een limited--ever
wore.

'I sells her dretful cheap,' remarked the bearer, '_verflucht_ cheap. I
gifs him to you for 'pout den or sieben thaler.'

'H'm--no--don't want it,' replied Barnum.

'Den I goes down mit mine brice to five thaler and dere I stops.'

'No--got birds enough,' said Barnum. 'They don't pay. Now, if it was the
great Japanese earthworm, a yard long--'

'Goot py. I sorry you no pys it. I dinks I colored her foost rate.'

'Ha!--_what!_--HOW!' cried Barnum, deeply interested; 'artificially
colored! Good! _I must have_ that!'

The German smiled a heavy, beery, winky, Limburgy smile, with both eyes
shut tightly.

'Yas, I golors de bichin yellows unt creen and plue unt all sorts
golors. Only five thalers der piece.'

'Do you think,' said Mr. Barnum, 'that you could prepare a great
Patriotic National Lusus Naturae, recently found perching on Independence
Hall, Philadelphia--or hold--that's better--Mount Vernon? Could you
color an eagle, with red stars on his breast, and blue and white
stripes running down big tail?'

The Dutchman thought he could, if the eagle's bill were tied, and his
claws each stuck into a cork.

'Well, try your hand at it. But hold--go up stairs and put the pigeon
into the Happy Family.'

The Dutchman stumped away. In about ten minutes Mr. Feathers, the
ornithologist of the Museum, came rushing down, in a wild state of
fluttering excitement.

'Good GOD, Mr. Barnum, you're not going to put _that_ bird into the
Happy Family!'

'Why not?' inquired Mr. Barnum, serenely.

'Why--it is the greatest curiosity you own. Heavens! a YELLOW pigeon!
Sir, it is an anomaly--an undiscovered rarity--a--a--why, sir, it's an
_incredibility_! I say, to my shame, I never heard of it. From
Australia, I presume? There are some undiscovered marvels still left in
that queer country.'

'No; it's the California golden pigeon.' ('That will take very well,'
quoth Barnum to himself.)

So the pigeon went up to the Happy Family, and entered cordially into
the innocent amusements of that blessed band. He sat on the cat's head,
and on the dog's back, and suffered the mice to nestle under his wings,
and never made them afraid. As for the owl, she fairly made love to him.

Time rolled on.

There came to New York ' a great old boy,' in the person of California
Grizzly Bear Adams. 'Old Adams' he liked to be called, though he wasn't
very aged. He was 'one of 'em.'

'See here, Barnum,' quoth he one day