Compiled by London swaminathan

Date : 5 September  2015

Post No. 2128

Time uploaded in London : – 20-05

A certain old maid had a parrot which swore vigorously. She was used to the bird, but was in the habit of covering every Sunday in order it remained silent on that day. It chanced on a Monday morning, after the cover had been removed, that the old lady saw the minister come up the walk to pay a call. Hastily she replaced the cover on the cage; hearing the parrot observe as she moved towards the door, “This has been a damn short week!”

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In the days of luxurious trans-Atlantic travel, shipboard entertainments frequently drew upon the professional talents to be found in the passenger list. On one occasion, the program followed up the performance of a remarkable parrot with a brief demonstration by a travelling magician. The parrot’s cage had been shoved to the one side of the stage when the magician came on for his act. Holding up a pack of cards, the man covered it with a hand kerchief, waved his hand, and the pack of cards disappeared. The parrot, looking on from the wings, cocked its head to one side. Next the magician took a book, covered it with a scarf, waved his hand, and the book disappeared. The parrot meditatively scratched its head with its claw. Taking a cloak, the magician threw it over a chair, waved his hand, and the chair disappeared. The parrot hopped up and down on its perch in the growing excitement.

In the next moment the ship was struck by a submerged iceberg; split in two, the lights were extinguished, there were screams and cries, and shortly afterwards nothing was left on the black night sea save the parrot clinging  to a piece of driftwood, bobbing up and down on the waters. The bird looked about at the dreary scene for a moment, and then said, “Marvellous! Marvellous!”

–From Thesaurus of Anecdotes