“Well,” said the parrot, turning to me, “I may have started the Doctor learning but I never could have done even that, if he hadn’t first taught me to understand what _I_ was saying when I spoke English. You see, many parrots can talk like a person, but very few of them understand what they are saying. They just say it because—well, because they fancy it is smart or, because they know they will get crackers given them.” By this time we had turned and were going towards my home with Jip running in front and Polynesia still perched on the Doctor’s shoulder. The bird chattered incessantly, mostly about Africa; but now she spoke in English, out of politeness to me. “How is Prince Bumpo getting on?” asked the Doctor. “Oh, I’m glad you asked me,” said Polynesia. “I almost forgot to tell you. What do you think?—_Bumpo is in England!_” “In England!—You don’t say!” cried the Doctor. “What on earth is he doing here?” “His father, the king, sent him here to a place called—er—Bullford, I think it was—to study lessons.” “Bullford!—Bullford!” muttered the Doctor. “I never heard of the place—Oh, you mean Oxford.” “Yes, that’s the place—Oxford,” said Polynesia “I knew it had cattle in it somewhere. Oxford—that’s the place he’s gone to.” “Well, well,” murmured the Doctor. “Fancy Bumpo studying at Oxford—Well, well!” “There were great doings in Jolliginki when he left. He was scared to death to come. He was the first man from that country to go abroad. He thought he was going to be eaten by white cannibals or something. You know what those niggers are—that ignorant! Well!—But his father made him come. He said that all the black kings were sending their sons to Oxford now. It was the fashion, and he would have to go. Bumpo wanted to bring his six wives with him. But the king wouldn’t let him do that either. Poor Bumpo went off in tears—and everybody in the palace was crying too. You never heard such a hullabaloo.” “Do you know if he ever went back in search of The Sleeping Beauty?” asked the Doctor. “Oh yes,” said Polynesia—“the day after you left. And a good thing for him he did: the king got to know about his helping you to escape; and he was dreadfully wild about it.” “And The Sleeping Beauty?—did he ever find her?” “Well, he brought back something which he _said_ was The Sleeping Beauty. Myself, I think it was an albino niggeress. She had red hair and the biggest feet you ever saw. But Bumpo was no end pleased with her and finally married her amid great rejoicings. The feastings lasted seven days. She became his chief wife and is now known out there as the Crown-Princess Bum_pah_—you accent the last syllable.” “And tell me, did he remain white?” “Only for about three months,” said the parrot. “After that his face slowly returned to its natural color. It was just as well. He was so conspicuous in his bathing-suit the way he was, with his face white and the rest of him black.”