THE FAITHLESS PARROT
DESIGNED AND NARRATED BY
CHARLES H. BENNETT
TITTUMS AND FIDO MAKING IT UP.
LONDON
G. ROUTLEDGE AND Co.
THE FAITHLESS PARROT.
By CHARLES H. BENNETT.
There once lived happily together, in a fine house, atortoise-shell Cat and a pretty white Dog: the Cat’s name wasTittums; the Dog’s, Fido. In course of time the pretty Dog fellin love with the Cat, and only waited for a good chance todisclose his affections. This came one day, when Tittums had puther paws on the fender, dropped her head a little on one side,half closed her eyes, and seemed thinking of nothing at all. ThenFido, who lay stretched at full length upon the hearth-rug,looked steadfastly at her, and heaving a gentle whine, said,—
“Oh, Tittums, I’ve fallen in love!”
FIDO COURTING TITTUMS.“Indeed!” replied the prudent Cat, not wishing to show him howanxious she was.
“Yes, indeed,” continued the little Doggy, rather hurt at hercoldness: “it’s you that I’ve fallen in love with. Do you likeme, Tittums?”
But Tittums would not answer, even with a single purr-r! and itwas only upon her giving him a sly look out of the corner of herleft eye that he guessed how much she did like him. However, madebold by even this small token of esteem, he came quietly up, andsat by her side; even going so far, at last, as to take her outfor a short walk down the garden-path, where they looked throughthe railings at the people passing by.
“Well,” said Fido to himself, “I have no doubt but she will loveme in time; all the more, as I have great hopes of growing biggerbefore the spring.”
But one morning, when Tittums came in from a visit she had beenpaying her mamma, she was followed by a gentleman from thetropics, who, with all the impudence of his race, made himselfquite at home, pressed Tittums’ paw to his heart, called her“the loveliest of Cats,” asked her to oblige him with a song,which he had been told she could sing very sweetly, and nevertook the least notice of poor Fido, who was sitting in thecorner. To tell the truth, poor Fido was very cross, and began togrowl quite savagely; the more so when, to his dismay, he beheldthe pleasure with which Tittums heard all this nonsense. He couldnot think what right the bold stranger had to come there unasked;for all that he had bright red and green feathers, a rakish,broad-brimmed hat, and a gold-headed walking-cane, he was notgood-looking, that was very certain.
But Tittums was very much struck by his appearance and bearing;his feathers were so pretty, he spoke so many languages, shriekedso terribly and in such a loud