rry; or even for
forty-'leven ants, so Uncle Wiggily kindly lifted it for them, and put it
in their nest.

"Thank you very much," said the biggest ant. "If ever we can do you a
favor, or any of your friends, we will."

The old gentleman rabbit said he was glad to hear that, and then, taking
up his crutch and valise again, on he went.

Pretty soon he came to a place in the woods where the sun was shining
down through the trees, and a little brook was making pretty music over
the stones. And then, all at once, the old gentleman rabbit heard a
different kind of music, and it was that of a little bird singing. And
this is the song.

Now I did not make up this song. It is much prettier than I could write,
even if I had my Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes on, and I don't know who did
write it. But it used to be in my school reader when I was a little boy,
and I liked it very much. I hope whoever did write it won't mind if you
sing it. This is it:

"There's a little brown bird sitting up in a tree,
He's singing to you--he's singing to me.
And what does he say, little girl--little boy?
Oh, the world's running over with joy!"

Then the bird sang about how there were five eggs laid away up in a nest,
and how, pretty soon, little birds would come out from them, and then, all
of a sudden, the bird sang like this:

"But don't meddle,--don't touch,
Little girl--little boy,
Or the world will lose some of its joy!"

"Ha! you seem quite happy this beautiful morning," said Uncle Wiggily, as
he paused under the tree where the bird was singing. "Why, I do declare,"
he exclaimed. "If it isn't Mrs. Wren! Well, I never in all my born days! I
didn't know you were back from the South yet."

"Yes, Uncle Wiggily," said the little brown wren, "I came up some time
ago. But I'm real glad to see you. I'm going to take my little birdies out
of the shell pretty soon. They are almost hatched."

"Glad to hear it," said the rabbit, politely, and then he told about
seeking his fortune, and all of a sudden a great big ugly crow-bird flew
down out of a tall tree and made a dash for Mrs. Wren to eat her up. But
Mrs. Wren got out of the way just in time, and didn't get caught.

But alack, and alas-a-day! The crow knocked down the wren's nest, and all
the sticks and feathers of which it was made were scattered all about, and
the eggs, with the little birdies inside, would have been all broken
ker-smash, only that they happ