THE BLUEBIRD 197 
have been interpreted, it would have proven the 
rankest and most voluble Billingsgate ever uttered. 
For the wren is saucy, and he has a tongue in his 
head that can outwag any other tongue known to me. 
The bluebirds said nothing, but the male kept an 
eye on Mr. Wren; and, when he came too near, 
gave chase, driving him to cover under the fence, 
or under a rubbish-heap or other object, where the 
wren would scold and rattle away, while his pursuer 
sat on the fence or the pea-brush waiting for him to 
reappear. 
Days passed, and the usurpers prospered and the 
outcasts were wretched; but the latter lingered 
about, watching and abusing their enemies, and 
hoping, no doubt, that things would take a turn, 
as they presently did. The outraged wrens were 
fully avenged. The mother bluebird had laid her 
full complement of eggs and was beginning to set, 
when one day, as her mate was perched above her 
on the barn, along came a boy with one of those 
wicked elastic slings and cut him down with a peb- 
ble. There he lay like a bit of sky fallen upon the 
grass. The widowed bird seemed to understand 
what had happened, and without much ado disap- 
peared next day in quest of another mate. How 
she contrived to make her wants known, without 
trumpeting them about, I am unable to say. But I 
presume the birds have a way of advertising that 
answers the purpose well. Maybe she trusted to 
luck to fall in with some stray bachelor or bereaved 
male who would undertake to console a widow of 
