The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-06-16
THE KING OF BIRDS.
How the Proud Title Was Esrned-Stories
of the Wren.

AA~'s AAvsS w. SS~~ee~~
of the Wren.
Now, you think ! am going to tell
you about the eagle. Confess that you
do! "Of course!" you say. every
body knows that the eagle is the King
of birds. Do you think we are duncesP"
No, I don't think you are ounces;
but perhaps there may still be a 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 soren!-the
tiny, chattering, brown wren, who
builds his pretty, little, round nest in
hedgerows and hayricks. ] will tell
you the story as it was told by q
famous writer, many hundreds Of
years ago, and then you may believe
it, or not, just as you like.
Once upon time, then, all the birds
met together to choose 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
eagle, his broad wings bearing him up
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: 20
birds, behold your King!"
Behold him, indeed!" cried a tiny
voice at his ear. ''But not in you,
clumsy fellow| 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 it or
not.
Now, let us look at this saucy little
King, and see what he is like. He is
about four inches long, of rich red
dish-brown color; and he has a saucy
little cocked-up tail, and knowing
black eyes, and a very sweet voice,
which says very impudent things.
He is always gay and CHEEKY, and
sings as merrily on a cold day as on a
warm one; this is good point in any
King. He builds his own palace, and
very fine one it is for its size, being
made very neatly of leaves, moss and
grass, and having always q 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 a dead hawk, which had been killed
and nailed to the side of barn, te
brighten other hawks.
Once a farmer had killed calf, and
hung its body on tree. Qt seems
singular thing to hang a calf on tree.
as Il he were horse-thief; but that il
the way heard the story Som,
days after, when the farmer cut the
calf down in order to cut it up, hi
found wren's nest in it's throat
/ Again, have heard of little Queer
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 the.
were pumping water?" Why, | sup
pose she waited until they stopped
don't you? At least that's what SHOULD
have done in her case. When winte
comes the little wrens are put to all sort
of shifts to keep themselves warm
Sometimes, in very cold weather, the
may be found all huddled togethe
in heaps, six or seven of them united
looking like masses Of soft brow
feathers. Sometimes they get int
their summer nests, the whole family
parents and children, crowding int
the little hollow under the dome.
Once fine lady, who was very fon
of birds, and used to scatter crumt
for them in her garden every day
cold weather, happened to see part
Of wrens 60 to bed; and this is no
they did It. They gathered togeth'
on large branch of tree. about fo'
inches above which grew anoth'
branch. On the lower branch Il
wrens packed themselves comfortab
together, three or four deep, the.to
most bird always having his lit
. brown back pressed against the upp
branch, as if to keep the whole pi
/ steady. The lady pitied the pos
shivering little creatures, and the ne
: day she nailed to the branch squa
d box, lined with flannel, with We
I small round hole by way Of doc