"Don't give up de sheep!" screamed the parrot.
"Come," said Max, "what's the use of trying to talk English: it's quite
plain you're a Parly-vous."
"Vive l'empereur!" shrieked the parrot.
"No doubt you can give us a song, monsieur," pursued Max; "favour us
with `Polly put the kettle on,' s'il vous plait."
The bird twisted his head round, as though giving earnest attention to
what was said; then, after a moment, which from his wise look seemed to
be occupied in profoundly considering the reasonableness of the request,
he burst forth with--
"Allons enfants de la Patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivee!"
Shrieking out the two lines as though they composed a single word.
Apparently satisfied with this display of his accomplishments, he spread
his wings, and flew heavily across the lake, alighting not far from the
shore, whence we could hear him occasionally uttering a shrill cry.
"Do you see where the parrot is now?" inquired Morton of me, a moment
afterwards.
"Yes, I see his green feathers among the foliage, but not very
distinctly."
"Unless I am much mistaken," pursued he, "there is a shed or building of
some kind among the trees, on the other side of the lake, where he has
alighted."
On shifting our ground a little, we could all perceive between the
boughs of the trees, something, that did in fact look like a low wooden
building, and after a moment's consultation, it was agreed that Morton
and Max should cross the stream, (which could easily be done where it
poured into the lake), and reconnoitre, while the rest awaited their
report.
By leaping from stone to stone, and wading occasionally for short
distances, they picked their way to the other side, and presently
disappeared among the casuarinas. After about fifteen minutes they
returned to the shore, and called for us to come over, saying that they
had discovered a building, which appeared, however, to have been long
deserted. Browne took Johnny upon his back, and we forded the rapids as
the others had done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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