The Parrot That Killed His Owner

0:00 The parrot that accidentally killed his owner, Washington, d C. Eighteen ninety nine. On the cold night of September eleventh, eighteen ninety nine, a twenty three year old woman named Alice Not sat quietly inside her small bedroom in a Washington, d C. Boarding house. Like most knights, she was surrounded by books, papers, and notes. Her entire world had become this room. For months, Alice had been preparing for an important civil service examination, an exam that could change her life and finally give her the stable government position she desperately wanted.

0:35 But studying was not the only reason Alice rarely left her room. Alice had always been a quiet and private person. She struggled with several health problems, including a weak heart and poor circulation. She often became sick easily, and the outside world felt exhausting and overwhelming. Staying inside felt safer and inside that room, she had one constant companion, her pet Polly. To everyone else in the boarding house, Polly was a nightmare. The bird was loud, aggressive, and unpredictable. He would scream at people, bite anyone who got too close, and make strange, threatening noises that disturbed the entire building.

1:16 The other residents had complained about him countless times. They told Alice that she needed to get rid of the bird, but Alice refused because to her, Polly was not just a pet. Polly was family. Alice had already lost almost everyone close to her. Her parents and her brother had all passed away, leaving her alone in the world. The little parrot was the only living thing that was always there for her, and strangely enough, Polly loved Alice just as much. He was only aggressive toward everyone else.

1:48 That night, as Alice sat studying, a cold breeze entered through her open window. The weather was unusually chilly, and because she was prone to illness, she decided she could not risk catching a cold. She stood up and walked over to close the window. As she turned back toward her desk, she noticed Polly sitting on his usual perch attached to the room's gas light fixture. The moment the bird saw her, he became excited. He started screaming loudly. Then he began pecking at the metal frame of the fixture.

2:19 Alice knew exactly what that meant. The other residents would probably complain again. The noise was unbearable and worse, Polly was damaging the fixture. The landlord had already warned Alice about him, but Alice simply walked over calmly. Stop that, Polly, she said, and almost immediately the bird became quiet. She gently stroked him for a moment before returning to her desk. For several more hours, Alice studied. Eventually, exhaustion took over. She climbed into bed and fell asleep. But while Alice slept, Polly was awake, and Polly had a dangerous habit, a habit Alice knew about.

3:00 The bird had learned that if he pecked at the gas lamp fixture, he could open the valve and inhale the gas. The gas made him dizzy, it gave him a strange sensation that the bird seemed to enjoy. Alice had stopped him before. Whenever Polly tried it, she would either close the valve, move him away, or leave the window open so the gas could escape. But tonight was different. The window was closed because of the cold. Alice was asleep, and Polly began pecking. The valve opened, the gas started leaking slowly silently.

3:34 The room began filling with poisonous fumes. Hours passed. Alice never woke up until sometime during the night, she suddenly stirred. Something was wrong. Her chest felt heavy, her head was spinning. She tried to stand. She tried to reach the door for help, but after only a few steps her body gave out. She collapsed onto the floor. The next afternoon, just before one pm, the boarding house landlord prepared lunch. He called everyone downstairs. One by one the residence arrived except Alice first.

4:11 Nobody was too worried. Alice often stayed up late studying, but one pm was unusually late, even for her. The landlord decided to check on her. He walked down the hallway toward Alice's room and knocked. No answer. He knocked again, still nothing. Finally he tried the handle. The door opened, and immediately he began coughing. The smell hid him instantly. The room was filled with gas. Inside he saw Alice lying motionless near her bed, and near the bottom of the door was Polly. The parrot was lying on the floor, his beak pressed against the crack underneath the door.

4:50 Unlike Alice, Polly had survived after opening the valve and passing out from the gas. The bird had eventually woken up and crawled toward the door, where he was able to breathe fresh air. Alice was gone, Her beloved companion had accidentally caused the tragedy she never saw coming, but the strangest part. After recovering, Polly continued trying to inhale gas whenever he got the chance, a habit that nearly killed his owner.