REASON. 
149 
to call a person a witch by way of abuse, in preference to 
any other epithet, such as dolt or idiot. To this the 
person thus addressed naturally answers in the phrase 
used by the Parrot; and, doubtless, the bird had heard 
this phrase, and pondered oyer it. I have also heard it 
say to its master, on his repeating to it in a loud tone 
some words which it had not pronounced properly : 4 Don’t 
holloa so; I heard you.’ This answer was, doubtless, 
not the production of its own imagination, yet how 
admirably had it stored the words in its memory, and 
reproduced them on the right occasion. In like manner 
it would call out at the right time in the morning when 
breakfast was laid in an adjoining room : 4 Cocoa, bread; 
cocoa, bread; thou shalt have some soon;’ until he 
received his share. When dinner was being laid in one 
or other of the rooms it would immediately call out: 
4 Let us go to dinner; come, go to dinner/ On hearing 
the big bell of the cathedral, whose notes summoned his 
master to the choir, it would call out: 4 I’m off; God 
bless you.’ On all other occasions it would call out 
good-humouredly: 4 God be with thee/ If, however, 
strangers were present, it would say at their departure : * 
4 God be with ijou/ This proves how accurately it 
watched everything that took place in the house. If 
anyone knocked at the door, it would call out in a tone 
not to be distinguished from a man’s voice : 4 Come in.’ 
On the entrance of the stranger it would say: 4 Your 
humble servant awaits your orders; it gives me great 
pleasure that I have the honour,’ &c. Sometimes it 
would bite in two, or upset, something in its cage; upon 
which it would say : 4 No ; don’t bite ; keep quiet. What 
* Thus recognizing the distinction, between a friend and an acquaintance, by the 
usual German phraseology. 
X 
