10. The doves in each home are very fond of each other. We can hear the father dove softly cooing to his mate at almost any time when they are about. 11. One day a farmer shot a male dove, and tied the body to a stake to scare away other birds. The poor widow was in great distress. She first tried to call him away, and then she brought him food. When she saw he did not eat, her cries were pitiable. 12. She would not leave the body, but day after day she continued to walk about the stake, until she had worn a beaten track around it. The farmer's wife took pity on her, and took away the dead bird, and then she went back to the dove-cote. _THREE LITTLE DOVES._ Three little doves put on their gloves, And then sat down to dine; These little doves, they soiled their gloves, And soon were heard to whine-- "Oh, mother dear, come here, come here, For we have soiled our gloves!" "Soiled your gloves, you naughty doves, You shan't sit up till nine." "Coo, coo, coo!" These little doves, they washed their gloves, And hung them on the line; These little doves, they dried their gloves, And thought it very fine. "Oh, mother dear, come here, come here, For we have washed our gloves!" "Washed your gloves, you loves of doves, Then you shall stay till nine!" "Coo, coo, coo!" [Illustration: The Wren and her Nest.] LESSON XIII. _THE LITTLE WREN._ [Illustration] 1. One of the prettiest birds that fly about our doors in summer is the friendly little wren. It makes its home near the house, and its glad song can be heard throughout the whole day. 2. One kind of wren builds its nest under the eaves, as shown in the picture; but the common house-wren builds in almost any hole it can find in a shed or stable. 3. They have been known to choose an old boot left standing in a corner, an old hat hanging against the wall, and one time a workman, taking down a coat which he had left for two or three days, found a wren's nest in the sleeve. 4. The wren flies low, and but a little way at a time. Its legs, like most of the singing birds, are small and weak, and it does not walk, but when on the ground it goes forward by little hops. 5. It flies with a little tremor of its wings, but without any motion of its body or tail. While its mate is sitting, the father wren will flutter slowly through the air, singing all the time. 6. The mother wren lays from six to ten eggs, and hatches them out in ten days. The young birds are naked of feathers, and seem to have only mouths, which open for something to eat. 7. The old birds are busy in bringing the young ones worms and insects, until they are old enough to fly. In this way a single pair of wrens will destroy many hundred insects every day. 8. The wren quarrels with other birds if they try to build nests too near it. It will often take the nest of the martin or bluebird when the owner is away, and hold on to it.