My recent recollection of the Neddy story noted previously has caused me to recall more events of those halcyon days and, more stories from the same source as the one prior.
It was a Neddy story, but for a change, it wasn't about him.
It seems this old sea Captain in St. John's (apostrophe required and pronounced Saint Jahn's) had a parrot who was a bit of a mimic, but not exceptional. Evidently it took dozens and dozens and dozens of repetitions to get him to pick up on even the most basic phrases.
Well, it seems the Captain, we'll call him George (or Jarge if you prefer), didn't have a telephone and didn't like visitors, especially since most were from the finance.
He got to thinking one time when he was at a buddy's place and he saw this machine answer the phone when it rang. And he figgered, now, 'I can get dat parrot to be moy door answerin' machine, so whenever anyone comes to the door, they'll be greeted but it won't be by me.'
So he trained the little bastard, knocking on the door and getting the parrot to ask who it was. And after a few days, the bird caught on and when someone knocked on the door, he'd chirp out: "Who is it?" And the Captain would peer around the corner to see who it was.
Well this one time the Captain had to go into town, but he had a plugged pipe in the toilet and he had to get it fixed. So he arranged for the local plumber to come up and do it. But when the day came, the Captain forgot and left home for the day.
The plumber showed up as promised and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's the plumber, I came to fix the pipes."
"Who is it?"
"It's the plumber, I came to fix the pipes."
"Who is it?"
And this went on for hours, the plumber figgering he's getting paid by the hour didn't mind too much. At least at first.
"It's the plumber, I came to fix the pipes."
"Who is it?"
Finally, the plumber got frustrated and kicked in the door, and had a heart attack and fell down dead as a doorstop.
Meanwhile, the Captain arrived back, saw the body on his doorstep and said, "Who is it?"
And the parrot replied, "It's the plumber, he came to fix the pipes."
It was a Neddy story, but for a change, it wasn't about him.
It seems this old sea Captain in St. John's (apostrophe required and pronounced Saint Jahn's) had a parrot who was a bit of a mimic, but not exceptional. Evidently it took dozens and dozens and dozens of repetitions to get him to pick up on even the most basic phrases.
Well, it seems the Captain, we'll call him George (or Jarge if you prefer), didn't have a telephone and didn't like visitors, especially since most were from the finance.
He got to thinking one time when he was at a buddy's place and he saw this machine answer the phone when it rang. And he figgered, now, 'I can get dat parrot to be moy door answerin' machine, so whenever anyone comes to the door, they'll be greeted but it won't be by me.'
So he trained the little bastard, knocking on the door and getting the parrot to ask who it was. And after a few days, the bird caught on and when someone knocked on the door, he'd chirp out: "Who is it?" And the Captain would peer around the corner to see who it was.
Well this one time the Captain had to go into town, but he had a plugged pipe in the toilet and he had to get it fixed. So he arranged for the local plumber to come up and do it. But when the day came, the Captain forgot and left home for the day.
The plumber showed up as promised and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's the plumber, I came to fix the pipes."
"Who is it?"
"It's the plumber, I came to fix the pipes."
"Who is it?"
And this went on for hours, the plumber figgering he's getting paid by the hour didn't mind too much. At least at first.
"It's the plumber, I came to fix the pipes."
"Who is it?"
Finally, the plumber got frustrated and kicked in the door, and had a heart attack and fell down dead as a doorstop.
Meanwhile, the Captain arrived back, saw the body on his doorstep and said, "Who is it?"
And the parrot replied, "It's the plumber, he came to fix the pipes."
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