, my dolly is married to-day.

[Continued from No. 2, Page 15.]

THE STORY OF A PARROT.

So many months had passed since I was stolen from my beautiful home that
I was already a bird of considerable size. I was brought on shore by a
sailor, who took me to a dismal place in a dirty, noisy street, where I
found several hundred other birds--parrots, canaries, Java sparrows, and
many kinds I had never seen before, confined in small cages. The
confusion of sounds was dreadful, and I was sorry to hear that most of
the conversation was the most malicious gossip. I was received with
shouts of derision, and indeed my appearance was as wretched as
possible. My feathers were soiled and broken, and I was overcome with
sadness. The air of the place was stifling, and although the man who had
charge of me gave me enough to eat, my cage and feed dishes were so
dirty that I could not taste a mouthful. Some of my companions showed
sympathy for me, and I found a sad consolation in chatting with them;
but for all that, the days passed wearily, and I often wished myself
dead. My cage was sometimes placed upon a long table in the centre of
the room, that I might be inspected by various persons, from whose
conversation with my owner I learned that I was for sale. How sadly my
thoughts flew back to my poor parents, who would certainly have died of
grief had they known of my unfortunate condition, and that I, a free
child of the broad African forest, was about to be sold into life-long
slavery! So bad-tempered was I (for I plunged furiously at every one who
approached me) that no one wished to buy me, and my owner would often
say, "That African imp is only fit to kill and stuff." He might kill and
stuff me for all I cared, and I made no effort to control my temper.

At last one day a very kind-looking gentleman came in, and stopping
before my cage, began to admire the rich color of my plumage. "All he
needs is care and kindness to make him a fine bird," he said; and I soon
understood that he had ordered me sent to his house.

[Illustration: I LIVED AGAIN IN THE FOREST.]

From that day I might have had a pleasant life, but my malicious temper
was destined to bring me much farther trouble. My new master appeared
very fond of me, and did much for my comfort. I was allowed the liberty
of a fine perch, well provided with clean new feed dishes, but, to my
intense mortification and disgust, a chain was put upon my feet. My
perch stood ne