Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 499, 17 January 1902 — MYNAH MOKE A FINANCIER [ARTICLE]

MYNAH MOKE A FINANCIER

SECDBES DB. CIBIEI'S CHECKS FALL INTO FAME BY DROPPING FROM COCOANUT TREE NEST. E'd Become* a Liogoi*t—Talk* to Papa" a"d ‘Mama" and A»k* for KauVaii" —Sustains Severe Loss by Family Indiscretion —Goes W;cirg and Starts Housekeeping. The mynah bird is so common in the** inlands that only few people *ke th*- trouble to notice the -a«- ( ty of the HUle fellows who live in t (. trees of gardens every where. Man' people do not even know that U* .a- iy tamed when caught young that be ran acquire the faculty of ,. r moiinclng words very readily. An 'iferertlng example of a tame and t a unp mynah Mrd is found at Matte Dr Carter's place, on the other - id,- of the island, and Moke, or Mos*-t. for such is this mynah's name, i* known to almost every one who has visited the doctor. Moke Falls into Fame. Moke simply fell into fame and fortune by dropping out of his par ■ ntal -t in a cocoanut tree when h" v. a® young, innocent and by no means 1 autiful. He was taken into the bous- by Dr. Carter and fed with bp-ad an ’ milk until he was able to Ii .k (for himself. He soon grew i'o a fine bird and began to fly ft:-out, but although his wings were n-r clipped or any other restriction P I on his liberty, he always stayed around the house. It wa- at this period that Moke ac <| ired a knowledge of the human lan t Every morning M- ke would no- :l\ !ng In through th- 1 window to u l l* nd breakfast. He would first announce himself as "Moke." He would then pa> his respects to Dr and Mrs ('art* by saying "Papa" and "Manta 1101!' h announced the object of hi* v:-1 1 -iy saying ‘'kaukau." whereupon W'i -l i stalk around on the table - lei tire bits of food from the different p : ates. MokeV Costly indiscretion. When he was about eight months id a -i.ght indiscretion with another mynah * wife cost Moke two toes and I;« Irate husband also polled out much of Moke's newly acquired feathi r cost. M k- mmedlately went to Dr. Car t ; n* h- always did when he was In trouble, and got patched up. The bail had evidently been a good one. for a- soon as Moke was presentable jsrnin he went a'wooing and won a . mg lady mynah bird with whom he •art'd housekeeping In a cocoanut rree near the house. Hen Moke .built what must have i n th. finest nest for miles. He .-aded the house and stole anything ■ i could lay his claw* on. Moke a Financier. Cotton, bread, bills, receipts and i gan 11.■ papers disapp cared in such Quantities tljat at last the doctor found it necessary to make a raid on iiok*-'* u*-*t. as a couple of checks u r i -*lns Notwithstanding Moke's Mdi-nt uisgust his nest was scarehed ar- ' th missing papers found together w 'n a heterogenous collection of ti.-.riß- w uich liad been nilssiug from tune to time. \ *:; -it while afterwards Moke was *.*« d with an addition to his family which took up so much of his atten■;i that from b> ing somewhat of a d de he became a hard working, seri.ni* bird. He seemed to forget hi® v •cabulary also, it being charactertic that the only word he used was “kaukau." Mcke*» Wife Tamed. Mok- *ti!l lives and reigns at Ma kao He is the boss of the mynah b.rd colony at that place, prolurbly t> -cause of thr wealth which his as-H-iati-n with humanity enables him lo acquire. Moke's wife has also be- « mne quite tame and will come up on the window sill during ra-als. while Moke takes her choice bits from the fable. l)r. Carter has msde it a poiat to *• rv, ■he life of other mynahs closely and has found that these int* llip- nt tdrds posses* many Interest tr.g traus which ar* well worth noticing.