TALES OF THE WILDER= NESS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1354, 3 February 1912, Page 15

TALES OF THE WILDER= NESS.

kaka, the parrot. (By Will Laivson.) (All Kiglils Reserved.) Willi a .score of fellows, Kaka the 1 arrot lUmv and circled above Iho tall trees of tho foro.-t. 'J'he morning sun shone on the brown and purple of tin 1 l'irds' plmnajfc, the crisp air whistled to Ihoir short, quick wing-.slrol>cs, and ran;; with their harsh screams and cries. Knka was enjoying himself to the utmost, and indulging in foals of aviation. .Suddenly, with closcd wings, h<j dropped like n stone; then, cleverly (twinging inlo full llisht again, he soared onward with his applauding companions. Their cries of admiration tilled him with riotous joy, and incited him to all manner of wild exercises. Among the (lock was the mate lie had selected, and in whose eyes hu desired to excel. So there was no inoro hilarious parrot alive that fine spring morning than Kaka. After half-nn-liour's flight, the (lock descended to tho forest in which they jived all tho year round, and Kaka and his mate, (let a filing themselves from the others, set out on a house-hunting expedition. There were many trees there, and nearly all looked sound and healthy, but Kaka knew that quite a numl>er had passed their prime, and others would soon show activo decay in their trunks. At last ho found ono that had had a bough broken off at its junction with the trunk. Wind and weather and sunshine had rotted the exposed fibres until a_ small hole had been made. This place- Kaka eliDse a? the site of his home. With his strong curved beak ho sot to work to enlarge the hole, his mate helping him in his task. All day and fur several days they worked to deepen tho hole, and afterwards to enlarge the interior so as to give their young a roomy anil comfortable nest. Tho deeayed wood which tlie.v expelled from llic opening fell in a steady stream to the ground far below thom, and at last tho nest was finished. In every way it was a perfect retreat; all around it and overhead the thickly interlacing branches of the trees made attack from the fierce bush-hawks almost impossible, while upon the -tree-top roadway the touching boughs afforded, Kaka could travel rapidly, if clumsily, his heavy wings scarcely opened, acting, as balancing poles do in the hands of a wirewalker.

Four white eggs were laid in the nest and thereafter Kaka and his mate were very busy until the young birds wero hatched. After that event they were oven busier still, since it was necessary to find insects to fill tho gaping mouths which always seemed to l>e asking for food. On one of his foraging expeditions Kaka came upon a man, walking through the forest armed with a gun and carrying strange objects slung over his shoulder. Kaka had never seen a mail before. Therefore lie regarded him with tiiiiet interest for some momenta, whilo the object of his scrutiny, all unconscious of it, continued his onward march in tho direction of Kaka's nest. Apnnrentiy convinced of the villain}; of t!:o interloper, Kaka screamed a warning to his kiiu'l. and set o(f rapidly through the branches in a direction which led away from his nest. The man raised his gun. took a sight, and then lowered it again The flitting, hopping, flapping fonn of Kaka was a difficult- shot amonj the tree tr.mks. He did not follow the bird, as Kaka hoped he would, but kept steadily oil. 110 wa-s looking for . a parrot's nest, being anxious to get a couple of young ones to train .and keep as pels. At last, as though guided by a perverse fate, he stopped at the tree in which was ICak.y.i nest. The rotten wood lying at the foot, showed him that here his quest was probably ended. Putting down his gun he fitted pome climbing irons to his feet and began to climb the tree.

In her retreat, Kaka's mate was covering her little nesUings.. Kvening, .was, not. far away, and the nights wero cold in the tree-tops. .V queer vibration in tho tree made her brown eyes turn swiftly toward the opening, where Kaka.,v. - as already overdue. There was nothing• there, though the vibration grew more pronounced. Thoroughly uneasy, she ra'n lo tho threshold of her house and looked down. The man was then about llirct feet k"'<wher. With a startled scream she dashed away in search of Kaka, without whom she was at a loss to know how to net.

She found him not far away, lie was endeavouring to attract the marauder's attention away from tho nest by all manner oi vain pretences. Thoroughly excited, the parent birds screamed and circled, and fluttered among tho branches. In helpless agony- of fear they watched the man reach the. nest, thrust his hand in, and bring out two of their nestlings. Carrying them ill his pocket, lie began liis desccnt, leaving. Kaka's mate to return to her.nest to the succour of the two remaining youngsters. Kaka, being a bird of adventurous parts, followed the man through the forest, and, filled with a mighty curiosity, saw him got out into the open, and over paddocks to the distant farm-house. Then in the dusk of evening, Kaka went back to his nest. i A* the young of Kaka thrived lin the nest, so did those at the form, with tho difference that while the wild birds flew, free as tho air, the captured ones grew fat- in etvgcs, which hung upon the; kitelien wall. In one of their training flights Kaka and his mate took their voung to the fences beside tlie farmhouse. There tliov sat and whistled to the-captives, wlio returned the calls .n »r»at excitement. Day after day they did this, until Ivaka had become quite used to the man-people. Then one (lay the wife of the man askwl him to free the captives and ho opened the door and let them out. They could not fly at first, just walked about the fences and hobnobbled with their family.- At night they went back into their cage while tho wild birds returned to the trees. But-there was ever afterward a connection between the forest and the farm, so far as Kaka and his people were concerned. ili« summer -waned, the autumn, passed, and winter came with its raw winds and calm - snowy days. The ground was whito and there were only hard Kowhai berries to eat The birds at tho farm were, taken in each night and in all stormy days, while Kaka and his mate and their comrades shivered in the trees. And then there came a terriblo storm with hail and bitterly cold weather. The forest - Ta . 3 Tvet and cold and there was very little' food. So Kaka and his mate went down to tho farm where some sh<|ep-skins hung on the fence. They ate the dried flesh which hung on the skins and some sheen's pluck they found near by. When evening came .Kaka was loth to leave. Presently the liouse-door.was opened for a space and as quickly as he could Kaka led his mate into the warm kitchen. There tliev perched on the great roof-, beams arid chattered to their family in the cage.. And the man and his family . laughed at _ the nudacitv of Knka and whistled to him'to come and havo some bread and butter. Kaka soon summoned up courage to descend; and, growing bolder, he swageercd about the kitchen, examining all things there. And all through tho winter he and his mato were Tegular callers at the farm.

But when the sprine came once more he wns off to the wild joy-rides in tho crystal mornings with a score of his fellows to cheer his aerobatics. He nested aeain in the same old tree, and reared another family nearly to the flying stage. Tfc v;as not a man who took tnem this time, but a forest fire which swept the country-side. In tho noondav heat,_ Kaka smelt tho smoke-fumes, and told his mate there was danger at hand. The air gradually grew hotter and more stifling. Kaka sent his mate into the nest to guard the youngsters while he kept watch at tho d'mr. But lie did not. keen watch long. _ The smoke drove him into the onening a little, and there he slook bravely to the I ike (laming ribbon- the fire leaned along the tree-top=, scorching and slayins:. Kcka never dreamed of leavinsr bis post, mid presently the flames and smoke enveloped him and his true mate and their home and litlle ones, and went raging on to carry death afar.