86 THE WITCHING WREN. 



ness. We identified them fully as the family of 

 our beautiful singer, for we saw him feed them, 

 then mount a projecting root and sing his per- 

 fect rhapsody, not fifteen feet from us. 



I must explain the name I have used, " the 

 Discourager of Hesitancy." It is the invention 

 of Mr. Frank Stockton, as every one knows, 

 but I applied it to my fellow-student because of 

 her conduct in 'the case of the wrens ; and a day 

 or two later she proved her right to it by her 

 treatment of a chipping-sparrow family near the 

 house. She took hold of the tip end of a branch 

 and drew it down to look at the nest full of 

 young chippies. " They 're about ready to fly," 

 she remarked calmly ; and at that instant the 

 branch was released, sprang up, and four young 

 birds were suddenly tossed out upon the world. 

 They sailed through the air, too much surprised 

 to use their wings, and dropped back into the 

 tree, which fortunately was a thick evergreen. 

 The " Discourager's " face displayed a mixture 

 of horror and shame that was very droll. She 

 said the twig broke, but in the light of her be- 

 havior to the wrens, and her avowed pleasure in 

 stirring birds up to see what they would do, I 

 must say I have my suspicions, especially when 

 I remember that that was the second family 

 whose minds she had made up for them that 

 week. 



