The Oregon daily journal., October 25, 1908, Page 44, Image 44

(Tin; ORECOJT SUNDAY JOURNAL,' PORTtAND, SUNDAY MORNINO, OCTOBER 25
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THE
UNLUCKY
PARROT
BY RUTH HUNTINGTON SESSIONS.
NCE upon
5 fi
ime, in a far Eastern country,
young prince. He was good-
njtured, gentle, and to ton. of tht people.
Ins father a subjects, that hit favorite amuse
ment was to wander about the imperial city
. disguised as an ordinary boy, and make
acquaintance with all kind-and conditions
of workers, often helping them and sharing their toil.
It was the custom of the country that all members of
the royal family should be saluted when seen in public; '
so you may imagine that the prince was very glad to
be able to do away with this ceremony by going about
"incognita," as it itvcalled, and being treated a little
more informally tharftwhen in company of hii suite.
ing boughs of trees which obstructed the path, Sud
denly the parrot, with a shrill scream, flew directly
down upon the top of the horse's . head, and dug its
sharp beak into the animal's flesh. The horse tossed
its head in annoyance, stumbled and threw the rider,
blinded as he was by the boughs, to the ground; then,
as the parrot let go, escaped with a wild snort, and.
broke away into the thicket, thus leaving the prince on
his back alone, the rest of the. hunting-party being
already out of eight, and the bird, which had now
seated itself upon the nearest tree, looking down at
him with an evil leer. ,
The prince shouted and called and whistled, but In
vain, for only an echo answered him. Then he sat
t becoming excited one more; so he made a low bow
' to the rabbit, and requested him to lead the way toward
the magic palm at the three wells. '
The rabbit hopped gleefully along in front, end the
prince was following, thinking the road quite smooth
and comfortable, when suddenly the parrot, which had
been flying ahead of them, lighted upon a stone and
flapped its wings, at the same time giving a cry. Im
mediately there was a sound of rushing water, and the
next moment a roaring stream dashed across his path,
cutting; him off completely from further progress, since
it was too deep for wading and too turbulent for
swimming. The parrot, meanwhile, had managed to
fly safely to the other side, and sat on a stone,
screaming:
"Get over, If you can I Get over, if you can I"
The prince looked about him for bridge or boat, but
saw none. The rabbit, however, lost no time in put
ting; the little ailver whistle to its mouth. It blew a
shrill blast, then listened. A burrowing and scratching
sounded in the underbrush, and in a tew moments an
army of beavers, moving with the precision of a regi-1
ment, appeared.- The prince watched them.
"1 believe they are going to build a dam," he said
to himself and, to be sure, this was the case. The
THS FAXEOT LIGHTED UPON BIS SHOULDER
One day, while disguised in plain clothes, as he was
passing through a dark, narrow street, lined on each
6ide with booths and dens of merchants, he heard the
sound of a voice calling:
"Come in I Come in!"
At first, peering into thedark interior of the small
shop before the door of which he had paused, he could
see nothing, and was at a loss to find out whence the
voice came. But presently, in a cage just inside the
door, he spied a parrot, a most beautiful bird, with
., plumage of red, green, and yellow. Now. of all things,
the prince had always wished to possess a parrot He
stepped inside the shop filled as it was with all kinds
of curious lamps, jugs, and spicy-smelling Oriental
stuffs, and at the very back of it saw a little old
man, dark 'and crafty-looking, whose long beard almost
touched the ground.
"Is your bird for sale f asked the prince, politely,
of the shopkeeper.
Now the old man was quite well aware that a mem
ber of the royal household stood before him, but he
was too cunning to let the prince know it; so he
answered as if he were talking to an ordinary pur
chaser: "Yes, it is for sale, but only. at one price. I will
not part with it for money, as I value it too highly."
"I low can I purchase it, then?" inquired the
prince.
The old man hesitated a moment, then he said:
"Bring me a cup of water from the spring that
flows by the image in the palace garden. Then you
shall have the parrot. But you must say nothing to
any one. The bargain must be kept a secret between;
you and me."
