Ha, Captain, how do _you_ do?--Captain, your health, I say; Captain, I’ll have the pleasure of drinking your health to-day! ha! ha! ha! I’m very glad to see you!--You remember, perhaps, That wood in Carolina, the guns and all the traps;-- To be sure you do!--Ladies, I’m a Carolina bird,-- Some come from the East Indies, from the Cape too, I have heard; But I’m of Carolina--to the Big-bone lick I’ve been,-- Now in that country there _is_ something to be seen! Our Captain knows _that_! Ay, Captain, I say, Do you remember crossing the Cedar Swamp one particular day, When I got out of your pocket and flew away? Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! How it makes me laugh! You’d a pretty chase after me!--ha! ha! a pretty chase! And I sat in the hickory trees, laughing in your face! Ha! ha! ha! how I did laugh. What cypress-berries, cockel-burs, and beach-nuts grew there! You many look all this country over, and find none anywhere. And what fun it was--me, and a thousand beside, To fly in the merry sunshine through those forests wide, And build our nests--Oh, what nests we had?-- Did you ever see one of our nests--Captain? Eh, my lad? CAPTAIN. I’ve heard of nests of cinnamon, With the great Phœnix set thereon; And swallows’ nests, so rich and sweet Of which the Chinese people eat; But of _your_ nests I never heard, What kind are they, I pray thee, bird? PARROT. Nests! ha! ha! ha! what sort of nests should they be? You may fancy if you please, but you’ll never know from me! I never blab, not I! What sort of nest is built? Ha! ha! ha! with sheets and blankets and a fine Marseilles quilt! ha! ha! ha! Put it down in your little book,--a four-post bed, I say, With damask moreen hangings, and made every day! ha! ha! ha! Oh, how it makes me laugh! ha! ha! ha! I shall split my sides with laughing some of these days! ha! ha! ha! Captain. Come, now, you silly prate-a-pace Tell us about the Big-bone place, Where our acquaintance first began; And of those swamps, untrode by man, Where you came, impudent and merry, For cockle-burr and hackle-berry, PARROT. Of the Big-bone lick, did you say?--Ay, we used to go there, A Parrot’s very fond of salt! I really declare I’ve seen ten thousand of us there altogether,-- A beautiful sight it was, in fine summer weather, Like a grand velvet carpet, of orange, green and yellow, Covering the ground! Ah, Captain! my good fellow, I had reason to rue the day you came there with your gun! I would laugh if I could, but to me it was no fun--heigh-ho! No fun at all, Captain, heigh-ho! CAPTAIN. Nay, Poll, cheer up, you’re better here Than at the Big-bone lick, my dear! PARROT.