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THE FAITHLESS PARROT
DESIGNED AND NARRATED BY
CHARLES H. BENNETT
TITTUMS AND FIDO MAKING IT UP.]
LONDON
G. ROUTLEDGE AND Co.
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THE FAITHLESS PARROT.
BY CHARLES H. BENNETT.
There once lived happily together, in a fine house, atortoise-shell Cat and a pretty white Dog: the Cat's name wasTittums; the Dog's, Fido. In course of time the pretty Dog fellin love with the Cat, and only waited for a good chance todisclose his affections. This came one day, when Tittums had puther paws on the fender, dropped her head a little on one side,half closed her eyes, and seemed thinking of nothing at all. ThenFido, who lay stretched at full length upon the hearth-rug,looked steadfastly at her, and heaving a gentle whine, said,--
"Oh, Tittums, I've fallen in love!"
FIDO COURTING TITTUMS.]
"Indeed!" replied the prudent Cat, not wishing to show him howanxious she was.
"Yes, indeed," continued the little Doggy, rather hurt at hercoldness: "it's you that I've fallen in love with. Do you likeme, Tittums?"
But Tittums would not answer, even with a single _purr-r_! and itwas only upon her giving him a sly look out of the corner of herleft eye that he guessed how much she did like him. However, madebold by even this small token of esteem, he came quietly up, andsat by her side; even going so far, at last, as to take her outfor a short walk down the garden-path, where they looked throughthe railings at the people passing by.
"Well," said Fido to himself, "I have no doubt but she will loveme in time; all the more, as I have great hopes of growing biggerbefore the spring."
TITTUMS DESERTING FIDO.]
But one morning, when Tittums came in from a visit she had beenpaying her mamma, she was followed by a gentleman from thetropics, who, with all the impudence of his race, made himselfquite at home, pressed Tittums' paw to his heart, called her"the loveliest of Cats," asked her to oblige him with a song,which he had been told she could sing very sweetly, and nevertook the least notice of poor Fido, who was sitting in thecorner. To tell the truth, poor Fido was very cross, and began togrowl quite savagely; the more so when, to his dismay, he beheldthe pleasure with which Tittums heard all this nonsense. He couldnot think what right the bold stranger had to come there unasked;for all that he had bright red and green feathers, a rakish,broad-brimmed hat, and a gold-headed walking-cane, he was notgood-looking, that was very certain.
But Tittums was very much struck by his appearance and bearing;his feathers were so pretty, he spoke so many languages, shriekedso terribly and in such a loud voice, had travelled so much, andwas so struck by the beauty of Tittums, that, poor little Cat asshe was, she ceased to care a button for faithful Fido, and keptall her sly glances for Mr. Paul Parrot.
"Lovely Tittums," said Mr. Paul, "you must forget such upstartpuppies as Fido. Listen to me--I am a traveller--I speak fivelanguages,--I have a palace made of golden bars, within which isa perch fit for a king,--I have a pension of bread and milk andBarcelona nuts: all of which I will share with you. To-morrow wewill go for a trip into the field next to the house. Good-by forthe present, my dear Pussy Cat;" and he went away kissing hishand.
Poor Fido howled. Naughty Tittums!
As day followed day, Miss Puss neglected her little Dog more andmore. She walked out with Mr. Paul Parrot, she sang to him,looked kindly at him, and, in fact, only seemed happy when he wasby. Poor Fido was true to his first love, although almost broughtto despair; he got very thin indeed, and his fine bushy coat,which he had kept nice and clean, became ragged and dirty.
Indeed, Mr. Parrot carried all before him; he was so grand, soloving, and so clever, that Fido from being deserted becamedespised, and was indeed thinking about hanging himself on themeat-hook in the kitchen.
TITTUMS WALKING OUT WITH THE PARROT.]
THE PARROT COURTING THE JACKDAW.]
One evening, just after dark, as he was roaming about, feelingvery sad, and thinking that, perhaps, it would be better to runaway than to use the meat-hook, he all at once found himself inthe next garden, and while he was looking round him, he heardvoices.
"Lovely Mrs. Daw," said one of the voices which he seemed torecognise, "I am a traveller--I speak five languages--I have apalace made of golden bars, within which is a perch fit for aking,--I have a pension of bread and milk and nuts; all of whichI will share with you. To-morrow we will fly for an excursion onto the great oak-tree in Farmer Hodges' field."
"Dear me!" thought Fido, "this must be Mr. Parrot." And, sureenough, so it was,--Mr. Parrot, indeed, and making the warmest oflove to old Mrs. Daw, the widow of Miser Jack Daw, who, during along life, and by means of stealing and saving, had laid by alarge fortune, which he had left Mrs. Daw to enjoy.
The old widow seemed very much pleased at the warmth of Mr.Paul's love, and no doubt thought that every word he said wastrue; leering round at him with her old eyes, and wishing thatshe had put on a clean muslin cap, as it might have made her lookeven younger than she thought she did.
As for Fido, he almost jumped for joy; he ran home as soon asever he could.
"Oh, Tittums!" said he, heedless of her scornful looks, "what doyou think I have found out? There is that rascal of a PaulParrot, who pretends so much love for you, courting Widow Daw atthis very moment; and if you come at once you may see it withyour own eyes."
"Nonsense!" replied Tittums: "I do not believe it."
"Well," said the Dog, "to convince you, if you will only come tothe other side of the wall you shall see that what I have said isquite true."
But Pussy, trusting in the honour of Mr. Paul, would not believea word, and it was only after a great deal of persuasion that shewas induced to jump over the wall and listen.
EAVES-DROPPERS.]
Mr. Paul and Mrs. Daw were still courting, and the Parrot wastrying, by coaxing the old lady, to find out how much she wasworth, and where all her treasures were hid. Indeed Mrs. Daw wasjust on the point of telling him her secret, when Tittums, unableto contain herself, rushed at Mr. Paul and scratched his face.
"Oh, you bad Parrot!" she said; "did you not promise to marry me,and take me to your golden palace?"
"Golden palace!" screamed Mrs. Daw: "why, you wicked bird, that'swhat you promised me. Stay, ma'am, what did he say besides?--didhe promise you any bread and milk, or any Barcelona nuts?"
"Yes, he did--he did--he did," continued the Cat, scratching andclawing the false, faithless Parrot as she spoke.
"Well," said Pussy, now fairly exhausted, "I hope you aresatisfied: if ever you come near our house again, I'll scratchout every feather you have on your back;" and so she left him,taking Fido with her, who, in spite of his general good natureand the Parrot's rage, could not resist giving him two or threesharp bites.
THE PARROT EXPOSED.]
As soon as Mrs. Daw was left alone with Paul, she began toupbraid him with his falseness,--"You vulgar, stuck-up, ugly,awkward deceiver! you have neither honesty enough to live by, norwings enough to fly with." Whereupon she jumped at him and gavehim such a plucking as spoilt his good looks.
Never after this was the Parrot able to hold up his head. Everyone scorned him; even his golden palace turned out to be a brasscage; and for his misdeeds a chain was fastened round his leg. Hewas confined to a wooden perch, which, out of pure spite, he wasalways peck
ing.
Old Widow Daw kept her secret, and remained unmarried.
Tittums could not help admiring the constancy of Fido; and whenin the spring he had grown bigger, and was promoted to a sweetred and black collar, Pussy found that she loved him very muchindeed, and made up her mind never more to forsake him.
THE PARROT GETTING A GOOD PICKING]
* * * * *
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