The prince did not know (what to the clever old
man had long been the subject of his plots and
schemes) that a cup of water, given to anybody from
this spring by the hand of a prince of the royal blood,
would render the drinker able to use fairy power
and endow any animal with it. This fact had never
been told to the boy, because it was so entirely con
trary to the rules of the court that he should perform
any service whatever for a person outside of his own
family. But in mixing with the common people, and
seeing their many ways of helping one another, he
had forgotten this regulation. So it seemed quite
' a natural thing for him to run home at once, fetch a
silver cup, and from the bubbling spring which, surr
mounted by a stately image, flowed in a corner of the
beautiful garden of his father's palace, to fill it with
water, and return at once to the dingy shop where
the owner of the parrot awaited him.
"Come in 1 Come in 1" shouted the bird again, and
the prince held out his cup to the 'little old man, who
eagerly clutched it and immediately drank its contents.
"You shall have the parrot now," he said, with a
.crafty smile; "but first let me get it ready to go
with you."
He took the parrot down and carried it Into the
back of the shop, stroked its feathers several timet,
and whispered a few words in its ear which the prince ,
supposed to be a tender farewell. Then he handed it
to the boy, who ran off delighted with his prize, and
unconscious that he was carrying with him "the servant
of a dangerous sorcerer, who was only waiting for a
chance to work some injury upon him. The parrot
was not shut up in a cage, like other pets, but was
set on a golden perch, and was daintily fed ; and soon
the bird amused every one in the palace by its speeches.
Two or three days after this the prince was invited
to go out bunting with his father, the king. Just as
he was mounting his horse at the palace door, the
parrot flew from U perch and lighted upon his
shonlder.' '
Take the bird away." he called to a servant "I
shall be gone all day, and cannot take care of it"
The servant sprang to remove ft ; but each time
be did so, the creature few hack and took tts'stand
once more on the shoulder f the prince. Tbe king
was impttient to b 7. to, at last finding it difficult
to be rid of hii.vt, the prince allowed it to remain
where, ft was, and they started, the sharp claws of
the bird elinrin to the bey's huntrif-costBme. For
while all went smoothly; but finally they came into
a dark wo"d. wher it was rmry to ride earefaHy
ovt a roach .mad. in sinsle fie. The prince was'
thiod the rrft f the party, bmdirg his. bead now and
then, as dd those 1a troct cf lia, to escape the bang-
up, looked about him and considered how he could
best find his way back to his home or catch up with
his father. The path before and behind shim seemed
to have disappeared. There was not even an opening
among the trees to guide him to an outlet from the
bewildering mass of green which surrounded him on
all sides. The parrot had succeeded in the plot im
parted to it by the old man, and had led the poor
prince into a complete trap, from which it appeared im
possible to escape. But the wood was full, fortunately,
of friendly little animals who were on excellent terms
with the wood-fairies, and ready to join with the latter
in helping mortals out of the toils of z sorcerer when
necessary. So the prince, staring in a discouraged way
at the dense thicket about him, presently noticed a
big bee, which buzzed round and round his head
in a mild, not at all alarming, fashion, and, without
touching him, seemed to have some reason for keeping
near him. Pretty soon it flew a little way off, then
back agajn ; then, perching on a leaf, looked at him
with an expression which, for an insect, was truly
remarkable. The prince then began to notice that
the parrot was making extraordinary efforts to catch
this bee, but that the latter managed to fly away each
time it came near, and always returned to its post
near him. v .
"What do you want of me, I wonder?" he said to
himself. The bee buzzed again, and this time the prince
followed it as it flew off, till it lighted on a thick vine
which twined itself back and forh across a couple of
tall trees. On examining this vine, he found it had
grown exactly in the form of a ladder, upon which,
if be liked, he could climb upward.
"Ah I" he exclaimed. "Now I can ascend high
enough, perhaps, to see over the tree-tops and get
an idea how to find my way out of this place." . So,
unheeding the shrill cries of the parrot which fol
lowed him, pecking angrily at the leaves as it hopped
from twiji to twig; he scrambled eagerly up the long
" vine ladder. ' '
It was a very long climb, and at the top He found
himself at the end of a long corridor, with a floor of
interlaced twigs, where the vine had grown across be
tween the tree-tops and interwoveq itself firmly, and
with walls of thick green. Passing down this corridor,
he came to a tiny house of the same materials." And
within the house, on a throne of pine cones, sat a little
old woman.
The prince, who never failed to show his good
manners,' ma4e a low how.
"Who are you, pray tell?" inquired the old woman.
He told her how he had been lost in the woods,
and she shook her head with a frown.
