Wood-Folk Talk
By J. ALLISON ATWOOD
WHY anybody, especially such a sociable fellow as Owl, should stay indoors all day and go out only after the other birds are asleep, would be hard to guess. Yet there is a reason, and a good one, too.
It was the third year after the king’s reception that Owl moved into Birdland. He was a stranger to every one and, moreover, he seemed reserved, seldom joining in any of the social functions. Indeed, he was considered by many to be a wizard, so eccentric was he. Wren had once remarked, Owl always seemed to have something on his mind. Whereupon Brown Thrasher, with his usual sarcasm, replied that he didn’t think that Owl had any mind. Of course, this created a laugh at Owl’s expense, but he took it good-naturedly, for he knew that Thrasher’s opinions were as airy as his flight.
Owl’s first great trouble was house hunting. He had been brought up and accustomed to live in a hollow tree, and, if the truth must be told, he was far too clumsy to build such a house for himself. No wonder, then, that he was overcome with gratitude when Flicker offered him the one which he had built the year before. Like all the woodpeckers, Flicker was a good deal of a carpenter and always persisted in building himself a new house each spring, even though it might be but a short flight from his last year’s home.
Flicker had taken quite a liking to Owl, who always behaved like a gentleman, but the real reason was because of Thrasher’s attempt to tease him. Flicker and Thrasher were not very good friends. Many years ago Thrasher had insinuated that Flicker wore a black patch of feathers on his breast so that he might claim relationship with Meadow Lark. This, of course, was not true, and Flicker, who, by means of the red mark on the back of his head, could trace his ancestry back to the great Ivory Bill, could well laugh at the accusation. Nevertheless, he had always remembered it, and it was, therefore, with a double pleasure that he let Owl occupy his last year’s house.
As for Owl, it mattered little as to the real reason of his getting the house. So pleased was he that he even contemplated holding a reception in his new home. But then, as he thought how plain and old-fashioned it would seem to such a fastidious housekeeper as Oriole, his desire left him.
Now, when Sparrow Hawk, who had just arrived in Birdland, learned that Flicker had given one of his houses to Owl, he was very angry, for he had wanted it himself. He resolved to outwit Owl. Being rather stupid himself, he could not believe that Owl was really a bright fellow. So, with this object in view, Sparrow Hawk chose a nice, quiet spot in the nearby underbrush. Song Sparrow, who lived in the thicket, moved to the other end. He had never been fully satisfied as to how Sparrow Hawk received his name. However, Sparrow Hawk did not disturb him in the least, but remained hidden in the brush. “When Owl goes out to dinner,” thought he, “I’ll take possession of his house.” But Owl saw through his plan with half an eye and remained at home. At night, as soon as it became dark, he would slip quietly out and get himself a very comfortable meal. Then he would go back chuckling to himself as he thought of Sparrow Hawk’s plan. This went on for many days, and each morning Sparrow Hawk would say to himself, “He must come out to-day or he will starve.” Little did he know how Owl was getting ahead of him.
At length Sparrow Hawk became tired of hiding and flew up to Owl’s door. He expected to find the latter dead from starvation, or at least too weak to make any resistance. But when he saw Owl, plump and healthy, puff out his chest with an angry snap of his bill, he changed his mind and left in a hurry.
He was at a loss to account for Owl’s sleek condition. One day, however, he overheard one of his neighbors say that he had seen Owl fly out of his house late on the evening before.
Sparrow Hawk was more angry than ever. He saw that Owl had outwitted him. He resolved to be revenged, yet he knew that he could not stay awake all night to get possession of Owl’s house. Instead, he made up a lot of scandalous stories about Owl, and even went so far as to say that he ate other birds. At first Birdland would not believe these stories about Owl, but, when finally they learned his queer habits, they began to think that they must be true. So it happened that Owl became confirmed in his night-going habits.
One time he stayed out later than usual, and it was daybreak when he got near home. Instead of going in immediately, he remained in a nearby pine tree. It was so much more pleasant outside than in the house. His eyes had been troubling him of late, so he closed them. Then, before he knew it, Owl fell asleep. Very soon the sun rose and all Birdland was in a great bustle. Suddenly Chick-a-dee, who was searching for his breakfast, gave a startled little shriek. Who was that in the pine tree? It must be Owl. Blue Jay, too, was excited when Chick-a-dee, breathless and with feathers in disorder, hurried to him with the news. And so it spread. Everybody was indignant, for they remembered the stories told by Sparrow Hawk. Owl, they thought, should be put out of the way. This they whispered excitedly to each other as they surrounded the tree. Flicker was the only one who had heard the news and would not join the gathering. He sat on his doorstep watching them as they silently approached Owl, and he trembled, for it would be a very easy matter to kill poor Owl while he was asleep.
Sparrow Hawk was exultant. Now at last he would be revenged. Everybody believed Owl to be a villain and wished to kill him.
But to tell the truth, the birds were afraid of Owl. Even Sparrow Hawk hesitated about attacking him. Finally, it was planned that every one should fly at him at once while he slept, unconscious of his danger. As Flicker understood their plan, he became alarmed almost to distraction, and then, as if on a sudden thought, his anxious voice rang out, “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”
For a moment the birds were speechless. Then, “Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!” cried Sparrow Hawk, and at that instant they all flew at him. Owl’s big eyes popped open and his feathers stood on end. So large did he appear and so terrible did the snap of his bill seem that, for the minute, his enemies stopped half way in their flight, and then, before they could collect their scattered wits, Owl darted noiselessly into his house.
It is very easy for us to understand now how all the scandals about Owl were started and why he lives such a hermit’s life. We know, too, why Flicker and Sparrow Hawk cannot get along together since the former saved Owl’s life. To tell the truth, Flicker is not a bit afraid of Sparrow Hawk, but when he sees him coming, hides behind a tree and calls, “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” just to anger him. Sparrow Hawk knows well that he would have little chance of catching Flicker, who can dodge around the tree as nimbly as any squirrel, so his only retort is to call out to an imaginary ally, “Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”