, I am sorry to say, he sometimes swears
at both the horses and the bird.

Nor is this all. When the teams have reached the top of the hill, and
the driver wishes to let them stop and breathe, Poll begins to cluck for
them to go on, and will not let them rest until they are out of her
sight, when she begins a hearty laugh over her own joke. In the mean
time, the driver frets and fumes, and wishes that bird had the driving
of those horses for once.

Poll has formed quite an acquaintance with most of the children of the
neighborhood. At one time, there was a great excitement among the boys
in regard to a company of soldiers they were forming. On Wednesday and
Saturday afternoons, they marched up and down the street, past Mr.
Lee's, beating a drum, and singing, "Rub-a-dub, dub! rub-a-dub, dub!
Hurrah, hurrah!" As soon as they were out of hearing, Poll began the
story, and went through the drill with great glee.

From the back porch, Poll witnessed the grooming of the horses, when, as
was often the case, they were taken out for Mrs. Lee and Minnie to ride.
Indeed, she did her best, as far as words could go, to assist in the
operation. While the harness was being put on, she continually called
out, "Back, sir! Stand still! What are you about there?" This was often
done, greatly to the discomfiture of the hostler, who was obliged
generally to countermand these orders.

I have told you that Poll was very fond of her friends, and jealous of
their affection. She was also very strong in her dislikes. There was one
member of the family whom she could not endure, and she took every
occasion to vent her spite against him. This was the colored boy who
blacked the boots, scoured the knives, and ran errands.

Early one morning, when Poll was hanging up at a back window, she saw
Tom polishing the boots, and whistling a merry tune, never once thinking
of his enemy near him. Squeezing herself, as she often did, through the
wires of her cage, she crept silently along through an inner room into
the shed, when she flew directly at him, caught him by the legs, and
held him fast.

Poor Tom was frightened nearly out of his senses, and yelled for some
one to take the parrot away. The servants enjoyed the fun too well,
however, to release him. They laughed heartily, telling him to shake her
off; but he was paralyzed with fright, and stood the picture of horror
until the cook coaxed Poll away.

At another time, she took a great dislike to