The work of some sorcerer," she muttered; "very
likely that parrot there." At which the bird ruffled
up all its feathers and gave a more piercing scream
than ever. "And I am the old woman who looks after
the forest I know all the animals and insects and
birds, and my business is to see that they keep it in
order. I cant go with you to show you the way out,
, but I'll help you as much as I can. In the first place,
you'll have to do something to that bird, for it is
bound to bring you ill luck. You 'II never get any
where till you break its power. And that can be done
by touching it with a leaf from the magic palm by the
three wells. Do you see the tree just beyond the edge
of this forest V
She pointed with one finger out of the window of
the hut, and in the distance the prince could see the
topof a palm-tree.
That is it explained the old womah. "Get to
it climb up and pluck a Jeaf, rub your evil-eyed parrot
with it and there will be an end of the power that is
keeping yoa shut in this wood. Once tree from h
you 11 find the path easily etjongh. Now climb down
the ladder again, and at the bottom yoa 11 find a guide
who can show you the way to the palm ; but keep
your wits about von, for that bird cf yours will stir
up more trouble if H can."
1 The prince thanked her heartily, and In a moment
was acramblirr down the ladder again, wondering what
kind cf a guide the old womin had provided for him.
He did not bear her give any orders, but oa reaching
tbe ground, he saw a little rabbit sitting tip on' its
hstmch and looking at him wfch a most intenirent
air, while round its nerk was slung a small silver
whitk. Tbe prince made no doubt that this -was to
be hii, companion, partaUrry as the parrot was
clever little animals did not stop until a regular beaver
dam was finished, on which the rabbit and the prince
crossed safely. The parrot glared at them in a revenge
ful manner, but made no more noise, and the three
proceeded for nearly a mile, when suddenly a weird
laugh from the bird made the prince start and look
upward. There in front of them was a frowning preci
pice of gray rock, seeming almost to touch the sky, and
without a foothold on its surface.
The prince glanced at the rabbit, who was again equal
to ' the occasion. Setting the whistle to its lips once
more, it blew two blasts this time, and looked up along
the face of the cliff. Presently some queer little figures
appeared, slowly crawling downward, and as they drew
nearer they turned out to be monkeys, who were hang
by one another's tails and thus making a sort of rope.
When thpy had brought it within a few feet of the
prince, the lowest one waved its tail, and the rabbit,
giving a jump, landed on its back. Then followed
the boy; and lastly the parrot, which contented itself
with administering vicious pecks to the poor apes as
ii new alongside oi mem up me chit.
Now came a long climb down on the other side of
the precipice, and then the palm-tree began to seem
quite near, and the prince could make out the three
wells underneath its shade. But just as he was con
gratulating himself on this welcome sight he heard the
parrot call out: "Good-by; there you go!"
At the same instant he felt himself hegin t6 sink.
Down, down, down he went, into a mass of soft sand,
v which in a moment was up to his neck, and threatened
to cover him altogether. But the friendly rabbit had
noticed it, and had blown three loud whistles, at which
there was an instant sound of scratching and tearing
and rushing. Up from the ground, 'where they had
lived in holes, out of the underbrush, and down the
hill behind came a hundred little foxes with bushy tails.
They rushed up to the sand-hill which was swallowing the
poor prince, and began to scratch, scratch wih their
small paws, and in a "jiffy" they had set him free
bvpulling the sand away so that he could scramble out.
He shook the dirt off and tramped on, now seeing
the magic palm-tree very near, and in a few minutes
ha stood beneath it. But alas I what a discouraging
sight confronted him ! It was a magic palm-tree in
deed, for. in an instant it shot up to a great height
before his astonished eyes. The tree grew enormously
tall, and its leaves were at the very top; and between
him and them was the slippery trunk, up which, try
as he would, he could not climb, since there was not
the least hold for hand or foot. Gradually it shrank
again until the leaves were only a few feet above his
head, but at the first motion he made to reach up for
one, or to climb the tree, it suddenly lengthened itself
to a great height again.
