring him his breakfast or he pecked my 
cheeks and lips ; in fine, I was compelled to become his con- 
stant attendant, while, in the meantime, he most diligently 
assailed my heart by endearing confidences. He would sit 
upon my arm and sleep, he would get into my work-box, and 
while I watched that he did not pilfer a little, he would 
quietly seat himself on its edge, and in a low, sweet voice, lull 
my suspicions by such tender melodies, that finally I could no 
longer say — "I will not love you. Bem !" — ^but gave him the 
satisfactory assurance that he was not quite so much of a 
tease as I had tried to think him ; and he now received my 
