The little Wren is the messenger of the birds. It pries into everything. She gets up early in the morning and goes round to every house in the settlement to get news for the bird council.

When a new baby is born, she finds out if it is a boy or girl and reports to council, if it is a boy, they sing a mournful chorus: "Alas! The whistle of an arrow! My shins will burn." The birds know that when the boy gets older he will hunt them with his blowgun and arrows and roast them on a stick.

But if the baby is a girl, they are glad and sing "Thanks! The sound of pestle! At her home I shall surely be able to scratch where she sweeps." They know that soon they will be able to pick up stray grains where she beats the corn into meal.