"Ha, ha I" screamed the parrot perched in the tree's
branches. "Not so easy, my friend 1"
"You wretched bird!' the prince cried angrily. "I
will find some way yet." t Then he turned to the rabbit
once more, feeling -sure it would help him out of his
difficulty. There was quite a little group of animafs
hy this time, as a few of the beavers, monkeys, and
foxes had followed along out of curiosity, and were
standing in a semicircle, looking up at the tree. The
little rabbit seemed to have a sudden idea. It drew
out its whistle, and sounded four blasts from the silver,
mouth. Theje was no noise in answer to this, but,
quick as a flash, a little red squirrel came running into
the middle of the group. It fan up to the rabbit, and
,the two rubbed their noses together in friendly fashion,
the squirrel evidently receiving its orders. Then the
parrot, seeing what it was about to do, made a rush
at it and opened its beak as if to seize it by the tail;
but the swift creature was too quick. In an instant
it had sprung away, up the tree, and in another it was
back, holding jn hs mouth a arrest leaf of the palm.
"Now I have you !" cried the prince toMbe parrot,
taking the leaf in his hand and. making a jump after it ;
but the wicked bird only flew a short distiDC awiv to
the branch of a tree, wpere it perched, laugting wick
edly. "Vhy don't yon catch me?" It cried.
The prince, after a few more attempts, realized that
it was of no use to try this sorUof game, for the bird
escaped- hira as often as he chased it The antm!
were looking on with nrnch interest; hot, to trie dis
may of the wanderer, who -was depending upon" their
protection, they seemed to have oothirg to sugrt
COPTftlOHTtD T THC CENTURY COMPANT
Even the rabbit was silent and inactive, and did not make
any attempt to clear up the difficulty. But just as the
prince began to be discouraged and to think help was
never coming, a bird with red wings flew down near
him. It had such a look of understanding- that the
prince ventured to address it in his own language r
Could n't you take a message," he said," "to the old
woman of the woods?" I 'm sure she coild tell me
what to do. Please ask her to send me a word of
advice."
The bird spread Its wings obediently and flew off,
and the animals all nodded their heads sagaciously,
as if they approved of this. In a few moments a
flapping was heard above them; and a great eagle,
carrying something on its back, began to descend, and
this something, as it drew nearer, was discovered to
be the little old woman herself.
"You had no business to send for me," she remarked
rather sharply to the. prince," but I '11 consent to help
you out of your trouble just once, for the sake of
getting rid of that nuisance of a parrot. Now listen."
And she whispered in the prince's ear: "The only
way to make it imoossible for that bird to get away
is to paralyze him by drawing a circle round him."
, "But what shall I do it with?" the boy Inquired.
I have not even a piece of chalk nor string. Besides,
ifvjt sees me trying any such thing, it is sure to fry
away at once, before I finish."
The old woman would not say anything more.
"I shall not make any further suggestions," she de
cleared. "All I can do is to tell you what is necessary.
The animals must help you out. And with this she
climbed on the back of, the eagle once more, and rode
away.
The prince was determined to make the rabbit bestir
itself, as he began to grow impatient after his chase
of the parrot He went up and seized the little creature
by its long ears, giving it a mild shake. Now came
about a most curious thing. The head of the rabbit,
ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and all, and its neck, slipped
out of Its body like the heads of the Easter rabbits
made of plaster which are bought in the confectionery
stores. From the hole that was left came forth a
small head and face then the rest of the body dropped
away, and there stood a tiny man, smiling.
"You have setVne free," he declared. "I am a fairy
prince, who for diSobedience to the king of the fairies
was condemned to take the form of a rabbit until
some human being should shake me out of it. I have
power over the animals, and nfew that your touch has
given me command of speech again, we will consult
how to get you out of this trouble. In the first place,
we have to draw the circle round the parrot without
its seeing what we are about This will have to be
managed very carefully, but I think the animals, and
insects can help us there. Wait and you shall see."
And, picking up the whistle as it lay on the ground be
side the rabbit-skin, he blew very softly on it.
The animals all crowded round him closely, and,
to his joy, the prince found he could understand the
little man as he spoke to them.
"Now," he said, "find me a snake and a spider. You," '
turning to the prince, "must engage the parrot in con
versation." This was not very difficult to do, as the bird was so
ready with its saucy answers that the prince could
easily keep it talking to him and mocking him by pre
tending to coax it nearer. Meanwhile the snake and
the spider, arrived, and received their instructions from
the fairy. The spider seated herself on the end of
the snake's Writhing tail) and as he crawled along un
seen through the grass, she spun her web and threw
it out hehmd themi thus drawing a dfllfate But Very
firm line round the tree where the sorcerer-bird sat
Suddenly they saw it puff out its feathers and draw
up its eyelids as if ill; then, "with a cry, it settled
down on its perch; and as the prince crept up and
gently laid the leaf across its back, the malignant sparkle
dd out of its eyes. Its magic power was gone, .
