So he tried the song and liked it fairly well.

"It sounds something like a comic opera," said the bird, "but, after
all, it will serve my purpose very nicely."

A minute later Timtom rejoiced to find himself on the other side of the
gulf, and so much nearer home. But when he came to the River of Needles
there was more trouble in store for him, for the spider became so angry
at the loss of its eye that it tore down the spider-web bridge, and
refused to build another.

This was indeed discouraging to the traveler, and he sat down beside
the river and looked longingly at the farther shore. The spider paid no
attention to him, but curled up and went to sleep, and the needles
looked at him curiously out of their small eyes as they flowed by in an
endless stream.

After a time a wren came flying along, and when it noticed the look of
despair on Timtom's face the little creature perched on his shoulder
and asked:

"What is your trouble, young man?"

Timtom related his adventures to the sympathetic wren, and when he came
to the loss of the spider's eye and the refusal of the spiteful
creature to allow him to cross the bridge, the wren exclaimed, with
every appearance of surprise:

"A spider's eye, did you say? Why, I believe that is what I have here