The Cockatoos Story | Page 3

them. I shouldn't wonder if it was that great spider whose life
you spared who told her. You remember your cousin Dick wanted to
kill it; and I noticed she guided the bee with threads from a spider's
web."
"Well, I'm very glad," said Herbert laughing. "I must say the reward is
greater than I deserve, for it seems an easy thing to be kind to animals
and insects."
"It's not such an easy thing as you think, sir," said Mrs. Polly. "I've
lived seventy years in this world, and I've kept my eyes wide open, and
I've seen boys, ay, and girls too, do very cruel things to dumb animals."
"Dear me, Polly, have you lived seventy years?" replied Herbert in
much astonishment; "I had no idea of it. Uncle James says parrots live

to a great age--he knew one that was a hundred years old; but somehow
I thought you were quite young. I mustn't ask you to dance quite so
often, for your legs must feel rather stiff at times. But what was that the
fairy said you could teach me? Is it a story? I must hear it."
"Very well, sir," said Mrs. Polly, courtesying again, just to show how
agile she was, for she did not like the idea of her old legs being thought
stiff. "But before you came in, Mr. Cockatoo was preparing to tell me
his history, the history of his life. He is two years old, Master Herbert,
and as he fancies the world has ill-used him, I think it would make him
more comfortable to tell his story first, if you don't mind, sir."
"Oh, very well," said Herbert, delighted to think that he could
understand the cockatoo also. "But I must not forget my lessons. I shall
go now and learn them; and in the afternoon, when you are in your
cages, I will bring the fish-hooks I have got to make, and while I do
them we can listen to the story."
"We shall be all the better of a few quiet hours," said Mrs. Polly, who
was very fond of a nap in the afternoon, especially after partaking of
rich cake. "Dear me, Master Herbert, one gets quite stupified looking
back into one's life. We'll lay our brains in sleep, sir, while you're at
your lessons. Good-day, good-day." Out of compliment, she finished
off with Herbert's own language, though had she said it in her own he
would have understood it quite well. But Polly hadn't lived for seventy
years for nothing.
In the afternoon the cockatoo's cage was placed at the open window,
Polly preferring to have hers on one side, to be away from the draught;
and when Herbert had got his box of hooks, and his coloured feathers,
and reels of silk placed conveniently, he bade Mr. Cockatoo begin his
story.
[Illustration: LISTENING TO THE COCKATOO'S STORY.
Page 22.]
"You said some time ago, Master Herbert," began the cockatoo, "that I

was brought from the Indian Islands; and I suppose you're right, sir,
though I can't say I ever heard the name before to-day: all I can say is, I
remember the place well. When I popped my head out of my shell, I
found other three heads had done the same, so I was the youngest of my
family. A sad circumstance for me, as you will see. There we lay,
without a single feather, and not even a particle of down to cover us,
our heads feeling far too large for our naked bodies. We had to be as
patient as we could, down in our nest in an old rotten tree, till the down
began to come; but it was three or four months before we were fairly
covered with feathers. Somehow, being the youngest, my feathers were
longer of coming than were the others; and when our mother was out of
hearing, my brothers would laugh at me, and make fun of my big
head--for it certainly was a very large head. This treatment spoiled my
temper, and I would sit and sulk by myself, taking a delight in refusing
to join in any of their sports when a fourth was required. I used to creep
up to the top of the tree, and sit trimming my feathers, spreading them
out and trying to make the most of their scanty appearance, till my
patience was rewarded; for beyond a doubt, at the end of the fifth
month my plumage was something wonderful to behold for beauty. As
for my head being large, it now helped to show off the splendid yellow
crest; and the awkward look was quite gone. Still my temper hadn't
improved; indeed I think it was worse, for conceit was added to my
other bad qualities; and when I