A Conversing Parrot
During the government of Prince Maurice in Brazil, he had heard of an old
parrot that was much celebrated for answering like a rational creature
many of the common questions put to it. It was at a great distance; but so
much had been said about it that the prince's curiosity was roused, and he
directed it to be sent for. When it was introduced into the room where the
prince was sitting, in company with several Dutchmen, it immediat
exclaimed in the Brazilian language, "What a company of white men are
here!" They asked it, "Who is that man?" (pointing to the prince). The
parrot answered, "Some general or other." When the attendants carried it
up to him, he asked it, through the medium of an interpreter (for he was
ignorant of its language), "Whence do you come?" The parrot answered,
"From Marignan." The prince asked, "To whom do you belong?" It answered,
"To a Portuguese." He asked again, "What do you there?" It answered, "I
look after chickens." The prince laughing, exclaimed, "You look after
chickens!" The parrot in answer said, "Yes, I; and I know well enough how
to do it;" clucking at the same time in imitation of the noise made by the
hen to call together her young.
The prince afterwards observed that although the parrot spoke in a
language he did not understand, yet he could not be deceived, for he had
in the room both a Dutchman who spoke Brazilian, and a Brazilian who spoke
Dutch; that he asked them separately and privately, and both agreed
exactly in their account of the parrot's discourse.
More
-
A Calculating Crow
A carrion crow, perceiving a brood of fourteen chickens under the care of the parent-hen, on a lawn, picked up one; but on a young lady opening the window and giving an alarm, the robber dropped his prey. In the course of the day, however, the plu... A Canine Sheep-stealer
A shepherd, who was hanged for sheep-stealing, used to commit his depredations by means of his dog. When he intended to steal any sheep, he detached the dog to perform the business. With this view, under pretence of looking at the sheep, with an i... A Carrier's Dog
A carrier on his way to a market town had occasion to stop at some houses by the road side, in the way of his business, leaving his cart and horse upon the public road, under the protection of a passenger and a trusty dog. Upon his return he misse... A Charitable Canary
A pair of goldfinches who had the misfortune to be captured, together with their nest and six young ones, were placed in a double cage, with a pair of canaries, which had a brood of young; there was a division of wirework between the cages. At fir... A Child Saved
A shepherd, in one of his excursions to look after his flock, took with him one of his children, an infant of three years old. After traversing his pastures for some time, attended by his dog, he found it necessary to ascend a summit at some dista... A Choice Retaliation
A tame elephant kept by a merchant was suffered to go at large. The animal used to walk about the streets in as quiet and familiar a manner as any of the inhabitants, and delighted much in visiting the shops, particularly those which sold herbs an... A Comedy Of Quadrupeds
In a play exhibited at Rome, in the reign of Tiberius, there were twelve elephant performers, six males and six females, clothed in fancy costume. After they had, at the command of their keeper, danced and performed a thousand curious antics, a mo... A Conversing Parrot
During the government of Prince Maurice in Brazil, he had heard of an old parrot that was much celebrated for answering like a rational creature many of the common questions put to it. It was at a great distance; but so much had been said about it... A Domesticated Seal
A gentleman once succeeded in taming a seal. It appeared to possess all the sagacity of the dog, lived in its master's house, and ate from his hand. He usually took it with him in his fishing excursions, upon which occasions it afforded no small e... A Faithful Companion
A gardener, in removing some rubbish, discovered two ground toads of an uncommon size, weighing no less than seven pounds. On finding them, he was surprised to see that one of them got upon the back of the other, and both proceeded to move slowly ... A False Alarm
Some years ago, a soldier doing duty at the castle of Cape Town, kept a tame baboon for his amusement. One evening it broke its chains unknown to him. In the night, climbing up into the belfry, it began to play with, and ring the bell. Immediately... A Generous Revenge
A young man, desirous of getting rid of his dog, took it along with him to the river. He hired a boat, and rowing into the stream, threw the animal in. The poor creature attempted to climb up the side of the boat, but his master, whose intention w... A Good Finder
One day a tradesman, walking with a friend, offered to wager that if he were to hide a five-shilling piece in the dust, his dog would discover and bring it to him. The wager was accepted, and the piece of money marked and secreted. When the two ha... A Grateful Lioness
A Dreadful famine raged at Buenos Ayres, yet the governor, afraid of giving the Indians a habit of spilling Spanish blood, forbade the inhabitants on pain of death to go into the fields in search of relief, placing soldiers at all the outlets to t... A Grateful Return
