The animals all promised to come on the morrow, and each in turn took leave of the grandmother, thanking her for the treat they had had.
The bear, after making his best bow, led the way towards the forest, followed by the racc.o.o.n, the woodchuck, the squirrel, the parrot, and the wood-pigeon. And soon the whole company disappeared among the branches.
CHAPTER IV.
"I was born," said the parrot, "in Africa."
It was a lovely afternoon; and Toto"s friends were again a.s.sembled around the cottage-door. The parrot, as the story-teller of the day, was perched in great state on the high back of an old-fashioned easy-chair, which Toto had brought out for his grandmother. The old lady sat quietly knitting, with Bruin on one side of her, and c.o.o.n on the other; while Toto lay on the gra.s.s at her feet, alternately caressing the wood-pigeon and poking the woodchuck to wake him up.
When the parrot said, "I was born in Africa," all the animals looked very wise, but said nothing; so she added, "Of course, you all know where Africa is."
"Of course," said the racc.o.o.n hastily; "certainly, I should hope so!
We know _where_ it is; if you come to that, we know where it is."
"c.o.o.n," said Toto, laughing, "what a humbug you are! How is Africa bounded, old fellow? Tell us, if you know so well."
"North by the Gulf States, south by Kalamazoo, east by Mt. Everest, and west by the Straits of Frangipanni," replied the racc.o.o.n, without a moment"s hesitation.
Miss Mary looked much disgusted. "Africa," she said, "as every person of _education_ knows [with a withering glance at the racc.o.o.n], is the exact centre of the universe. It is the most beautiful of all lands,--a land of palm-trees and crocodiles, ivory and gold-dust, sunny fountains and--"
"Oh!" cried Toto eagerly, "excuse me for interrupting, Miss Mary; but _are_ the sands really golden? "Where Afric"s sunny fountains," you know, "roll down their golden sands,"--is that really true?"
"Certainly," replied Miss Mary.
"Dear me, yes. A fountain wouldn"t be called a fountain in Africa if it hadn"t golden sands. It would be called a cuc.u.mber-wood pump,"
suggested the woodchuck drowsily.
"Toto," said the parrot sharply, "if I am interrupted any more, I shall go home. Will that woodchuck be quiet, or will he not?"
"He will, he will!" cried Toto. "We will all be very quiet, Miss Mary, and not say a word. Pray go on."
Miss Mary smoothed her feathers, which had become quite ruffled, and continued,--
"I was not a common wild parrot,--I should think not, indeed! My mother came of a distinguished family, and was the favorite bird of the great Bhughabhoo, King of Central Africa; and I, as soon as I was fully fledged, became the pet and darling of his only daughter, the Princess Polpetti. Ah! happy, indeed, were the first years of my life!
I was the Princess"s constant companion. She used to make songs in my honor, and sing them to her royal father while he drank his rum-and-water. They were lovely songs. Would you like to hear one of them?"
All the company declared that it was the one desire of their hearts.
So, clearing her throat, and c.o.c.king her head on one side, Miss Mary sang:--
""Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo, Fairest fowl that ever grew, Fairest fowl that ever growed, How you brighten my abode!
How you ornament the view, Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo!
""Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo, You have wit and beauty, too; You can dance, and you can sing; You can tie a pudding-string.
Is there aught you _cannot_ do, Chamchamchamchamkickeryboo?"
"That was her opinion of my merits," continued the parrot modestly.
"Indeed, it was the general opinion.
"As I was saying, I was the Princess"s constant companion. All day I followed her about, sitting on her shoulder, or flying about her head.
All night I slept perched on her nose-ring, which she always hung upon a hook when she went to bed.
"Ah! that nose-ring! I wish I had never seen it. It was the cause of all my misfortunes,--of my lovely Princess"s death and my own exile.
And yet it was a lovely thing in itself.
"I observe, madam," continued the parrot, addressing the grandmother, "that you wear no nose-ring. Such a pity! There is no ornament so becoming. In Africa it is a most important article of dress,--I may say _the_ most important. Can I not persuade you to try the effect?"
"Thank you," replied the grandmother, smiling. "I fear I am too old, Miss Mary, even if it were the custom in this country to wear nose-rings, which I believe it is not. But how was the Princess"s nose-ring the cause of your misfortunes? Pray tell us."
