Origin of "say 'uncle'"? Or ...?

[Douglas G. Wilson]

There is a little story which appeared with slight modifications in the
on-line newspapers from the 1890's. This is the earliest (not necessarily
the best) of several instances which I found (from N'archive):

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_Iowa Citizen_ (Iowa City IA), 9 Oct 1891: p. 16:

<<A gentleman was boasting that his parrot would repeat anything he told
him. For example, he told him several times, before some friends, to say
"Uncle," but the parrot would not repeat it. In anger he seized the bird,
and half-twisting his neck, said: "Say 'uncle,' you beggar!" and threw him
into the fowl pen, in which he had ten prize fowls. Shortly afterward,
thinking he had killed the parrot, he went to the pen. To his surprise he
found nine of the fowls dead on the floor with their necks wrung, and the
parrot standing on the tenth twisting his neck and screaming: "Say 'uncle,'
you beggar! say uncle.' [sic]" -- Spare Moments.>>

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-- Doug Wilson