A favourite house-dog, left to the care of its master's servants, while he was himself away, would have been starved by them if it had not had recourse to the kitchen of a friend of its master's, which in better days it had occasionally visited. O... A Mother Watching Her Young
The following singular instance of the far-sighted watchfulness of the turkey-hen over her young is narrated by a French priest. "I have heard," he says, "a turkey-hen, when at the head of her brood, send forth the most hideous scream, without bei... A Newsman Extraordinary
One of the carriers of a large newspaper having become indisposed, his son took his place; but not knowing the subscribers he was to supply, he took for his guide a dog which had usually attended his father. The animal trotted on a-head of the boy... A Philosophic Cat
A young cat, which sometimes was permitted the indulgence of taking her place in the domestic circle, upon the carpet before the fire in the parlour, one day came in when one of the party was spinning upon a line wheel. Having never seen such a th... A Providential Safe Conduct
A traveller gives a singular anecdote of a lion, which he says was related to him by very credible persons. About the year 1614 or 1615, two Christian slaves at Morocco made their escape, travelling by night, and hiding themselves in the tops of t... A Refugee Squirrel
A squirrel, whose bad luck it was to be captured, was lodged for safe custody in a trap used for taking rats alive. Here he remained for several weeks, till at length, panting for liberty, he contrived to make his escape through a window, and repa... A Sense Of Ridicule
Persons who have the management of elephants have often observed that they know very well when any one is ridiculing them, and that they very often revenge themselves when they have an opportunity. A painter wished to draw an elephant in the menag... A Shrewd Guesser
A French officer, more remarkable for his birth and spirit than his wealth, had served the Venetian republic for some years with great valour and fidelity, but had not met with that preferment which he merited. One day he waited on a nobleman whom... A Singular Foster-mother
On an estate in Scotland a terrier had a litter of whelps, which were immediately taken from her and drowned. The unfortunate mother was quite disconsolate, until, a few weeks after, she perceived a brood of ducklings, which she immediately seized... A Singular Interposition
A lady had a tame bird which she was in the habit of letting out of its cage every day. One morning as it was picking crumbs of bread off the carpet, her cat, who always before showed great kindness for the bird, seized it on a sudden, and jumped ... A Sly Couple
A gentleman in the county of Stirling kept a greyhound and a pointer, and being fond of coursing, the pointer was accustomed to find the hares, and the greyhound to catch them. When the season was over, it was found that the dogs were in the habit... A Strange Mouser
A gentleman once had in his possession a hen, which answered the purpose of a cat in destroying mice. She was constantly seen watching close to a corn rick, and the moment a mouse appeared, she seized it in her beak, and carried it to a meadow adj... A Tame Colony
A well-known traveller, in a description of the Island of Tristan d'Acunha, states that the animals found on this solitary spot were so tame, that it was necessary to clear a path through the birds which were reposing on the rocks, by kicking them... An Ass Cast Away
An ass, belonging to a captain in the Royal Navy, then at Malta, was shipped on board a frigate, bound from Gibraltar for that island. The vessel struck on some sands off the Point de Gat, and the ass was thrown overboard, in the hope that it migh... An Usurper Punished
Some years ago a sparrow had early in spring taken possession of an old swallow's nest, and had laid some eggs in it, when the original builder and owner of the castle made her appearance, and claimed possession. The sparrow, firmly seated, resist... Are Beasts Mere Machines?
A gentleman one day talking with a friend maintained that beasts were mere machines, and had no sort of reason to direct them; and that when they cried or made a noise, it was only one of the wheels of the clock or machine that made it. The friend... Assisting The Aged
A captain of cavalry in a French regiment mentions that a horse belonging to his company, being from age unable to eat his hay or grind his oats, was fed for two months by two horses on his right and left, who ate with him. These two horses, drawi... Canine Smugglers
In the Netherlands, they use dogs of a very large and strong breed, for the purpose of draught. They are harnessed like horses, and chiefly employed in drawing little carts with fish, vegetables, &c., to market. Previous to the year 1795, such dog... Concerts Of Animals
An abbot, a man of wit, and skilled in the construction of new musical instruments, was ordered by Louis XI., King of France, more in jest than in earnest, to procure him a concert of swines' voices. The abbot said that the thing could doubtless b...