The Winter Home For The Wren Family

: Daddy's Bedtime Bird Stories

"A number of little boys living in a small town were very much

interested in carpentry," said daddy. "They made boxes and chairs and

tables and all sorts of things.



"They had a nice tool shop in an unused barn belonging to the daddy of

one of the little boys.



"In the late autumn one of the little boys, who was very fond of birds

and especially so of the house wren, suggested that they should build

some little bird houses under the low roof of the barn.



"So all the little boys helped because they thought it was such a nice

plan."



"What is a house wren?" inquired Evelyn.



"A house wren," said daddy, "shows his difference from other wrens by

having black and gray lines on his brown back. His tiny tail points

upward and his breast is grayish white. He is very friendly and loves to

keep the same home.



"Now, the boys had noticed that one family of wrens had built a nest on

the side of this same barn two summers. They had flown away when the

cold weather came each time.



"The boys built a fine little house with great care and watched to see

if the wrens would go to it. And, sure enough, they did! Apparently they

thought it was a beautiful house, although they, of course, wished to

furnish it in their own way."



"How did they furnish it?" asked Jack.



"They filled it with twigs, and in the center of the house they put

masses of dried grass and twigs.



"The boys were interested watching the wrens, and the wrens seemed

perfectly happy. There were no sparrows near by. They saw that the boys

were friendly, and they found the wooden house kept out the cold air.



"Week after week passed, and still the wrens didn't show any desire to

move to a warmer place. On the very coldest day they would come out,

flit about, hop and bow, and be as energetic as possible.



"Of course the boys never touched the house after they'd built it, for

the wrens then would have left, and the wrens made their front door

so small that a sparrow couldn't possibly have gone inside and bothered

the little ones.



"You can imagine how delighted the boys were; and to keep the wrens from

feeling homesick for a warmer home, each day they'd scatter crumbs

around near the wrens' home, then watch the wrens hop down and take them

up to the nest, and the wrens seemed to be very happy when they saw the

boys. They acted as if they knew and appreciated that the boys had built

them such a fine home."