Tom didn't wait for an answer. He jumped from the porch just as Twiffle had done. He found that by moving his arms he could force himself downward. Indeed, it was no more effort than walking on a level on the air. In a short time he discovered that, since there was no gravity, he could move at will, up or down through the air. Now Twink was at his side, thoroughly enjoying the novel experience. The Shaggy Man was following close behind. Twink glanced upward once and saw the spectacle of a whole town, suspended in the air above her. She could even make out the Mayor's house and the flower pot in front of it. They were all swimming earthward at about the same level, when there was a flirt of small wings and the wren who had spoken to them on the porch of the Lord High Mayor's house, alighted on the Shaggy Man's shoulder. "I see you took my advice," said the wren. "Yes," said the Shaggy Man, "and we are grateful to you for telling us about this easy way to leave Hightown." "Think nothing of it," replied the wren airily. "I always feel sorry for anyone who gets stuck in Hightown. There isn't a stupider place in the world. Those Hightowners have never seen anything but their own silly little town, so they just can't imagine there's anything else in the world." "You get around quite a bit, I suppose," ventured the Shaggy Man. "Being a bird, naturally," retorted the wren with a saucy flirt of his tail. "Well, then," said Shaggy, "would you mind doing your own flying and getting off my shoulder?" "That's gratitude for you," said the wren reproachfully. "I save you from a life of boredom and you refuse to let me hitchhike down to earth." But the bird didn't move from Shaggy's shoulder. "Where are you going--anywhere in particular?" asked Twink. "Oh yes, of course," the wren replied. "Just below Hightown there is a lovely orchard of all kinds of fruit trees. That's where the Hightowners get all their food. They live on fruit. They can boast about their silly town all they like, but when they want food you can bet they hurry down to the orchard on earth for it. That's why they don't like us birds. We enjoy eating the fruit in the orchard, too. We seldom go near Hightown, except when the people are asleep. They are so disagreeable they throw things at us and accuse us of stealing from their orchard. Their orchard, indeed!" "Tell me," said the Shaggy Man, "was your mother a magpie?" "Of course not," replied the wren indignantly. "I thought she must have been," said the Shaggy Man, "because you certainly chatter like a magpie." "That's enough," declared the wren. "If you can't appreciate intelligent conversation, I shan't waste it upon you. You are far too slow for me anyway. No hard feelings, though--good luck to all of you." And with that the wren was off, darting swiftly earthward. Shaggy and his friends all had a good laugh over the gossipy little bird.