96 
The Mischici'ous f'arrof. 
The Mischievous Parrot. 
We came across the following among some waste paper; the page was 
headed Family Journal — we reprint same with thanks to the Editor: it mav 
prove an item of " lighter vein " in these serious times. — Ed. " B.N." 
There was once an elderly lady whose only pet was a 
parrot. This had been brought home to her by her nephew, who 
was in the Royal Navy. 
" He is a very clever chap, Aunt Mary," the young sailor 
had said, " we had no end of fun with him on board when we 
were coming home. Jellico (parrot's name) is as sharp as a 
needle, so mind you are careful not to use any bad langaiage 
before him, or he will pick it up, and you will never hear the end 
of it." 
" My dear Robert," exclaimed the old lady, lifting her 
eyes in horror, " I never use bad language ! How can you sug- 
gest such a thing ? Jellico ( that was what the crew had chris- 
tened him) will never hear anything but good from me." 
" Ship ahoy ! What-ho, she bumps ! Let 'em all come ! " 
With his head cocked on one side, and a naughty twinkle 
in his eye, the parrot interrupted her. 
" Don't you mind him. Aunt Mary," said her nephew. 
" It is only his way. The stokers have primed him up with a 
lot of slang, I am afraid, but he does not mean any harm by it, 
and 1 am sure he will soon learn his manners with you." 
" We shall soon be the best of friends," she said hope- 
fully. " And by the time you come ashore again I am sure that 
he will be quite a gentleman in his way of talking, as well as in 
everything else." 
" Yuss, I don't fink!" said Jellico. But they pretended 
not to hear him. 
Time went by, and it really did seem as if Jellico were 
turning over a new leaf, and forgetting some of the slang he had 
picked up on board ship, but he was a terrible mimic, and a 
terrible bird for hearing what he had no business to hear. 
