bring home any food.
No sooner had he talked with one caller than another knocked at his
door. And so the steady stream of strangers kept him busy as a
little red wagon, as Farmer Green would remark.

It was a discouraging business, to say the least. Though Rusty had
advertised for a "boy," persons of all ages appeared and wanted to
work for him. Some of them were old enough to be his grandfather.
And, what was worse, they were all so big that they couldn't
squeeze through Rusty's little round door. (The hole in the syrup
can, you will remember, was only slightly larger than a quarter of
a dollar.)

Of course, there was no use of his hiring a helper that could do
only half the work. What Rusty wanted was somebody that could not
only catch an insect, but bring it right inside the house and drop
it into the mouth of one of his children.

At last when Rusty had almost given up all hope of finding anyone
of the required size, a young English sparrow flew up and said
boldly that he was the very person for the position. He claimed
that he could get in and out of Rusty's door without any trouble.
And he was just about to prove his claim, too, when Rusty Wren
stopped him.

"Wait a moment!" he told the sparrow. "My wife is calling me. And
I must see what she wants."

So he disappeared inside his house, to return shortly with a
doleful look upon his face.

"I'm afraid you won't do," he said to the young English sparrow.

"Ha!" cried the stranger impertinently. "It's easy to see that your
wife rules the house. And, since that's the case, I'm very glad I'm
not going to work for you." He flew away then, with a jeering laugh
which made Rusty Wren feel quite uncomfortable.

Now Mrs. Rusty had overheard the talk outside her door. And she had
no intention of letting any rude, noisy English sparrow--even if he
was a young one--come inside her house.

That was why she called to her husband. And she made the matter so
plain that Rusty knew there was no use of trying to change her
mind for her.

Things were growing worse and worse. The children were all
_cheeping_ for food, until Rusty Wren could hardly endure the
noise.

And he, too, felt painfully hungry.

XV

MR. CHIPPY'S SON

Rusty Wren was hurrying out of his house to find some supper for
his family, when he almost bumped into a young chap who was gazing
at the sign, "Boy Wanted," which still hung outside Rusty's door.

He was a likely-looking lad, who w