“A very fine idea,” said Rhymo, who liked nothing better than making verses, “and I’ll compose something bright and gay, for we must not forget it’s for a festive occasion.” “I’ll just go now,” said Tono, “and see that all the musical instruments are in perfect tune.” When Rhymo was left alone he busied himself with making verses that should be both happy and pleasing, trying first one rhyme and then another, and wondering which would please Emily most. For Captain Featherweight had told him that the object of birthday parties was to make the owner of the birthday glad and happy! When the verses were finished he brought them to Tono, who was busy selecting the insect choir and testing their voices so that there should be no discordant note. This was the insects’ first lesson from Tono, and after a careful practice he dismissed them, saying, that the next rehearsal should be the following evening at the same place and hour. As soon as the insects were gone, the elfin choir appeared, accompanied by the elfin orchestra with their wind instruments, stringed instruments, cymbals and drums. And Tono took the verses which Rhymo had made and set them to music, and never before in all their experience had the elfin choir and orchestra received such a drilling and training. And at the same place and hour every night for a week, the elfin musicians came to the practice. Every elf was busily engaged in doing his best for Emily’s birthday, for if the Elves of Mount Fern undertook to do work, they always aimed at perfection. Lightning was busy in all sorts of ways, for whenever there was a message to send or an errand to run, the Captain always called on Lightning. Rainbow was a kind of court of last appeal before the time came for the final rehearsal on the eve of Emily’s birthday, when Captain Featherweight was to judge of everything. Colonel Claw, too, was busy all that week selecting the sweetest singers for the bird chorus; for although he did not sing himself, but only conversed, he was very particular as to the birds he should ask to take part in the celebration. So he invited the musical Blackbird, but as he is a very great mimic, Colonel Claw warned him to be on his guard against imitating the rough and hoarse notes of other birds. He also invited the Bobolink, the Song Sparrow, the Vesper Sparrow, the Wood Pewee, the Indigo Bunting, the Robin, the Purple Finch, the Vireo, the Meadow Lark, the Veery, the Hermit Thrush, the Bluebird, and all the Warblers who might serve as a background or accompaniment. The Cedar Bird was Colonel Claw’s great problem, because, as he said, “His voice is inferior.” But he knew the Cedar Bird would be very much hurt if he did not invite him, and he knew too that Dr. Templeton and all his family were particularly fond of the Cedar Bird family. And so Colonel Claw was puzzled and perplexed, and he carried his difficulty to Rainbow and laid the case before him.