176 The Statue and the Birds.

seated in a big arm-chair. One hand was slightly
raised and held a manuscript.

‘‘ Here, here,” chirped the Bird, “here we will
build,” and to the Statue she flew, alighting on its
shoulder. Then hop, hop, down she went and
darted in under the manuscript. And indeed
‘twas a cozy spot for a house, for the manuscript
made a most beautiful roof. The big Oak-tree
spoke to the Bird, begging her to come to him and
build her nest.

“T will shelter you; I will rock you gently up
and down, back and forth, for I love birds.
Come, come to me.” And the husband-bird
agreed with him and would gladly have gone to
him, but seeing that his wife had made up her
mind against it, he said nothing at all, being an
exceedingly wise little bird.

Then they began to build their nest, and oh,
how they worked, and oh, of, how they chattered.
But in the end they made a beautiful nest, lining
and interlining it, till really I should have liked to
live there myself. And one night, the little wife
said to her husband: “ The nest is done.”