The Arizona sentinel., 1886-06-19
THE KING OF BIRDS.
How the Proud Title Was Earned-Stories
 of the Wren.

EdTnou-SCOrleS
 of the Wren.
 Now, you think am going to tell you about the eagle. Confess that you do! "Of courser' you say. ''Every body knows that the eagle is the King of birds. Do you think we are dunces?"
 No, I don't think you are dunces; but perhaps there may still be few things that you do not know, though, of course, it is only because you have not had time to learn them. And one of these few things is that, according to ancient story, the King of all birds is not the mighty eagle, but-the aOren!-the tiny, chattering, brown wren, who builds his pretty, little, round nest in hedgerows and hayricks. 1 will tell you the story as it was told by famous writer, many hundreds of years ago, and then you may believe it, or not, just as you like.
 Once upon a time, then, all the birds met together to choose a King, and they decided that the one who could soar the highest should be ruler over all the feathered tribes. Up they all sprang into the air, hawk and heron, swallow and skylark, and every bird that flies; up, up, up, till their wings were weary and their hearts faint. But far above all the rest flew the mighty eagla-his hrnad wings hoariner h;-sA-ssfs like sails. When the other birds paused, exhausted, he alone scared On- ward and upward; till at length, rest ing on his outspread wings, at dizzy height he screamed in triumph: 70 birds, behold your King!'
 "Behold him, indeed!'' cried tiny voice at his ear. ''But not in you, clumsy fellowr' And the wren, who had been perched all the while, unseen and unnoticed, on the eagles shoulder, now boldly took flight, and twitted and chirped from still greater height; while the weary eagle, unable to soar higher. beat his broad wings in anger and disappointment. So the wren was proclaimed King of all birds, and re- mains so to this day; and it is very pretty story, whether you believe 1t or not.
 Now, let us look at this saucy little King, and see what he is like. He is about four inches long, of a rich red dish-brown color; and he has saucy little cocked-up tail, and knowing black eyes, and a very sweet voice, which says very impudent things. He is always gay and cheery, and sings as merrily on cold day as on warm one; this is a good point in any King. He builds his own palace, and a very fine one it is for its size, being made very neatly of leaves, moss and grass, and having always a dome, which covers it completely, the open ing of the nest being always at the side. King Wren prefers this domed nest to any other; first, because it is more lofty, and, second, because it protects the royal eggs from cold and rain. But sometimes he chooses the strangest place for his nest. A wren's nest has been found in the body of dead hawk, which had been killed and nailed to the side of barn, to frighten other hawks.
 Once farmer had killed calf, and hung its body on tree. Qt seems a singular thing to hang a calf on tree, as if he were a hOrse-thief; but that Is
 
 days after, when the farmer cut the calf down in order to cut it up, he found a wren's nest in its throat. Again, have heard of a little Queen Wren, who made her nest inside pump, and went in and out through the spout to attend to her natural du- ties. '.What did she do when they were pumping water?" Why, 1 sup pose she waited until they stopped, don't you? At least thatis what should have done in her case. When winter comes the little wrens are put to all sorts of shifts to keep themselves warm. Sometimes, in very cold weather, they may be found all huddled together in heaps, six or seven of them united, looking like masses of soft brown feathers. Sometimes they get into their summer nests, the whole family, parents and children, crowding into the little hollow under the dome.
 Once a fine lady, who was very fond of birds, and used to scatter crumbs for them in her garden every day in cold weather, happened to see a party of wrens go to bed; and this is how they did it. They gathered together on large branch of tree, about four inches above which grew another branch. On the lower branch the wrens packed themselves comfortably together, three or four deep, the top most bird always having his little brown back pressed against the upper branch, as if to keep the whole pile steady. The lady pitied the poor, shivering little creatures, and the next day she nailed to the branch a square box, lined with flannel, with very small round hole by way of 8 door. When the wrens came to go to bed they examined the box, and soon seemed to understand all about it, for they crowded in eagerly, jostling each