"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."
THE VAIN GOLDFINCH LEARNS A LESSON
He Hid His Face in Shame.
"Mr. Goldfinch," said daddy, "was very conceited and proud of himself. To be sure, a goldfinch's voice is very much like a canary's—but it's not quite so lovely—and he can't do the wonderful trills a canary can without his voice cracking. Of course, that isn't beautiful.