a house at all. That is the way with 

 your sex generally, when there is any 

 work to be done." 



"Oh, it is?" said Mr. Wren, his 

 feathers ruffled in a minute. " That's 

 my reward for staying about this house 

 and the grounds all the time, is it ? 

 My whole time has been taken up in 

 house hunting, let me tell you, Mrs. 

 Wren, and in keeping my eye on one 

 particular apartment which is to let up 

 there." 



" Where ? " chirped Mrs. Wren, her 

 bright eyes traveling up and down the 

 side of the house before them. "I 

 don't see a box or crevice any where.* ' 



"Oh, you don't?" said Mr. Wren, 

 mimicing her tone and air, "not a 

 single box or crevice anywhere. Who 

 said anything about either, I'd like to 

 know? " 



"Why, you did, Mr. Wren," said 

 Mrs. Jenny, every feather on top of 

 her head standing on end. " You did, 

 as plain as could be." 



" I said nothing of the sort," retorted 

 Mr. Wren, " I never mentioned a box 

 or crevice once." 



" Then what did you say," returned 

 Mrs. Wren with a little cackling sort 

 of a laugh, " what kind of a house is 

 up there to let anyway ? " 



" Talk about females being as sharp 

 as we males," muttered Mr. Wren, " I 

 never saw so stupid a creature in my 

 life " then aloud, " don't you see that 

 tin tea-pot hanging on a nail under 

 the porch, Mrs. Wren ? " 



"A tin tea-pot !" scornfully. "Do 

 you think a bird born and bred as I 

 was would go to housekeeping in an 

 old tea-pot, Mr. Wren? You forget, 

 surely that my father was a " 



" Oh, bother your father,'' ungal- 

 lantly retorted Mr. Wren. " I'm tired 

 and sick of that subject. If you don't 

 like the looks of that house up there 

 say so, and I'll take you to see several 

 others." 



" Oh, well," said Mrs. Wren, who 

 all the time had thought the tea-pot 

 just the cutest little apartment in the 

 world, " I'll fly up there and examine 

 it. Maybe it will do." 



" It's just lovely," she announced, 

 flying back to the tree, and for a min- 

 ute or two they chattered and sang, 

 and fluttered about in such a joyful 

 manner that some of their bird neigh- 

 bors flew over, curious to hear and see. 



" Still," remarked Mrs. Jenny the 

 next day, when fetching material for 

 the nest, " I had hoped, my dear, that 

 you would have followed my father's 

 example in selecting a house for your 

 family." 



"Still harping on { my father,'" 

 groaned Mr. Wren, dropping on the 

 porch the straws he had fetched in 

 his bill. "Well," cheerfully, "how 

 did he do, my dear? " 



"As a bird of courage would, Mr. 

 Wren. He never looked for a vacant 

 house, not he ! From place to place, 

 from tree to tree he flew, and when he 

 espied a nest which pleased him, off 

 he chased the other bird and took 

 possession. Bluebird or Martin, it was 

 all the same to him. Ah, indeed, my 

 father was a great warrior." 



"Hm, yes ! " said Mr. Wren, who 

 didn't like to be thought less brave 

 than another. " That accounted for 

 his one eye and lame leg, I presume." 



" The scars of battle are not to be 

 laughed at, Mr. Wren," loftily said 



