A friend had sent me a beautiful wren house. It was shaped like a small barrel, and had four rooms. I called it the apartment house. Fortunately, it was made of such hard wood that no squirrel could bite through. I had this house put on a tin-sheathed post on the north side of the house where it would be in shade.

For the bluebirds I put up two new houses. The one that had been up all winter was so smelly of squirrels and English sparrows that I knew the dainty bluebirds would not like it. The time was near for the birds to return from their winter homes. I wanted everything clean and safe for them.

THE GENIAL GRAY SQUIRREL

THE RETURN OF THE BLUEBIRD

IV
THE BLUEBIRDS’ BUNGALOW

I love the springtime because it brings my birds back from their winter homes.

One cold March day I saw something blue flash across the sky.

“Can that be the bluebird I have been waiting for?” I thought.