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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Friends of the Famous - W



Willie, an 11-month-old parrot similar to many others, enjoys mimicking his owner Meagan Howard with phrases like “give me a kiss,” “come here” and “I want out.” One day Howard, who he calls “Mama,” was watching her roommate’s two-year-old daughter Hannah in their apartment. Howard toasted a Pop-Tart for the toddler and put it on the dining room table. As it was cooling, she went to the bathroom quickly and moments later, heard Willie in his cage screeching and shouting “Mama, baby! Mama, baby!” Hannah had been choking on a piece of Pop-Tart and Howard performed the Heimlich maneuver to save her life. Willie never said the word “baby” before this incident, but recognized he had to get his owner’s attention quickly to help save Hannah.

To the acclaimed author E.B. White, who blessed us with such classics as ‘Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and Trumpet of the Swan, nature and animals assured the continuity of stability in an ever-changing world. Affected by a tangible affinity for nature and animals alike, his works maintain a certainty that animals understood him, especially his dogs.  Dachshunds were his breed of choice, though any dog would do. “I can still see my first dog. For six years he met me at the same place after school and convoyed me home—a service he thought up himself. A boy doesn't forget that sort of association.”



After a bit part as ‘Rags’ with Shirley Temple in ‘Bright Eyes’, the spunky Cairn terrier named Terry had been all but ignored in a kennel for nearly four years before trainer Carl Spitz took notice and prepared him for his unforgettable role as Dorothy’s brave little dog, Toto in the Wizard of Oz.  Despite a dare-devil spirit which once cost him a broken paw, Terry was easily trained and performed his own stunts; earning him a weekly wage higher than that of his human cast-mates! The enduring film spawned several remakes, including stage productions, and inspired the ‘rags to riches’ autobiography called “I, Toto” by Willard Carroll.


“If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went” ~ Will Rogers

I think I could learn to love a bird like Willie, couldn’t you?  Do you remember your first pet? How old where you when you first saw the Wizard of Oz?



12 comments:

  1. Great post. Thanks for sahring. My daughter can recite the entire Wizard of Oz movie. Dopping by from the A to Z Challenge https://mhsusannematthews.wordpress.com/

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    1. Hi Susanne!
      Thank you, I'm pretty sure I can recite a lot of the movie too:-)
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Hi, dear Diedre!

    That's a wonderful story about Willie the parrot finding the words to save a child's life. My parrot learned some two dozen words and phrases. His sensitive ears could detect the sound of the motor in my dad's VW Beetle from a mile away, long before we could hear it, and when he did he'd start calling "Here comes Walt!" to alert us that dad would soon arrive home from work.

    I have always loved sausage hounds, Dachshunds. When I was a boy our neighbors had one and it spent more time over at my house with me than it did at its own home. I had a wonderful friendship with "Chestnut" and miss her to this day.

    As you know, Mrs. S and I named our dog Toto after the dog character in The Wizard of Oz. I read somewhere that Judy Garland didn't like working with Toto because he had bad doggie breath.

    Thank you, dear friend Diedre!

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    1. Hi Shady!
      Reading about your parrot hearing your dad's car made me think of 'Radar', from MASH;-) How cool that they hear as well (or close) as dogs!
      Clearly, you offered much more than Chestnut found at home. How fortunate that you two had each other;-)
      Perhaps Ms. Garland should have provided doggie mints:-)
      Have a wonderful Wednesday, dear Shady!

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  3. Another great post. Wow, I love to read about a bird, (or any animal) that helped save a life. Those are truly precious animals.Charlotte's Web is a classic and who could ever forget Toto? I don't think we are in Kansas any more.

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    1. Hi Jeffrey!
      I thought the story was amazing too! Each of these stories made me somewhat wistful for the days when happy endings were the norm. I appreciate your comment, Jeffrey and I'm glad you enjoyed:-) We may not be be in Kansas anymore but there's hope as long as we're still kickin'!
      Did those monkeys scare you as much as they did me? Shoot, I think they still do - ha!
      Happy day, my friend:-)

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  4. My first pet and I grew up together. We were the same age. I loved that dog.

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    1. How wonderful, Kelly;-) I'm sure you have lasting memories.

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  5. I would love to have a bird like Willie, infact I would love to have any pet.

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    1. Hi Rachna!
      Sounds like you should have a pet:-)
      It's amazing how much they add to your life.

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  6. Sounds like Willie is a smart parrot, and he looks like one who could easily camouflage himself if he were ever released back into nature.

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    1. Hi Cynthia!
      Willie was definitely a hero! They are beautiful birds, aren't they
      Enjoy the day!

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Any thoughts? Join the conversation, comments welcome here!