"I don't like the idea of any strange bird coming into my house,"

she objected. "And you know yourself that you've always felt the same way about strangers."

"I know----" he replied--"but this is different. I'll find a brisk young fellow somewhere. And after a day or two you won't mind his being here. He'll seem just like one of the family."

It took a good deal of urging before Mrs. Rusty consented. But at last she said she was willing to give the plan a trial, though she felt sure it was bound to cause trouble, somehow.

So that is how Rusty Wren came to hang a sign outside his door, which said:

BOY WANTED

XIV

TOO MANY CALLERS

The news of Rusty Wren's sign, "Boy Wanted," spread like wildfire through the whole of Pleasant Valley. Rusty had put the sign out at daybreak. And before sunset as many as fifty of the field and forest people had come shyly to Farmer Green's dooryard.

Some of them came to apply for the position, and some of them merely wanted to see the sign--for it was a most unusual sight in that neighborhood.

There were others, too, such as Fatty c.o.o.n and Tommy Fox, who said that while they didn't care to visit Farmer Green's place in the daytime, they expected to call there during the night and take a look at Rusty Wren's home and the odd sign upon it.

Yes! So quiet a person as Rusty Wren, who never wandered far from home, had become famous in a day.

Yet it proved to be a very bad day for Rusty's family, because he had almost no time at all in which to try to 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 b.u.mped 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 wore a bay cap on his head. And he had excellent manners, too. He said "Good-evening!" to Rusty very pleasantly and touched his cap. No doubt he would have taken it off had it not grown right on his head. "I see you want a boy," he observed.

"I certainly do!" said Rusty Wren. "What's your name?"

"They call me 'Chippy, Junior,'" the youngster told him.

"Is that so?" Rusty exclaimed. "Then your father must be Mr.

Chippy, who lives in the wild grapevine on the stone wall by the roadside."

Chippy, Jr., nodded brightly. And when he said, "_Chip, chip, chip, chip_," Rusty knew that there could be no doubt about it.

"Wait just a moment!" he told Chippy, Jr. "I want to speak to my wife about you." And then he darted back into his house.

"My dear," he said to Mrs. Rusty, "I've found the very person!

Little Mr. Chippy's son is outside and I'm sure we ought to be glad to have a modest young man like him to help us."

"He comes from a good family," Mrs. Rusty admitted. "But don't you know that the Chippys are bigger than we are? Not much bigger, to be sure. But Mr. Chippy certainly couldn't get through our doorway."

"Quite true, my love!" Rusty Wren agreed. "But it's his son--not _he_--that wants to work for us. And this young lad is not full grown. I should say he was hardly my size."

Though his wife hesitated, she could think of no further objection.

So at last she told Rusty that he might ask Chippy, Jr., to come back early the next morning.

"But I have a feeling that this is going to lead to trouble," she said once more. Rusty Wren said, "Nonsense!" He was overjoyed at the prospect of having a spry young helper. And he hurried out to tell Mr. Chippy's son that he might start to work at daybreak.

That polite young man touched his cap again, promised that he would return without fail, and then went _chip-chipping_ away toward home, for it was already his bedtime.

For all he was still hungry, Rusty Wren slept better that night than he had for a long while. He felt as if a great load had been lifted off his shoulders.

He slept so soundly, in fact, that he never waked up all when Fatty c.o.o.n and Tommy Fox came at midnight to view his sign, "Boy Wanted."

They made a good deal of noise, too, grumbling not a little because there was not the least sign of a sign anywhere they looked.

As soon as he had engaged Chippy, Jr., to work for him, Rusty Wren had taken down the sign, "Boy Wanted." And so all further callers were bound to be disappointed.