"You look after the chickens," said the Prince, with a laugh.
"Yes, and I know well enough how to do it," and the parrot began to cluck like a hen calling chickens.
It is hard to believe that a parrot could keep up a conversation in this correct way, but the story comes from Sir William Temple, who is very good authority, and who was told it by the Prince himself.
We are told of a French parrot which could laugh like a man, and would break out into a hearty chuckle when some one said (of course in French), "Laugh, parrot, laugh."
The odd thing was that it would follow the laugh with the words,
"Oh, what a fool to make me laugh!" and repeat this two or three times.
A lady had a gray parrot four years old which was very quick in taking up new words and very correct in using them. When he did some bit of mischief his mistress would scold him, to which he would reply angrily,
"Not a naughty Poll!" "Not a bold, bad bird!" and would stamp his foot, crying "I am not—I am not."
If she praised him he would tell her she was a darling and that he loved her. He was jealous when children were present and were made much of, and would cry,
"Go away, bold boy!" "Go away, bold girl," never mistaking between boy and girl.