The Tale of Solomon Owl | Page 2

the
forest folk if they could get rid of the whole Green family--and the
hired man, too.

II A NEWCOMER
Upon his arrival, as a stranger, in Pleasant Valley, Solomon Owl
looked about carefully for a place to live. What he wanted especially
was a good, dark hole, for he thought that sunshine was very dismal.
Though he was willing to bestir himself enough to suit anybody, when
it came to hunting, Solomon Owl did not like to work. He was no busy
nest-builder, like Rusty Wren. In his search for a house he looked
several times at the home of old Mr. Crow. If it had suited him better,
Solomon would not have hesitated to take that it was altogether too
light to please him.
That was lucky for old Mr. Crow. And the black rascal knew it, too. He
had noticed that Solomon Owl was hanging about the neighborhood.
And several times he caught Solomon examining his nest.

But Mr. Crow did not have to worry long. For as it happened, Solomon
Owl at last found exactly what he wanted. In an old, hollow hemlock,
he came across a cozy, dark cavity. As soon as he saw it he knew that it
was the very thing! So he moved in at once. And except for the time
that he spent in the meadow--which was considerably later--he lived
there for a good many years.
Once Fatty Coon thought that he would drive Solomon out of his snug
house and live in it himself. But he soon changed Solomon Owl--so
Fatty discovered--had sharp, strong claws and a sharp, strong beak as
well, which curled over his face in a cruel hook.
It was really a good thing for Solomon Owl--the fight he had with Fatty
Coon. For afterward his neighbors seldom troubled him--except when
Jasper Jay brought a crowd of his noisy friends to tease Solomon, or
Reddy Woodpecker annoyed him by rapping on his door when he was
asleep.
But those rowdies always took good care to skip out of Solomon's
reach. And when Jasper Jay met Solomon alone in the woods at dawn
or dusk he was most polite to the solemn old chap. Then it was
"How-dy-do, Mr. Owl!" and "I hope you're well to-day!" And when
Solomon Jasper, that bold fellow always felt quite uneasy; and he was
glad when Solomon Owl looked away.
If Solomon Owl chanced to hoot on those occasions, Jasper Jay would
jump almost out of his bright blue coat. Then Solomon's deep laughter
would echo mockingly through the woods.
You see, though not nearly so wise as he appeared, Solomon Owl knew
well enough how to frighten some people.

III SOLOMON LIKES FROGS
It was a warm summer's evening--so warm that Mr. Frog, the tailor,
had taken his sewing outside his tailor's shop and seated himself
cross-legged upon the bank of the brook, where he sang and sewed

without ceasing--except to take a swim now and then in the cool water,
"to stretch his legs," as he claimed.
He was making a new suit of blue clothes for Jasper Jay. And since
Jasper was a great dandy, and very particular Mr. Frog was taking
special pains with his sewing.
Usually he did his work quickly. But now after every five stitches that
he put into his work he stopped to take out ten. And naturally he was
not getting on very fast. He had been working busily since early
morning; and Jasper Jay's suit was further than ever from being
finished.
Since he was a most cheerful person, Mr. Frog did not mind that.
Indeed, he was more than pleased, because the oftener he took a swim
the fewer stitches he lost. So he sang the merriest songs he knew.
The light was fast fading when a hollow laugh startled Mr. Frog. It
seemed to come from the willow tree right over his head. And he knew
without looking up that it was Solomon Owl's deep voice.
Mr. Frog tried to leap into the brook. But when he uncrossed his legs,
in his haste he tangled them up in his sewing. And all he could do was
to turn a somersault backward among some bulrushes, hoping that
Solomon Owl had not seen him.
It is no secret that Mr. Frog was terribly afraid of Solomon Owl. Some
of Mr. Frog's friends had mysteriously disappeared. And they had last
been seen in Solomon's company.
As it happened, Mr. Frog had hoped in vain. For Solomon Owl only
laughed more loudly than before. And then he said:
"What are you afraid of, Mr. Frog?"
The tailor knew at once that he was caught. So he hopped nimbly to his
feet and answered that there was nothing to be afraid of, so far as