picture on many
a banner and crest and coin of gold or silver, so famous has he become.

But the Wren was to be punished. And while the birds were trying to
decide what should be done with him, they put him in prison in a
mouse-hole and set Master Owl to guard the door. Now while the judges
were putting their heads together the lazy Owl fell fast asleep, and out
of prison stole the little Wren and was far away before any one could
catch him. So he was never punished after all, as he richly deserved to
be.

The birds were so angry with old Master Owl for his carelessness that he
has never since dared to show his face abroad in daytime, but hides away
in his hollow tree. And only at night he wanders alone in the woods,
sorry and ashamed.

HALCYONE

The story of the first Kingfisher is a sad one, and you need not read it
unless for a very little while you wish to feel sorry.

Long, long ago when the world was new, there lived a beautiful princess
named Halcyone. She was the daughter of old AEolus, King of the Winds,
and lived with him on his happy island, where it was his chief business
to keep in order the four boisterous brothers, Boreas, the North Wind,
Zephyrus, the West Wind, Auster, the South Wind, and Eurus, the East
Wind. Sometimes, indeed, AEolus had a hard time of it; for the Winds
would escape from his control and rush out upon the sea for their
terrible games, which were sure to bring death and destruction to the
sailors and their ships. Knowing them so well, for she had grown up with
these rough playmates, Halcyone came to dread more than anything else
the cruelties which they practiced at every opportunity.

One day the Prince Ceyx came to the island of King AEolus. He was the son
of Hesperus, the Evening Star, and he was the king of the great land of
Thessaly. Ceyx and Halcyone grew to love each other dearly, and at last
with the consent of good King AEolus, but to the wrath of the four Winds,
the beautiful princess went away to be the wife of Ceyx and Queen of
Thessaly.

For a long time they lived happily in their peaceful kingdom, but
finally came a day when Ceyx must take a long voyage on the sea, to
visit a temple in a far country. Halcyone could not bear to have him go,
for she feared the dangers of the great deep, knowing well the cruelty
of the Winds, whom King AEolus had such difficulty in keeping within
bounds. She knew how the mischievous brothers loved to rush down upon
ventureso