Page:Natural History, Birds.djvu/208

Rh a long breath, say, "Better now!" and begin to laugh.

'The first time I ever heard her speak, was one day when I was talking to the maid at the bottom of the stairs, and heard what I then considered to be a child call out "Payne! (the maid's name) I am not well, I'm not well!" and on my saying, "What is the matter with that child?" she replied, "It's only the Parrot; she always does so when I leave her alone, to make me come back;" and so it proved for on her going into the room the Parrot stopped, and then began laughing, quite in a jeering way.

'It is singular enough, that whenever she is affronted in any way, she begins to cry, and when pleased, to laugh. If any one happens to cough or sneeze, she says, "What a bad cold!" One day, when the children were playing with her, the maid came into the room, and on their repeating to her several things which the Parrot had said, Poll looked up, and said, quite plainly, "No, I didn't." Sometimes, when she is inclined to be mischievous, the maid threatens to beat her, and she says, "No, you won't." She calls the cat very plainly, saying, "Puss! puss!" and then answers, mew: but the most amusing part is, that whenever I want to make her call it, and to that purpose say, "Puss! puss!" myself, she always answers mew, till I begin mewing, and then she begins calling puss as quick as possible. She imitates every kind of noise, and barks so naturally, that I have known her to set all the dogs on the parade at Hampton Court barking; and the consternation I have seen her cause in a party of cocks and hens, by her crowing and clucking,