The parrot looked sadly at the grandmother"s nose, and shook her head.
"Such a pity!" she repeated. "It would be so becoming! You would never regret it. However," she added, "you shall hear the rest of my sad story.
"The Princess"s nose-ring was, as you may infer from the fact of my being able to swing in it, a very large one. She was a connoisseur in nose-rings, and had a large collection of them, of which collection this was the gem. It was of beaten gold, incrusted with precious stones. No other nose in the kingdom could have sustained such a weight; but hers--ah, hers was a nose in a thousand."
"Pardon me!" said the racc.o.o.n softly, "do I understand that a long nose is considered a beauty in Africa?"
"It is, indeed," replied the parrot. "It is, indeed. You would be much admired in Africa, Mr. c.o.o.n."
The racc.o.o.n looked sidewise at his sharp-pointed nose, and stroked it complacently. "Ah!" he observed, "I agree with you, Miss Mary, as to Africa being the centre of the earth. Pray go on."
"I need hardly say," continued the parrot, "that the jewelled nose-ring was the envy of all the other princesses for miles around.
Foremost among the envious ones was the Princess Panka, the daughter of a neighboring king. She never could have worn the nose-ring; her nose was less than half an inch long, and she was altogether hideous; but she wanted it, and she made up her mind to get it by foul means, if fair ones would not do. Accordingly she bribed the Princess"s bogghun."
"The Princess"s _what_?" asked the bear.
"Bogghun," repeated the parrot testily. "The Princess"s bogghun! Don"t tell me you don"t know what a bogghun is!"
"Well, I don"t," replied st.u.r.dy Bruin; "and what"s more, I don"t believe any one else does!"
The parrot looked around, but as no one seemed inclined to give any information respecting bogghuns, she continued, "The bogghun is a kind of lizard, found only on the island of Bogghun-Chunka. It is about five feet long, of a brilliant green color. It invariably holds the end of its tail in its mouth, and moves by rolling, while in this position, like a child"s hoop. In fact, it is used as a hoop by African children; hence the term "bogghun." It feeds on the chunka, a triangular yellow beetle found in the same locality; hence the name of the island, Bogghun-Chunka.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "She caressed the bogghun."]
"The bogghun is a treacherous animal, as I have found to my cost. The one belonging to my mistress was a very beautiful creature, and much beloved by her, yet he betrayed her in the basest manner, as you shall hear.
"The Princess Panka, finding that the bogghun was very fond of mola.s.ses candy, bribed him by the offer of three pounds of that condiment to deliver the Princess into her hands. The plot was arranged, and the day set. On that day, as usual, the bogghun rolled up to the door after dinner, and the Princess, taking me on her shoulder, went out for her usual afternoon play. She caressed the bogghun,--ah! faithless wretch! how could he bear the touch of that gentle hand?--and then struck him lightly with her silver hoop-stick; he rolled swiftly away, and we followed, Polpetti bounding as lightly as a deer, while I sat upon her shoulder, undisturbed by the rapid motion.
"Away rolled the bogghun, away and away, over the meadows and into the forest; away and away bounded the Princess in pursuit. The golden nose-ring flashed and glittered in the sunlight; the golden bangles on her wrists and ankles tinkled and rang their tiny bells as she went. Faster and faster! faster and faster! The monkeys, swinging by their tails from the branches, chattered with astonishment at us; the wild parrots screamed at us; all the birds sang and chirped and twittered,--
"Come! come! tweedle-dee-dum!
See! see! tweedle-de-dee!
Hi! hi! kikeriki!
They have no wings, and yet they fly."
And truly we did seem to fly, so swift was our motion. At length I became alarmed, and begged the Princess to turn back. She had never before gone so far in the forest unattended, I told her; and there was no knowing what dangers might lurk in its leafy depths. But, alas! she was too much excited to listen to my remonstrances. On and on rolled the treacherous bogghun, and on and on she bounded in pursuit.
"Suddenly, as we went skimming across an open glade, a sharp tw.a.n.g was heard: I saw a white flash in the air; and the next moment I was hurled violently to the ground. Recovering myself in an instant, I saw my lovely Princess stretched lifeless on the ground, with an arrow quivering in her heart!