The animals began leaping about in great joy; bu
just at this moment a hunter's horn sounded, and not
far away. In an instant they were scattering in all
directions. The foxes darted into their holes ; thf
beavers made for a stream near by; the Squirrel disi
appeared in the top of the nearest tree; the monkeys
with a chatter, swung thmseives out of sight amid the
green branches; the snake and the spider hid themi
elves securely in the grass. "Good-by, comrade" Called
the fairy prince as he, too, vanished; and the mortsj
prince, glancing down a sunlit path before -hinx
saw his, father's huntmyparty approaching, th4
king; riding ahead with an anxious face. The meeting
i betwen father and son was most joyful, and of coursa
many explanations followed. Now that the parrot
was reduced to a harmless bird once more there seemed
no reason for not keeping it, though the prince re
solved to put it securely into a cage on his return
home.
The next question was how the wicked old man
could be despoiled of his power as a sorcerer and
worker of mischief. He had already, with his rnsjgiq
instinct- discovered the fact that the parrot could no
longer be his slave, and was therefore planning some
way to prevent the vengeance which he knew the king
would execute upon him. But just before leaving the
wood, the prince discovered that the fairy had dropped
the whistle in its hirried departure. He picked it up;
and put it in his pocket, feeling sure that it would lead )
to an opportunity of seeing his little friend again; and
that night, after returning to the palace, he determined;'
to try what could be done with it. So, after. nightfall,
he slipped out into the moonlit garden by the spring, :
and blew it Kently. In an instant the small man stood
before him. 71
"Can you tell me," the prince asked, when they had
greeted each other, "how we can prevent the old manj
who conferred that evil power on the parrot fromj
doing any more such mischief?" t
"I can,'' said the fairy. "AH you need is to toucltj
him, also, with a leaf from the magic palm. To-night
while all are asleep in the palace, I will send one o
the wood-fairies, in the form of a bird, to drop ona
here by the spring. You wfll find it in the morning;
Now give me my whistle, for -1 must not leave it
in the hands of a mortal. Farewell!" And he melted
into the moonlight before the prince's astonished gaze$
The next morning there lay a large green leaf besido
the spring. 4 The prince carried it to his father, wh4
sent a guard of soldiers from the palace to overpower
the old man and touch him with it j and then, despoiled
of his wicked faculties, he was brought before the king
He begged so hard to be allowed to return to hi
shop that the request was granted;, but ever after ,a
watch was kept on him, and the young prince, after his
severe lesson, never allowed himself to be persuaded
again to give water from the magic well to any of his
father's subjects. ' '
And what became of the unlucky parrot? . It re-'-mained
a very sulky bird, always mourning,' apparently,"
over its lost gift; but as parrots are said to have
extraordinary long lives, and its death has never been
announced, it may, to this very day, be a pet of some,
one of the prince's descendants. Who knows ? .
In New Amsterdam
A m wt I to f if k V f r i I I .F' i H ' ' i TLa .ST f a . I -S S i - 1 v - r. .'J w
Jmmw
If
BY MARY VAN DERBURGH.
Petwus, Deitric, and little Jan"
Were all the sons of a stout Dutch Van.
Annetje, Tryntje, and Betticoo,
These were all his daughters, too.
In the-happy month of May
Forth they wander, blythe and gay.
Through the groves and meadows flowery.
Till they reach the famous Bouerk.
There each litrie man and woman
Gathers the sweef ' "pinksterblumen."
Cheeks tike roses from their walk,
In their arms the fraxrjnt stalk;
In their gowns a "wir.klehawk."
Home they hasten in the gloaming.
Where the vrouw waits their coming;
Tecks them in the't'trcaile-bedi,
Crooning soft above their heads:
"Trip a Irop a trojtt, .
Dt tvrlent in d boonft, ' '
D ktojts in it kavr,
Dt foardten in dt kavtt
Dt eentt in dt iralerflast,
St groot mijn kltint J oris ttv.it !"
Ah W) '
A "winkJehawk" la a grrwn is a tear Lite this t 1