The Wren and the Bear
NCE upon a time, in the summer, a Bear and a Wolf were taking a walk in a wood when the Bear heard a bird singing most beautifully, and he said, ‘Brother Wolf, what kind of bird is that singing so beautifully?’
‘That is the King of the birds, and we must bow down to it.’
But really it was a Wren.
‘If that is so,’ said the Bear, ‘I should like to see his royal palace. Come, you must take me to it.’
‘That ’s not so easy,’ said the Wolf. ‘You must wait till the Queen comes.’
Soon after, the Queen made her appearance, bringing food in her beak, and the King came with her to feed their little ones. The Bear would have liked to go in at once, but the Wolf held him by the sleeve, and said, ‘No; now you must wait till the King and Queen fly away again.’
So they marked the opening of the nest, and trudged on. But the Bear had no rest till he could see the royal palace, and before long he went back.
The King and the Queen had gone out again. He peeped in, and saw five or six young ones lying in the nest.
‘Is that the royal palace?’ cried the Bear. ‘What a miserable place! And do you mean to say that you are royal children? You must be changelings!’
When the young Wrens heard this, they were furious, and shrieked, ‘No, indeed we’re not. Our parents are honest people; we must have this out with you.’
The Bear and the Wolf were very much frightened. They turned round and ran home to their dens.
