Minnie's Pet Parrot Read online

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  Transcriber's Note

  Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A list of correctionsis found at the end of the text.

  "Oh, dear! oh, dear me!" Page 85.]

  MINNIE and her PETS BY MRS. MADELINE LESLIE MINNIE'S PET PARROT.]

  MINNIE'S PET PARROT.

  BY

  MRS. MADELINE LESLIE, AUTHOR OF "THE LESLIE STORIES," "TIM, THE SCISSORS-GRINDER," ETC.

  ILLUSTRATED.

  BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD, 1864.

  Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863, by

  A. R. BAKER,

  In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District ofMassachusetts.

  ELECTROTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.

  TO MY YOUNG FRIEND,

  HENRY FOWLE DURANT, JR.

  =These Little Volumes=

  ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED

  BY THE AUTHOR,

  IN THE EARNEST HOPE THAT THEY MAY INCREASE IN HIM THAT LOVE OF NATURE AND OF RURAL LIFE WHICH HAS EVER EXERTED SO SALUTARY AN INFLUENCE IN THE FORMATION OF THE CHARACTERS OF THE WISE AND GOOD.

  MINNIE AND HER PETS.

  Minnie's Pet Parrot. Minnie's Pet Cat. Minnie's Pet Dog. Minnie's Pet Horse. Minnie's Pet Lamb. Minnie's Pet Monkey.

  INTRODUCTION.

  The object of these little books is not so much to give full, scientificinformation with regard to the animals of which they treat, as to bringbefore the child such facts concerning them as shall interest him intheir history, awaken a desire to know more of the particular traits ofeach, and especially lead him to be kind to them as a part of God'screation.

  Natural history we deem, according to the opinion of an eminent writer,as "not only the most captivating of the sciences, but the mosthumanizing. It is impossible to study the character and habits of thelower animals without imbibing an interest in their wants and feelings."

  Dr. Chalmers, who was famous for his interest in the brute creation,says, "To obtain the regards of man's heart in behalf of the loweranimals, we should strive to draw his mind toward them. The poor bruteslook, tremble, and give the signs of suffering, as we do. A threatenedblow strikes them with terror, and they have the same distortions ofagony on the infliction of it. Their blood circulates as ours does. Theysicken, and grow feeble with age, and finally die, as we do. Theypossess also instincts which expose them to suffering in anotherquarter. The lioness, robbed of her whelps, makes the wilderness ringwith her cries; and the little bird, whose tender household has beenstolen, fills and saddens all the grove with her pathetic melody."

  The author has been careful to select only facts well authenticated. Shetakes this opportunity to acknowledge most gratefully her indebtednessto those friends who have contributed original anecdotes which have comeunder their own observation; and also to state that she has quoted frommost of the popular English works on these subjects, prominent amongwhich are Jesse, Richardson, and Hamilton, on dogs; Youatt, the EttrickShepherd, and Randall, on sheep; Morris, Brown's Natural History,Chambers's Miscellany, etc.

  She has been greatly encouraged, in the preparation of these volumes forthe young, by the flattering reception of the previous productions ofher pen. If these should meet with similar favor, they may be followedby other volumes of the same character and objects.

  THE AUTHOR.

  MINNIE'S PET PARROT.