Johnnie read a story about a pair of house wrens. And he
learned then that an old tin can nailed to a tree makes exactly the
sort of house that wrens like.

Well, Johnnie Green began at once to look for a tin can. He had
made up his mind that he would try to coax a couple of those busy
little songsters to nest near-by, where he could have fun watching
them.

Not finding an _old_ tin can that suited him, Johnnie took a shiny
maple syrup can, which his father said he might have. It seemed to
him that it was just the kind he needed, for the only opening in it
was a small round hole in the top, hardly bigger than a
twenty-five-cent piece. (The story in the weekly paper said that
the wrens' doorway should be as small as that, so that no ruffianly
English sparrows could enter the house and disturb the little
people that were to dwell there.)

Johnnie Green punched a few nail holes in the sides of the syrup
can, because he thought that if _he_ lived in such a place, he
would want plenty of fresh air. Then he nailed a board to the can.
And next he nailed the board to a cherry tree close to the house.

After that Johnnie had nothing more to do but wait. And he had not
waited two days before Rusty Wren discovered the bright tin can
that was to be his summer home.

As soon as she saw it, Rusty's wife said that there must be kind
people living in the farmhouse, or they never would have driven
nails through a spick-and-span can just to make strangers happy.

Since their search was ended, the tiny pair began building their
nest right then and there. In a surprisingly short time they had
completely filled their new house with twigs. And as soon as they
had done that much, in the center of the mass of twigs they built a
nest of dried grasses, singing the merriest of songs while they
worked.

Of course, Johnnie Green was delighted. All the time the lively
little couple were at work upon their new home it was easy to find
Johnnie. But it was hard to get him to do any errands, because he
didn't want to stir from the dooryard, he was so interested in what
was going on.

Farmer Green, too, seemed pleased. And though he didn't spend much
time watching Mr. and Mrs. Rusty (he said that he had to work, the
same as they), he remarked to Johnnie that he was glad to see that
the newcomers were already paying rent for their house.

Johnnie Green looked puzzled.

"Rent?" he exclaimed. "I don't understand."

"Just hear them!" his fat