THE OWL.
“Oh, dear Tom!” said Grace, in a low voice to her brother, “here we have sat as still as mice for such a long time. I am so tired!”
“Let us go into the hall, then,” said Tom.
“But will not mamma’s friends think us rude to leave the room?” said Grace.
“Oh, I dare say not,” said Tom; “but I will go and ask mamma.”
Mrs. Moore gave them leave to do as they wished, and Tom and Grace were soon in the hall.
“Come, Grace,” said her brother, as he led her to the glass-door which looked on to the lawn, “what say you to a race down the broad path, and back through the nut-walk?”
“No, thank you,” said she, as she drew back; “it is so dark in the nut-walk, I do not wish to go near it.”
“It will not be dark now,” said Tom: “see how brightly the moon shines! why I could see to read by its light.”
Grace looked up, and saw that dark clouds were rising, and would soon pass over the moon, and then all would be dark again; but she strove to hide her fears, and said, as she took Tom’s hand, “Come, then, let us go; but you will not run away and leave me, will you?”
“Oh, no, dear Grace, that I will not,” said Tom: “now then, one, two, three, and away.”
At the end of the broad walk, they stood still to take breath. Grace cast her eyes into the thick shade of thetrees and shrubs, and saw no cause for fear; but as the wind blew through the leaves and branches, she could fancy she heard voices, first on her right hand, and then on her left. As she had feared, the moon was now quite hid by clouds, and the pale light of the stars could not shine through the gloom of the nut-walk.
“Pray let us go now, Tom,” said Grace, as she clung to him. “Why do you stand so still? Hark! whatisthat noise? Oh, Tom, pray come home; there it is again!”
“Dear Grace,” said Tom, “do not fear, it is only a bird; let us stay a short time, and perhaps we may see it.”
“Oh,” said Grace, “it must be a great ugly bird, to make such a noise as that, and I do not wish to see it.”
“No, it is not very great or very ugly,” said Tom; “and I know you will want to see it, when I tell you that it is an owl; and I dare say it is the same that Smith told me of, which has its nest in the old oak.”
“Oh, is it?” said Grace: “there it is again, Hoot! hoot! hoot!”
“Hush,” said Tom; “come a step or two this way: now look, do not you see him?”
“Where?” said Grace, “on that bare branch of the yew? O dear! I never saw such a bird before: what a large round head he has!”
“And look at his beak,” said Tom, “in the shape of a hook, that is for him to tear his prey with. There, that cloud has blown over, and we can see him well. He is quite brisk now: I should like to see him dart on a bird or a mouse.”
“O dear! I never saw such a bird before: what a large round head he has!”
“O dear! I never saw such a bird before: what a large round head he has!”
“O dear! I never saw such a bird before: what a large round head he has!”
“I should not,” said Grace; “for though it is no worse than for us to eat cows and sheep, yet his sharp claws must hurt them so much, and I could not bear to hear them squeak.”
“Nor I,” said Tom. “Well, the old man has flown away now, so we had better go home.”
“Did you ever see an owl before, Tom?” said Grace.
“Yes, once, a long while ago, when I was at play in the wood. I was going to hide in the trunk of an old tree, but when I put my head in, Iheard such a noise, and looking up, I saw a large owl: he flapped his wings, and looked so fierce, that I ran away; and mamma told me a great deal about owls, when I got home.”
“We must not run over the lawn, Tom,” said Grace, “for the dew is so thick.”
“Well, here we are at the door, quite safe,” said Tom: “now you will not be afraid when you hear an owl hoot again.”
“Oh, no,” said Grace, “I shall not, indeed.”