Jack was a young sailor. He lived in England, but he was often away with his ship.

One summer he came back from a long voyage and found new neighbours near his mother's house. They had a pretty daughter, and Jack soon loved her very much.

He said to her, "My next voyage will begin in a few day's time, Gloria. I love you, and I'll marry you when I come back. I'll think about you all the time, and I'll write to you and send you a present from every port".

Jack's first port was Freetown in Africa, and he sent Gloria a parrot from there. It spoke five languages.

When Jack's ship reached Australia, there was a letter from Gloria. It said: "Thank you for the parrot, Jack. It tasted much better than a chicken".