had nailed to the tree. Inside that can was the Wren
family's nest. And inside the nest were some brand-new youngsters, only
two days out of their shells.

It was no wonder that when Rusty Wren came hack from the orchard and saw
such a sight he began to shriek.

"What are you doing on my roof?" he shrilled.

Miss Kitty Cat looked up calmly and watched him as he hopped about in
the top of the tree above her head.

[Illustration: Miss Kitty Cat Looked Calmly at Rusty Wren.]

"I've come to make another call on your wife," she explained.

Then a muffled voice chirped, "She's been here a long time and I can't
get her to go away."

The moment he heard that, Rusty Wren felt better. It was his wife's
voice and it meant that she was safe. To be sure, Rusty knew that she
was a prisoner in her own house; for it was plain that she dared not
leave it so long as Miss Kitty Cat stayed on the roof, ready to grab
Mrs. Wren the moment she stepped out of her doorway.

"Your wife is very shy," Miss Kitty remarked to Rusty Wren with a sly
smile. "I've been hoping to get more acquainted with her. That's why I
climbed up and sat on your roof. When people are shy and don't invite
me inside their houses I believe in making myself at home outside, while
I wait for them to appear."

From her doorway Mrs. Wren called to her husband, "Don't let her deceive
you with her pretty talk! Remember what I told you! She's
mealy-mouthed.... If you had seen her trying to reach her paw through
the door you'd know how dangerous she is."

"There!" said Miss Kitty Cat with a sigh. "People never seem to
understand my ways. I was only trying to shake hands!"

"With her claws!" cried the muffled voice of Rusty Wren's wife. "Ugh!
She's a wicked creature if ever there was one."

"Go away!" Rusty Wren scolded. "Get off my roof! Get out of my cherry
tree!"

By this time feathered neighbors of the Wren family were arriving from
all directions. They didn't hesitate to call Miss Kitty Cat names. And
some of them even darted quite near her, as if they meant to peck her
eyes out.

Miss Kitty began to have a worried look.

"Goodness! Where do they all live?" she asked herself. "I had no idea
there were so many birds around here. There's better hunting than I
supposed."

Try as they would, the birds couldn't budge Miss Kitty Cat from the top
of Rusty's house. He was frantic, poor fellow!

"I don't know what to do," he wailed. "My wife will starve in there