“Perfect, perfect!” exclaimed the provincial, laughing with all his might. “But you, monsieur,” said the emperor Alexander, “surely you will also let us know whom we have the honor to speak to?” “To be sure,” replied the man, quitting them with an important strut, “I am the Great Mogul.” WRITTEN ON A BOY’S MARBLE. The world’s something bigger, But just of this figure, And speckled with mountains and seas, Your heroes are overgrown schoolboys, Who scuffle for empires and toys, And kick the poor ball as they please. Now Cæsar, now Pompey, gives law; And Pharsalia’s plain, Though heaped with the slain, Was only a game at _taw_. _Mrs. Barbauld_ Inquisitive Jack. CHAPTER I. _About the Wren and his family._ [Illustration: W]e have given some account of this curious, inquiring, investigating little hero, in a former volume of our Museum. But there is a good deal to tell about him yet; and, as I have many letters from my little readers, expressing their interest in Jack, I propose to go on and continue his story. I think everybody will be pleased to hear how he became acquainted with the natural history of birds. One day Jack was down at the bottom of the garden, when he became interested in some insects which he saw on the leaves of a hop vine, which was climbing up a trellis close by. In order to examine the insects more closely, Jack took off his cap and carelessly hung it on the top of one of the stakes which supported the trellis. After examining the insects for a while, Jack became so interested in the subject that he picked off some leaves of the hop vine, covered with the little creatures, and carried them to his aunt Piper, to ask her about them. He forgot his cap, which was left on the stake; nor could Jack recollect, when he wanted it, where he had left it. He was obliged to wear his best hat for nearly a week, when, by chance, he discovered his cap on the stake. He then recollected all about it, and ran to the trellis to take it down. But what was his surprise to find it tenanted by a fierce little wren, who flew out of the cap and then darted at Jack, snapping at him sharply with his tiny beak. [Illustration (bird)] Jack was almost frightened at the fierceness of the little bird, but after a while he reached up his hand and took down the cap. You may well believe that he was greatly amused to find that the little wren, with its companion, had begun to build a nest in it. They had already packed it more than half full of sticks, straws, and dried grass.