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ther-in-law, he ſhould commit an Action, which he might afterwards repent of, told him this Story.
The Story of the Husband and the Parrot.
A Certain Man had a ſair Wife, whom belov’d ſo dearly, that he could ſcarce allow her to be out of his Sight. One Day, being oblig’d to go abroad about urgent Afſairs, he came to a Place where all Sorts of Birds were ſold, and there bought a Parrot, which not only ſpoke very well, but could alſo give an Account of every Thing that was done before it. He brought it in a Cage to his Houſe, pray’d his Wife to put it in the Chamber,and to take care of it, during a Journey he was oblig’d to undertake, and then went out.
At his Return, he took care to ask the Parrot concerning what had paſs’d in his Abſence, and the Bird told him Things that gave him Occaſion to upbraid his Wife. She thought ſome of her Slaves had betray’d her, but all of ’em ſwore they had been ſaithful to her, and they all agreed that it muſt have been the Parrot, that had told Tales.
Upon this, the Wife bethought her ſelf of a way, how the might remove her Husband’s Jealouſie, and at the ſame time revenge her ſelf of the Parrot, which ſhe effected thus. Her Husband being gone another Journey, ſhe commanded a Slave, in the Night time, to turn a Hand-mill under the Parrot’s Cage; ſhe ordered another to throw Water, in form of Rain, over the Cage; and a third to take a Glaſs, and turn it to the Right and to the Left before the Parrot, ſo as the Reflections of the Candle might ſhine on its Face. The Slaves ſpent great part of the Night, in doing what their Miſtreſs commanded them, and acquitted themſelves very dexterouſly.
Next Day the Husband return’d, and examin’d the Parrot again, about what had paſs’d during his Abſence. The Bird anſwer’d, Good Maſter, the Lightning, Thunder and Rain, did ſo much diſturb me all Night, that I cannot tell how much I ſuffered by it. The Husband, who knew that there had been neither Thunder, Lightning, nor Rain that Night, ſancicd that the Parrot, not having told himthe
