Ian Paulsen <ipaulsen at krl.org> asked:

"HI ALL:
" I have come across Jenny Wren used in children's bird books. One was by
thorton burgess and another is married to cock robin. Are there other Jenny
Wrens out there??"

Hi Ian -
In "A First Book upon the Birds of Oregon & Washington" (Publ. J.K. Gill,
Portland, 1902), under the description for "Parkman's House Wren", William
Rogers Lord wrote:

"It is hoped that everyone knows "Little Jennie Wren," who in the spring is
always looking for a sheltered nook about the plaza, in an out-building, or
in a house built expressly for herself. What fidgety airs, what twitching
and turning, what bobbing and bowing, what scolding, in their own peppery
style, while you are near the sacred precincts of these little creatures!
For, though angelic singers, they have a temper that even the larger birds
fear. But what contrast in the bubbling song that the male will pour forth,
at intervals, all day long, - sometimes allowing no rest, when singing in
response to a rival. Mr. Chapman, says of the corresponding House Wren in
the East, very nearly like our own, that he has heard one sing, under such
conditions, ten songs a minute for two hours at a time.

"If we do not have these little mountain brooks of song about our houses, it
may be entirely our own fault in not setting up for them a box against the
house, or even a box upon a pole, - in each case making the entrance not
larger than a silver quarter, to keep out the English Sparrow or the
Swallow."

I presume that a copper-clad quarter will work as well as a pre-1965 silver
one....
Some more 'artistic' references:

When Jenny Wren Was Young
http://www.bygosh.com/MotherGoose/Jenny.htm

'Twas once upon a time, when Jenny Wren was young,
So daintily she danced and so prettily she sung,
Robin Redbreast lost his heart, for he was a gallant bird.
So he doffed his hat to Jenny Wren, requesting to be heard.

"Oh, dearest Jenny Wren, if you will but be mine,
You shall feed on cherry pie and drink new currant wine,
I'll dress you like a goldfinch or any peacock gay,
So, dearest Jen, if you'll be mine, let us appoint the day."

Jenny blushed behind her fan and thus declared her mind:

"Since, dearest Bob, I love you well, I'll take your offer kind.
Cherry pie is very nice and so is currant wine,
But I must wear my plain brown
gown and never go too fine."

>From WordNet (r) 1.7 :
jenny wren n : and of several small active brown birds of the northern
hemisphere with short upright tails; they feed on insects [syn: wren]

Jenny Wren[1]
http://www.gizmo1.demon.co.uk/jencyclo/data/wren.htm

The sweetheart of Robin Redbreast.
See also Charles Dickens and Animals.
[Robin Redbreast asks Jenny to marry him, and promises her cherry pie and
currant wine, then...]

E. Cobham Brewer 1810 - 1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.

Jenny Wren, the sweetheart of Robin Redbreast.
"Robin promised Jenny, if she would be his wife, she should 'feed on
cherry-pie and drink currant-wine'; and he says: -

" I'll dress you like a goldfinch,
Or any peacock gay;
So, dearest Jen, if you'll be mine,
Let us appoint the day.'

Jenny replies: -

" Cherry-pie is very nice,
And so is currant wine;
But I must wear my plain brown gown,
And never go too fine.'

E. Cobham Brewer 1810 - 1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
(I have no French, so don't know if this is a Gallic version....)
Jenny l'Ouvri?re.
A generic name for a hard-working, poor, but contented needlewoman. The
name was devised by Emile Barateau, and rendered popular by his song so
called.

"Entendez-vous un oiseau familier?
C'est le chanteur de Jenny l'Ouvriere.
Au coeur content, content de peu
Elle pourrait ?tre riche, et pr?f?re
Ce qui vient de Dieu."
1847.

Jenny Wren

As little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by the shed
She waggled with her tail,
And nodded with her head.

She waggled with her tail,
And nodded with her head,
As little Jenny Wren
Was sitting by the shed.

Music at http://www.2020site.org/baby_opera/cockrobin.html

I apologize in advance for all copyright infringements...

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net