The Tale Of Rusty Wren Part 4

"I'll go right home and get her and bring her here so she can see this tobacco herself!" he said aloud. "Then she'll know where that shred came from which fell on the floor." He did not say "which I brushed onto the floor," for he never could remember long that he ever did such careless things.

Well, Rusty Wren went out of the window a good deal faster than he had flown in. And, in less time than it takes to tell it, he was perched on top of his house again and calling to his wife.

"I know now where the tobacco came from!" he sang out. "Just come outside and I'll show you. It's upstairs in the carriage house!"

To his delight, Mrs. Rusty answered in the sweetest tone imaginable. But she said she didn't want to come out just then. And she didn't seem a bit interested in tobacco any more.

"You come right into the house!" she cried. "There's something here that I want to show you."

Rusty Wren whisked through the hole in the maple syrup can. Home had never looked quite so good to him before, for he had not been there since the middle of the morning.

"What is it?" he asked eagerly.

His wife was sitting on their nest. And there was nothing new in the house, so far as he could see.

She moved aside then. "Look!" she said.

And, peering into the nest, Rusty saw a speckled egg there. It was really a small egg. But to Rusty Wren's eyes it seemed decidedly big.

He was so surprised that he couldn't speak for as much as two seconds. And then he began to sing--he was so happy.

Though Mrs. Rusty kept very still, she seemed much pleased. And, strange to say, she never mentioned _smoking_ to her husband again.

She had something more important to think about.

X

BAD NEWS

When Johnnie Green fastened the tin can to the tree in the dooryard he couldn't have picked out a better spot for it. Of course, he hoped that a pair of wrens would build their nest inside the syrup can. But what he never dreamed was that the cherry tree was exactly the sort of tree that wrens liked.

It was not that Rusty and his wife cared for cherries. But as soon as Mrs. Wren had said how much she liked her new house, she remarked that the old cherry tree was a fine place to hunt for bugs and insects.

"Yes!" Rusty agreed. "And there's an ant hill near the foot of the tree. It will be very convenient on stormy days, for we shall not have to go far for our breakfast."

Not being fond of cherries, they did not look forward to the time when the bright red fruit should hang gaily upon the branches above their home. But there were others--besides Johnnie Green--who eagerly awaited that time and noticed that the old tree was loaded with blossoms, which meant that later there would be plenty of cherries.

Jolly Robin was one of those who had a taste for cherries, no matter whether they grew wild in the woods or within easy reach in Farmer Green's yard. And as soon as cherry time arrived Jolly was on hand every day to enjoy the treat.

He was so cheerful and good-natured that Rusty Wren and his wife did not object to Jolly's visits--so long as he did not venture too near their house. They always scolded loudly when an outsider came too close to their home, for they had a big family of children, and they couldn't help feeling that the youngsters were safer with no prying busybodies to meddle with them.

Of course, Jolly Robin never once thought of harming any of Rusty's family. And as soon as he saw that Rusty--and especially his wife--wanted him to keep away from their side of the tree, he took care to respect their wishes.

Then all was peaceful. And the three had many pleasant chats together.

At last, however, Jolly Robin made a remark one day that threw both Rusty and his wife into a flutter of alarm. Jolly Robin had not meant to frighten them. But the news was out before he realized that it was far from welcome to his two little listeners.

"Jasper Jay has heard about these cherries," he announced. "And he says he's coming over here as soon as he can find time, for he is specially fond of all kinds of cherries, no matter whether they're red cherries or black cherries or choke cherries."

Rusty Wren glanced quickly at his wife.

He could easily see that Jolly Robin's speech had upset her. And, to tell the truth, he did not himself relish the prospect of a visit from anybody as boisterous and quarrelsome as that famous bully, Jasper Jay.

"Can't you prevent his coming?" Rusty asked Jolly Robin.

But Jolly Robin shook his head.

"When Jasper Jay makes up his mind, I know of no way to make him change it," he said.

XI

THE NOISE ON THE ROOF

As soon as she heard that Jasper Jay intended to visit her cherry tree, to enjoy the ripe fruit, Rusty Wren's wife began to worry.

And she made herself so unhappy that Rusty couldn't help wis.h.i.+ng that Jolly Robin had kept his news to himself.

"Don't be alarmed!" he said to her, after Jolly had gone. "Jasper Jay can't harm the children, for they'll be safe in the nest. And luckily our doorway is too small for him."

But Mrs. Rusty wouldn't be calmed.

"He's a great, cruel bully," she replied. "And if he spends much time here I'm afraid the children will starve, for neither you nor I will be able to go out and find food for them, because Jasper would be sure to pounce on us; and what chance would we have against him?"

"We'll go together," said Rusty Wren, looking very brave.

But Mrs. Wren said she wouldn't think of leaving her six small children all alone in the house.

"Everything will be all right," Rusty a.s.sured her. "You know Jasper isn't coming unless he can _find the time_. Jolly Robin said so.

And maybe he won't be able to get here at all."

They had gone inside their house to talk over the matter in private. And Rusty had hardly finished speaking when a loud bang, followed by a clatter, sounded on the tin roof above their heads.

It was no wonder that they both jumped.

"Goodness!" exclaimed Rusty's wife. "What's that?"

But Rusty couldn't tell her. During all the weeks they had lived there he had heard nothing like that.

While they listened the noise was repeated. And Mrs. Rusty declared that the sky must be falling, for she had never heard such a dreadful sound in all her life.

"I'll go right out and see what it is," Rusty Wren said.