lay curled up snugly in our nest
in the old tree, before my brothers had learned to tease me. 'Children,'
she used to say, 'a beautiful plumage is all very well, but a
happy-looking face, and a kind, amiable disposition, are to be prized far
before the loveliest coloured feathers.'
"This parrot now before me was as lovely a bird of his kind as one
would wish to see; but his face was purple with rage, and his lovely
feathers were all ruffled and rumpled with passion, so that any kind of
feathers might have served him equally well.
"I cannot tell how it was," said the cockatoo, "but from that time I was
always meeting the discontented parrot; and we gradually got more and
more intimate. My good friend, the old cockatoo, did not hesitate to
warn me against my companion; but I was angry with her, because I
fancied she lectured me, having no right to do so, and treated me as if I
had been a perfect baby. Then one night, after a long conversation with
the parrot, I agreed to fly away with him, and seek our fortunes on
some other part of the island. It was arranged that we should set out the
next morning before the sun was up; for the parrot thought if he went
away in open daylight, his father, who was a very fierce parrot, would
interfere with our flight. I cannot tell you why I felt sorry, after the
parrot left me, at the idea of leaving my good, kind friend, the old
cockatoo; but I really was. She had been so good to me, and had so
much to tell me about what she had seen during her long life, and in her
travels, that time passed very quickly indeed. That evening, too, when I
had retired to the branch I had selected for my sleeping-place, I
overheard a conversation between a very large mother parrot and her
three young ones, that somewhat filled my heart with alarm. 'Be
contented, children,' the mother parrot was saying. 'I have known many
parrots come to an untimely end, because they were always wanting to
see what was beyond the trees and bushes of their own home. I
remember my grandfather telling me about how a brother and he had
strayed away far into the woods, and they were overtaken by the
darkness, and were forced to remain in a tree all night. But he had not
fallen asleep long when he heard a great shriek; and on opening his
eyes, what should he see but an immense ape clutching his brother by
the throat, and carrying him away up to the top of the tree out of sight.
It was all my grandfather could do to get his wings to carry him home,
he was so weak and faint with the fright; and never again did he wander
from his companions.'
[Illustration: A LESSON IN CONTENTMENT.
Page 42.]
"Oh, that I had listened even then to the old mother parrot's wise
advice!" said the cockatoo, as he scratched his eye. "Ah, sir," he said,
turning to Herbert, "it's harder to bear troubles when they come upon us
by our own folly.
"The sun was scarcely up when the green parrot was beside me; and as
I had promised to join him, I did not like to hesitate or draw back now.
So we set out on our travels, without even saying good-bye to any one.
For days we travelled on through the forest, and a happy enough time it
was; for my companion was apparently delighted at the idea of his
freedom, and chattered away in a very amiable manner. But toward the
end of the third day we were startled by hearing strange sounds; and on
peering down from the branches, we saw a man. I did not know he was
a man at the time; but I found out to my cost what he was only too soon.
He had some dogs with him, and seemed to be waiting for something,
for he peeped cautiously round a tree every now and then, bidding the
dogs lie close. Then in a moment came a fearful crack from a gun he
carried, and something gave a great roar and a wild snort, and I nearly
lost my senses with the fright. It was all I could do to clutch on by the
branch, my legs shook so with fear; and as for my companion, if it
hadn't been for falling into a cleft in a branch, he would have gone
straight down on to the man's wide-spreading hat. The cry had come
from a boar, which lay dead or dying; and in a very few minutes the
man had fastened something to his
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