I had taught Pippity no language but my own, and it was no wonder that he was surprised when he heard people so like me talking quite differently.

We soon reached the sea-coast; and if Pippity was surprised at what he saw in the towns and cities, the citizens, many of whom were familiar with the English tongue, were still more surprised at his wonderful gift of language.

My own appearance until I bought myself some decent clothes, created quite a sensation among the people I met.  During my long stay in my mountain home, I had been obliged to mend and darn my garments with the fibers of plants until there was scarcely a vestige of the original fabric remaining; and I looked like a veritable scarecrow.

But I was not poor.  In a little, home-made wallet, I carried a small handful of diamonds, which I had, from time to time, found in my wanderings about the Tower-Mountain.  These now did me good service.  I easily converted them into money, which gave me the means of living and traveling as I pleased.

We took ship, Pippity and I, and sailed away to my old home in the north.  On the voyage, the gifted bird was the hero of the vessel.  Ladies, gentlemen, children, and even the officers and crew of the ship, were glad to gather around him and talk to him.  No such parrot had any of them seen before.  I had magnificent offers made to me, if I would consent to sell him, but I refused them all, and, after awhile, Pippity himself relieved me of the duty of declining to sell him.  When an offer of purchase was made, he would say, “I can’t be bought!”—­or, if the proposal came from a lady, “Madam, your offer is most respectfully declined!”

At last we reached my native city, and here a great misfortune happened to me.

In walking about the streets with my parrot, Pippity was constantly obliged to inhale the fumes of tobacco.  He could not endure it, and frequently asked me in his own fashion why people persisted in puffing such sickening smoke from their mouths.  I explained the matter to him, but he never could see any sense in it.  It was known on board the ship that Pippity disliked the fumes of tobacco, and he was such a general favorite that no one smoked in his presence.

But in the city streets he met with no such consideration.  He was incessantly compelled to breathe tobacco smoke, and it made him ill.  In a very few days he was seized with a painful choking sensation, caused by the irritation of the smoke, and in a short time he died.  His last words were: 

“That detestable tobacco!”

And so I lost this good friend.  I had his skin stuffed, and presented it to our society of natural history.

There were people to whom I told this story of my adventures who did not believe me, but I was always sure they would have credited my word if only I had had my monkey and my parrot with me to corroborate the truth of my strange history.