After that Johnnie had nothing more to do but wait. And he had not waited two days before Rusty Wren discovered the bright tin can that was to be his summer home.
As soon as she saw it, Rusty’s wife said that there must be kind people living in the farmhouse, or they never would have driven nails through a spick-and-span can just to make strangers happy.
Since their search was ended, the tiny pair began building their nest right then and there. In a surprisingly short time they had completely filled their new house with twigs. And as soon as they had done that much, in the center of the mass of twigs they built a nest of dried grasses, singing the merriest of songs while they worked.
Of course, Johnnie Green was delighted. All the time the lively little couple were at work upon their new home it was easy to find Johnnie. But it was hard to get him to do any errands, because he didn’t want to stir from the dooryard, he was so interested in what was going on.
Farmer Green, too, seemed pleased. And though he didn’t spend much time watching Mr. and Mrs. Rusty (he said that he had to work, the same as they), he remarked to Johnnie that he was glad to see that the newcomers were already paying rent for their house.
Johnnie Green looked puzzled.
“Rent?” he exclaimed. “I don’t understand.”
“Just hear them!” his father replied. “Isn’t their singing pay enough for the use of a tin syrup can?”
“That’s so!” cried Johnnie. “I never thought of that. Why, they’ve turned that can into a regular music-box!”