The Talking Package

When my dad, Charley James Watson, was a single young man; he was employed by the railroad as an assistant to Mr. John Pearson, Depot Station Master at Stewart, Mississippi. A lady in Stewart ordered a parrot which she had shipped to Stewart by train. Dad did not know about the lady’s order nor had he ever heard of a parrot being shipped in a box.

It came Dad’s lot to unload the packages from a boxcar where the box with the parrot sat among other boxes. Dad reached down and lifted the box. At the same time the parrot apparently caught sight of Dad and came through with the thoroughly taught and rehearsed, “Hello!” Now Dad had no idea that anything capable of speaking could be in a box.

Mr. Pearson was watching closely to see just what new employee Charley’s reaction would be. He almost got more than he bargained for. For you see my Dad threw the box from the railroad car so vigorously that the parrot in the box almost cleared the eaves of the depot station roof for a trip over the building.

Fortunately, the unsuspecting parrot survived the ordeal. Unfortunately for Mr. Pearson, my Dad would have no more to do with the “talking” box. So Mr. Pearson had to deliver the package to the lady himself.

This story was written by Roy C. Watson on November 7, 1996. The source of this story was of having heard it as family lore especially from Woodard W. Pearson, the son of John Pearson.