One situations was when his wife and neighbor were upset because they thought he was pampering him too much. Mister Ed never wanted to talk to anyone except Wilbur even though I never got far enough into the show to see if any of the other characters found out; but if there's one thing that'll cause a large creature to make a sound, it's sudden expected severe pain, so if he would've gotten a cattle prod and used it, Mister Ed would've said something in a hurry.
Take care and God bless

One situations was when his wife and neighbor were upset because they thought he was pampering him too much. Mister Ed never wanted to talk to anyone except Wilbur even though I never got far enough into the show to see if any of the other characters found out; but if there's one thing that'll cause a large creature to make a sound, it's sudden expected severe pain, so if he would've gotten a cattle prod and used it, Mister Ed would've said something in a hurry.
Take care and God bless

Your suggestion seems really bizarre to me. Why would someone who cared about an animal want to do something like that to a creature they had established trust with?

The very premise of an animal that would only behave a certain way in the company of a particular individual seemed non-credible to me for decades, until it started happening to me. And humorously it forced me to think of the experience in context with this TV show.

I cultivated a relationship of trust with a flock of Canada geese over two decades.....and when they are alone with me it is sometimes dumbfounding the complex behavior they have displayed around me. To the point where everytime I tried to share that experience with any other human...I was left looking like a fool.

So, I just quit trying. I enjoy the special times alone that I have with them, and simply don't feel that I have anything to prove to anybody else. It's just my "special time".

My theory is that generation after generation the parents have trained their goslings to trust me, and I simply have a relationship of comfort with them that it is impossible for them to have with "less familiar" humans. Perhaps the shows creator had experienced a similar bond with some animal, and was simply sharing that theme through "Mr Ed"?

For me anyway, I don't really believe that they understand my words, so much as the tone of my voice coupled with situational awareness.

One such behavior that frequently repeats, I'll be sitting on my river bank, and some goose will walk up and stand beside me. After a while I will softly say "have a seat" and gesture with my hand, and they promptly sit down.

Last year a goose that I didn't recognize walked up beside me, and I mentioned several times "have a seat" with no response. SO, I then said "asseyez-vous".....and the goose promptly sat down.

Ah? I replied..."You must be from Quebec?"

I doubt I could get the goose to repeat that on any late night talk show. So I share Wilbur's dilemma. :D

I was just thinking of the episode where Wilbur's friends and wife were threatening to disown him or whatever if he didn't quit overspending on the horse, and he had ordered a special bed or something over the phone without Wilbur's knowledge, and he had to think of a reason for it to save their friendship. That's when a cattle prod would come in handy.

That would be cruel. I think Wilbur could have easily had Carol hide some place and witness Mr Ed talking... BUT I think it was more about trust... For whatever reason, Mr Ed only felt comfortable talking in front of Wilbur and I don't think Wilbur wanted to violate that trust.

Then there you have it. There's a way he could've gotten her to find out she could talk.

Mr. Ed seemed so enthralled by Mae West (and had a phone convo with her) that he ran away to live with her. Had she not attempted to 'prettify' him which got him to come back to Ed, he'd have soon talked to HER (and one wonders if she might have alluded to her past Broadway role as Catherine the Great in her dialogue with him).

Your suggestion seems really bizarre to me. Why would someone who cared about an animal want to do something like that to a creature they had established trust with?

The very premise of an animal that would only behave a certain way in the company of a particular individual seemed non-credible to me for decades, until it started happening to me. And humorously it forced me to think of the experience in context with this TV show.

I cultivated a relationship of trust with a flock of Canada geese over two decades.....and when they are alone with me it is sometimes dumbfounding the complex behavior they have displayed around me. To the point where everytime I tried to share that experience with any other human...I was left looking like a fool.

So, I just quit trying. I enjoy the special times alone that I have with them, and simply don't feel that I have anything to prove to anybody else. It's just my "special time".

My theory is that generation after generation the parents have trained their goslings to trust me, and I simply have a relationship of comfort with them that it is impossible for them to have with "less familiar" humans. Perhaps the shows creator had experienced a similar bond with some animal, and was simply sharing that theme through "Mr Ed"?

For me anyway, I don't really believe that they understand my words, so much as the tone of my voice coupled with situational awareness.

One such behavior that frequently repeats, I'll be sitting on my river bank, and some goose will walk up and stand beside me. After a while I will softly say "have a seat" and gesture with my hand, and they promptly sit down.

Last year a goose that I didn't recognize walked up beside me, and I mentioned several times "have a seat" with no response. SO, I then said "asseyez-vous".....and the goose promptly sat down.

Ah? I replied..."You must be from Quebec?"

I doubt I could get the goose to repeat that on any late night talk show. So I share Wilbur's dilemma. :D

Interesting story! Your supposed inability to repeat that feat is exactly the plot of Warner's cartoon, "One Froggy Evening." The frog sang and performed for ONE man only, way before Mr. Ed ever came along.

This Warners short SHOULD have won an Oscar (others did, like the less-deserving Knighty Knight Bugs), but it is still one of the most celebrated films in animation history, and is preserved in the National Film Registry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Froggy_Evening