against a candle, before the parrot. The slaves spent a great part of the night in doing what their mistress desired them, and acquitted themselves with much skill. Next night the husband returned, and examined the parrot again about what had passed during his absence. The bird answered, “Good master, the lightning, thunder, and rain so much disturbed me all night, that I cannot tell how much I suffered.” The husband, who knew that there had been neither thunder, lightning, nor rain in the night, fancied that the parrot, not having spoken

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