Close to the shore they found a place which they liked. They bound three reeds together with fine fibres, a yard above the water, and then wove the dearest little basket, which they lined with nice down. When the reeds swayed in the wind, the nest swayed too, but that did not matter, for it was bound fast and reed-warblers are never seasick. [Illustration] It took them eight days to build it; and they were awfully happy together all the time. They sang, so that they could be heard right across the pond; and, in the evening, when they were tired, they hopped about in the reeds and smiled upon each other or peeped at their neighbours on either side and opposite. "There's the water-lily shooting up through the water," said little Mrs. Reed-Warbler. "I remember her well; she is so stately and so beautiful." "There is the green frog sitting on the edge," said he. "He catches flies and grubs, just as I do, but there are enough here for both of us, so we shan't fall out." "Look at the cray-fish crawling down below!" cried she. "And there's the roach ... and the perch ... and oh, look, there's quite a green wood at the bottom of the pond and fish swimming between the branches and caddis-grubs rocking in their cases!..." "Yes, it's charming here," he said, in a tone as though it all belonged to him. "And they all look so nice," she said, "and so happy. I feel sure they are all newly married like ourselves." "Of course," said the reed-warbler. "Every one gets married in the spring. But I don't believe there's anybody in the wide world as happy as we are." And then he stretched out his neck and sang, for all to hear: There's not in the wide world a sweetheart like mine, So fair, so fine, And no singer on earth sings better! Let others go worship whomever they will, I'm true to my beautiful sweetheart still And shall never, forget her. "And so you're only going to love me for the summer?" she said. "That's just a way of talking," said he. CHAPTER II A Man of The World [Illustration] Little Mrs. Reed-Warbler heaved five deep sighs and, at each sigh, she laid an egg. Then she sat down on the eggs and sighed again. And the reeds swayed in the balmy wind and the nest swayed and the eggs swayed that lay in the nest and the dear little brown bird that sat on the eggs. Even the husband swayed. For, when one rush sways, the other sways too; and he was sitting on one just beside the nest. "You're no worse off than others, darling," he said. "Look down into the water and see for yourself." "I can see nothing," she said sadly. "Fiddlesticks!" said the reed-warbler. "You can peep over for a minute, if you sit down again at once." And so she peeped over. It was certainly very busy down below. [Illustration]