ORIGIN OF THE WREN 



IN the far-away time when marvelous things occurred, one 

 day, as an impetuous youth of Heidelberg lay idly 

 dreaming and pondering imder an oak, a beautiful 

 maiden crept forth from a great hole in the trunk of the 

 tree and stood smiling at him. The youth immediately arose 

 and made love to her, as was the custom in those days, and 

 his love was immediately returned, and they promised to be 

 true to each other forever and ever. But the maiden con-' 

 fided to him that she belonged to the race of Dryads and 

 warned him that on that accoimt he must never show anger 

 to her — even a slight manifestation of this malignant pas- 

 sion would entail on her a diminution in size ; and anything 

 like violent rage would reduce her to a limit from which there 

 could be no recovery. 



All went well with the lovers till one evening he, coming 

 much earlier than usual to the tryst— though he thought it 

 was later — found no maiden at the trysting place, whereupon 

 he fell into a wrathftd passion and uttered bitter words. 



When at the proper moment the maiden weepingly ap- 

 peared she at once began to shrink and continued shrinking 

 till she was no larger than a mouse. Wishing to escape from 

 one who had so wronged her, her wishes gave her wings, 

 when, as a wren, with an angry chirp, she flew away. 



27 



