mate would come seeking it. But after hours had gone, and nothing
stirred or spoke, he slipped softly out of the nest, and went down
to search for the poor little winged mate who must surely be about
somewhere.

And now, truly, among the grasses and flowers he heard something sobbing
and sighing; a little winged thing darted into sight and out again,
searching the ground like a dragon-fly at quest. And all the time,
amid the darting and humming of its wings, came sobbing and wringing of
hands.

The young Jackdaw called: "Little wings, what have you lost? Is it not a
spike with a green light at the end of it?"

"My wand, my wand!" cried the fairy, beside herself with grief. "Just
about sunset I was asleep in an empty wren's nest, and when I woke up my
wand was gone!"

Then the little Jackdaw, being moon-struck, and not knowing the value of
things, flew up to the nest and brought back the fairy her wand.

"Oh!" she cried, "you have saved my life!" And she thanked the Jackdaw
till he grew quite modest and shy.

"What is it for? What can you do with it?" he asked.

"With this," she answered, "I can make anything beautiful come true! I
can give you whatever you ask; you have but to ask, and you shall have."

Then the little Jackdaw, being moon-struck, and not knowing the value of
things, said, "Oh, if I could only sing like a nightingale!"

"You can!" said the fairy, waving her wand but once; and immediately
some-thing like a melodious sneeze flew into his head and set it
shaking.

"Chiou! chiou! True-true-true-true! Jug! jug! Oh, beautiful! beautiful!"
His beak went dabbling in the sweet sound, rippling it this way and
that, spraying it abroad out of his blissful heart as a jewel throws out
its fires.

The fairy was gone; but the little Jackdaw sprang up into the high elm,
and sang on endlessly through the whole night.

At dawn he stopped, and looking down, there he saw the family getting
ready for breakfast, and wondering what had become of him. Just as they
were saying grace he flew in, his little heart beating with joy over his
new-found treasure. What a jewel of a voice he had: better than all the
pieces of glass and chips of platter lying down there in the nest! As
soon as the parent-birds had finished grace, he lifted his voice and
thanked God that the thing he had wished for had become true.

None of them understood what he said, but they paid him plenty of
attention. All his brothers and sisters put