THE KING OF BIRDS. 



157 



that flies; up, up, up, till their wings were weary and their hearts 

 faint. But far above all the rest flew the mighty eagle, his broad 

 wings bearing him up like sails. When the other birds paused, 

 exhausted, he alone soared onward and upward; till at length, rest- 

 ing on his outspread wings, at a dizzy height above the earth, he 

 screamed in triumph : " O birds, behold your king ! " 



a tiny voice at his ear. 



the wren, 



un- 



" Behold him, indeed!"' cried 

 " But not in you, clumsy fel- 

 who had been perched all the 

 noticed, on the eagle's shoulder, 

 now boldly took flight, and twit- 

 tered and chirped from a still 

 greater height; while the weary 

 eagle, unable to soar highei', beat 

 his broad wings in anger and 

 disappointment. So the wren 

 was proclaimed the king of all 

 birds, and remains so to this 

 day; and it is a very pretty 

 story, whether you believe it - 

 or not. 



Xow, let us look at this 

 saucj little king, and see what •: 

 he is like. He is about four 

 inches long, of a rich reddish- 

 brown color; and he has a saucy 

 little cocked-up tail, and knowing- 

 black eyes, and a very sweet voice, 

 which says very impudent things. 

 He is always gay and cheery, and 

 sings as merrily on a cold day as 

 on a warm one; this is a ^ood 



point in any king. He builds his own palace, and a very fine one 

 it is for its size, being made very neatly of leaves, moss, and grass, 

 and having always a dome, which covers it completely, the opening 

 of the nest being always at the side. King Wren prefers this 



