§ 209 Advice From Expert Sources
There used to be a ticket seller with the old Yankee Robertson circus who owned a big green parrot. The parrot’s perch swung from the roof of the ticket wagon and there the bird would sit just above her owner’s head.
The ticket man had a line of patter which he constantly chanted as the patrons surged in front of his wicket twice on each week day of the season—before the afternoon performance and again before the evening performance.
“Don’t shove, friends!” he would say. “Don’t crowd! Take your time. Give everybody a chance!”
The parrot memorized this speech. She even learned to mimic her master’s exact tone. Repeating his admonition was a favorite part of her repertoire.
One afternoon when business was over he went away, forgetting to close the slide on his window. When he returned a little later his pet was gone. Immediately he organized a search party to look for the truant bird.
Half a mile distant from the show lot, in a field, he found Poll. She was reared back on the ground, practically featherless. About her circled and swirled a great flock of crows, cawing joyously. Every instant nearly, one of the crows, twisting out of the circle, would dart down and pluck a souvenir of green plumage from the disheveled alien.
And each time this happened Poor Poll, in a beautiful imitation of her owner’s voice and accent would shriek out:
“Don’t shove, friends! Don’t crowd! Take your time! Give everybody a chance!”