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to make matters any worse for me. I ve six growing children to bring up; and
now I have your son to take care of; and my wife thinks everything is my
fault, because I wanted to hire a boy to help me catch insects.
So you can t scare me by your threats. I only wish you would come to my house
and take your son away with you if you can.
I ll come and I ll tear your house down! Mr. Chippy cried fiercely. And he
began screaming, Chip, chip, chip, chip, in a very shrill voice which was
most annoying to hear.
Rusty Wren did not like to listen to him. So he flew back home and went to
bed. He only wished that it were possible[91] for Mr. Chippy to break into his
house and rescue Chippy, Jr. But since the house was made of tin, Rusty knew
that Mr. Chippy was helpless.
I ll never settle in a tin house again so long as I live! he groaned.
[92]
XIX
A FRIEND, INDEED
The next morning Rusty Wren awakened with a start. Somebody was pounding at
his door and shouting his name, as well. He jumped out of bed to see what was
the matter. And, looking outside, he beheld Mr. Chippy, with sixteen of his
cousins, all very much excited if one might judge by their actions.
They were flying back and forth past Rusty s doorway and chipping in shrill
and piercing tones.
I ve come for my son, Mr. Chippy informed Rusty Wren. Send him out here at
once or it will be the worse for you.
I d be glad to get rid of him if I[93] could, Rusty answered. But, as I
explained to you last night, he has grown so big that he can no longer pass
through my doorway.
I don t care to argue with you? Mr. Chippy replied. Just let me have
Chippy, Jr., or we ll come inside your house and get him. We ll make trouble
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for you, too. Perhaps you didn t know that kidnapping a child is a very
serious act. I ve already asked Solomon Owl s opinion about this matter; and
he advises me to take my child away from you by force, if necessary.
There s no sense in waiting any longer, one of Mr. Chippy s cousins
interrupted. Let s go right in and seize the lad!
At that the mob crowded round Rusty Wren s door. And the pert gentleman who
had just spoken thrust his head[94] through the opening.
That, however, was as far as he was able to go. His shoulders were altogether
too broad for the small, round passage. And though his relations attempted to
push him into the house, they soon saw that they would never succeed in their
undertaking.
Let me try! another of Mr. Chippy s cousins cried. But he had no better luck
than the first.
Then each of the fourteen remaining cousins and then Mr. Chippy himself had
his turn at the door. But every one of them found that he was about two sizes
too big to squeeze through it.
Rusty Wren, watching then from inside his house, couldn t help laughing,
although it was really no joke.
Though he was usually very mild, Mr. Chippy grew terribly angry the moment[95]
he heard Rusty s laughter. His sixteen cousins began to scold, too. Again they
tried to crowd through Rusty Wren s door. And they made such an uproar that
when Johnnie Green stepped out of the farmhouse before breakfast he couldn t
help noticing them.
What s going on here? he cried. And he hurried to his wren house, as he
called Rusty s home, and drove away the noisy visitors.
Then he shinned up the old cherry tree, to peep inside it. And as soon as he
reached the tin can which was Rusty s home Johnnie Green thought he heard an
unusual cry within it.
That doesn t sound like a wren! he exclaimed. It sounds exactly like a
chipping sparrow! Then, as he looked, he saw Chippy, Jr. s, head, with its
bright bay cap, peer through the mouth of the syrup can.[96]
There s a chippy inside my wren house! Johnnie Green shouted to his father,
who had come to a window to see what was going on. How can I get him out?
Wait a moment! said Farmer Green. And soon he came and handed Johnnie a
can-opener.
Cut out the end of the can! he directed. Then you ll be able to reach in
and get the little beggar.
Naturally, Chippy, Jr., did not like to be called a beggar. But he couldn t
very well prevent Farmer Green from saying whatever he pleased. So he kept
still, while Johnnie Green quickly opened a great hole in Rusty s house. Then
Johnnie carefully lifted Chippy, Jr., out of his prison and gave him a toss
into the air.
That frightened young gentleman wasted no time. He stopped to touch his[97]
cap to nobody, but flew away to his home in the wild grapevine, on the stone
wall, as fast as he could go.
Though he had kept quiet, the whole Wren family had made a great uproar. Glad
as they were to get rid of their troublesome guest, they objected to having
the whole front of their house torn out.
Indeed, Mrs. Rusty began to get ready to move out at once. And everybody knows
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