Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-07-01
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS.
KING OF BIRDS.
How the Proud Title Was Earnsd-stofiss
of the Wren.

do! "Of course!" you say. every
body knows that the eagle Is the King
Of birds. Do you think we arc dunces"
No, dot think you arc ounces;
but perhaps there may still be few
things that you do not know, though,
of course. 1t is only because
you have not had time to
learn them. And or of these
few things il that. according TO .-cient
story. the King Of all birds is not the
mighty eagle. but-the wrcn!-the
tiny, cha,tcring, brown wren. who
builds his pretty, little. round nest in
hedgcrows and hayricks. ! will tell
you the story as 1t was told by a
famous writer, many hundreds OF
years ago. and then you may believe
II, or not, just rs you like.
Once upon a 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 feathcrcd 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 ou,spread wings, at dizzy
height he screamed in triumph: ~
birds, behold your King"
"Behold him. indced!" cried a tiny
voice at his ear. "But not In you,
clumsy fcllow!" And the wren, who
had been perchcd all the while. unseen
and unnoticcd, on the eagles shoulder,
now boldly took flight, and twitted
and chirped from a 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 1t is very
pretty story, whether you believe 1t or
not.
Now. let us look Mt this saucy little
King, and SEQ what he IL like. lie is
about four inchcs long, of rich red
dish-brown color; and he has saucy
little cockcd-up tail. and knowing
black vyos, and very sweet voice,
which says very impudcnt things.
He is always gay and CHEEKY, and
sings as mcrrily on cold day as on q
warm one; this is good point In any
King. He builds his own palace, and
a very fine one 1t 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
eide. King Wren prefers this domed
nest to any other; first. because 1t 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
wrcn's nest has been found In the body
of a dead hawk, which had been killed
and nailed to the side OF barn, to
frightcn other hawks.
Once farmer had killed calf. and
hung its body on a tree. Qt seems q
singular thing to hang calf on tree.
rs il he were horse. thief; but that Is
the way / heard the story.) Some
days after. when the farmer cut the
calf down In order to cut 1t up, he
found n wren's nest in its throat
Again, / have heard OF 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, l sup
| pose she waited until they stopped
don't youP At least that's what ! should
have done in her case. When winter
comes the little wrcns are put to all sorts
of shifts to keep themselves warm
Sometimes, in very cold weather. they
NAV be found all huddled together
in heaps, six or seven of them united
looking like masses Of soft brown
feathers. Sometimes they get intf
their summer nests. the whole family
parents and children. crowding intt
the little hollow under tho dome.
Once fine lady, who was very font
of birds, and used to scatter crumbs
for them in her garden every day II
cold weather. happened to see part!
of wrens 90 to bed; and this Is how
they did It. They gathered together
on large branch Of tree, about fou'
inches above which grew another
branch. On the lower branch th'
wrens packed themselves comfortabl.
together, three or four deep, the top
most bird always having his LITTLE
brown back pressed against the uppe'
branch, as II to keep the whole pill
steady. The lady pitied the poor
shivering little creatures, and the mex
day she nailed to the branch squar'
box, lined with ilannel, with yer!
small round hole by way OF door
When the wrens came to go to bet
they examined the box. and sool
seemed to understand all about 1t, TO
they crowded in eagerly, jostling eacl
other in their hurry to get into the nm
new bedroom. The next night ther
were more Of them, and moro ant
moro, till ut last more than fort
wrens would crowd into the boz, whic