The St. Louis Zoo had a parrot problem.
Its red-headed bird had developed such a colorful vocabulary that newspaper reports claimed it talked like a mule driver, and apparently talked itself right out of the zoo’s bird house.
Once word spread, people across the United States and Canada began writing in with offers to buy, trade for, reform, or simply take the foul-mouthed bird off the zoo’s hands.
Some offered cash. Others proposed swapping wolves, strange animal bones, or even a change in altitude.
By November 1930, the profane parrot had attracted 619 inquiries and finally sold for $140 to a man in New York City.
Profane Parrot Is Sold For $140
ST. LOUIS, Missouri. — The St. Louis Zoo’s red-headed parrot, with a vocabulary that is said to resemble that of a mule driver, yesterday was sold to Jasper Bayne, New York City, for $140, the director of the zoo announced.
Bayne was one of the 619 persons from all parts of this country and Canada who asked for the parrot as a gift, purchase, or trade, after publication of stories relating how the bird had talked itself out of a home in the bird house.
Bayne first wired an offer of $100, later raising it to $140. He gave no reason for wanting the profane polly.
A number of unique trades were proposed. Ann illinoisan offered “a nice male wolf,” while another man wanted to exchange “a jawbone of an unknown animal” for the parrot.
A Cleveland woman offered to “take the cursing out of him and then return him to the zoo.” A Boulder, Colorado woman ventured that “higher altitude might work wonders in reforming him.”
20 students of North Carolina College for Women wrote they were “seriously in need of new expressions,” and a San Jose, California girl said she didn’t know what a mule driver’s vocabulary was like, “but I could stand anything for a talking parrot.”
Source: Evening Star. Washington, D.C. November 20, 1930.
