, kindly.

"That will do very well," said Mrs. Wren. So she put on her bonnet and
shawl and took her market basket and off she flew to the store, while
Uncle Wiggily stayed with the new birdies, and they snuggled down under
his warm fur, and were as cozy as in their own mother's feathers.

Well, Mrs. Wren was gone some time, as the store was crowded and she
couldn't get waited on right away, and Uncle Wiggily stayed with the
birdies. And they got hungrier and hungrier, and they cried real hard.
Yes, indeed, as hard as some babies.

"Hum! I don't know what to do," said the old gentleman rabbit. "I can't
feed them. I guess I'll sing to them." So he sang this song:

"Hush, birdies, hush,
Please don't cry;
Mamma'll be back
By and by.

"Nestle down close
Under my fur,
I'm not your mother, but
I'm helping her."

But this didn't seem to satisfy the birdies and they cried "cheep-cheep"
harder than ever.

"Oh, dear! I believe I must get them something to eat," said Uncle
Wiggily. So he covered them all up warmly with the feathers that lined the
nest, and then he hopped down and went limping around on his crutch to
find them something to eat.

Pretty soon he came to a little brook, and as he looked down into it he
saw something shining, all gold and red and green and blue and yellow.

"Why, I do declare, if here isn't the end of the rainbow!" exclaimed the
old gentleman rabbit, as he saw all the pretty colors.

He rubbed his eyes with his paw, to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but the
colors were surely enough there, down under water.

"No wonder the giant couldn't find the pot of gold, it was down in the
water," spoke the rabbit. "But I'll get it, and then my fortune will be
made. Oh, how glad I am!"

Well, Uncle Wiggily reached his paw down and made a grab for the red and
green and gold and yellow thing, but to his surprise, instead of lifting
up a pot of gold, he lifted up a squirming, wiggling sunfish.

"Oh, my!" exclaimed the rabbit in surprise.

"I should say yes! Two Oh mys and another one!" gasped the fish. "Oh,
please put me back in the water again. The air out on land is too strong
for me. I can't breathe. Please, Uncle Wiggily, put me back."

"I thought you were a pot of gold," said the rabbit, sadly. "I'm always
getting fooled. But never mind. I'll put you in the water."

"What are you doing here?" asked the fish, as he slid into the water again
and sneezed