The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31
che CittIe Wren


81 head to take a peek over the
"a edge of the nest to see if her
w. mother was in sight, for she
was growing very hungry, and the
mother bird had been so long away
that loneliness and fright were
crowding into the small bird breast.
The nest swung high in a silver
maple, and the little Wren was quite
used to the quiet rustic of the leaves
as they caught the message the wind
brought, but she had never seen them
so excited as now, so she craned her
neck a little further to see what 1t
was all about.
The leaf at the end of the branch,
which was bigger than all the rest,
beckoned to the little Wren, but she
was a very young bird and had never
ventured quite so far as that. The
length of the branch that lay between
her and the leaf was as thousand
miles in the eyes of the timid little
fledgling.
oh, she just couldn't dream of get
ting out of the nest, for had not the
mother Wren told her a thousand
times or more not even to stick her
head above the edge of their little
nome while she was away in search
OF food?
But the message the wind brought
the leaves seemed very important in
deed, for with each whisper they be-
came more excited. and the big leaf
at the end of the branch beckoned
to the little Wren all the more fran
tically.
The bird called to the leaf that she
was afraid, but always the wind came
between and carried her talk the
other way, and still the maple leaf
beckoned, and waved, and stretched
out silver-veined hands to the little
Wren to let her know that the mes
sage the wind had brought was very,
very important.
1t was getting as dark as twilight
and strange noises rent the air. The
hedgling had not yet passed through
a storm and so she wondered what
in the world could be the matter.
Il wish my mother would come
home" she twittered softly to her
self, as she tucked her head down
deep in the home nest.
Strange fears stirred her presently
10 look again, and the leaf at the
en- of the branch was beckoning to
her more wildly than before; the wind
was now simply wailing its message
10 the leaves, and so lone and for
lorn was the little Wren in the fast
approaching storm that was SO new
IN experience to. her that she crept
timidly out on the branch, Tapping
her tiny wings in an agony of fear
and apprehension.
Come on" called the leaf that
was bigger than all the rest. you
can make it if you are just not
afraid. Come onl"
The little Wren took another
mincing hop. and stopped short.
oh, how l wish my mother
would come home" she cried, look
ing frantieally about her.
But all she saw was a ziR-zae
streak of gold flash across the sl<v
which she would have thought a very
beautiful sight had it not been fol-
lowed by such peal of thunder
thet she was almost frozen to the
branch with very fear.
About her the leaves talked ex
cieuiy about something they seemed
10 be trying very hard to keep from
her.
Above her the sky grew darker
every moment, and beneath the
branch lay the big earth, so far away
In the eyes of the little bird that she
was afraid to look the second time.
Was there ever a little Wren in
such plight. she wondered, as she
summoned all her small courage to
make mad dash down the branch.
crying out in fright as she hoped
along until she reached the leaf that
was bigger than all the rest.
The big leaf reached out her silver
veined hands to help the fedging
over the last hard knob on the
branch, and, as the storm broke, she
drew the little Wren close to her. and
covered her shivering little body.