In fact, as Ambrose Hammer places the cage on our table and then sits down beside me, Mindy approaches us, and says to Ambrose: "Horse players, yes," Mindy says. "Wrong bettors, yes. Dogs and song writers and actors, yes. But parrots," Mindy says, "no. Take it away," he says.
1944, Damon Runyon, Runyon à la Carte:"So You Won't Talk!"