[CHAPTER VIII] _Mrs. Hootaway_
As the child-larks sat side by side upon their limb, with the soft graynest near at hand, the twilight fell and a shadow began to grow anddeepen throughout the forest.
"Twink," said Chubbins, gravely, "how do you like it?"
"Well," replied the girl, "it isn't so bad in the daytime, but it'sworse at night. That bunch of grass mixed up with the stems of leaves,that they call a nest, isn't much like my pretty white bed at home,Chubbins."
"Nor mine," he agreed. "And, Twink, how ever can we say our prayerswhen we haven't any hands to hold up together?"
"Prayers, Chub," said the girl, "are more in our hearts than in ourhands. It isn't what we _do_ that counts; it's what we feel. But themost that bothers me is what the folks at home will think, when wedon't come back."
"They'll hunt for us," Chubbins suggested; "and they may come underthis tree, and call to us."
"If they do," said Twinkle, "we'll fly right down to them."
"I advise you not to fly much, in the night," said a cheery voicebeside them, and Wisk the squirrel stuck his head out of the hollowwhere he lived. "You've had quite a party here today," he continued,"and they behaved pretty well while the policeman was around. But someof them might not be so friendly if you met them alone."
"Would any bird hurt us?" asked the girl, in surprise.
"Why, I've seen a magpie meet a thrush, and fly away alone," repliedWisk. "And the wrens and chickadees avoid the cuckoo as much aspossible, because they are fond of being alive. But the policeman keepsthe big birds all in order when he is around, and he makes them allafraid to disobey the laws. He's a wonderful fellow, that PolicemanBluejay, and even we squirrels are glad he is in the forest."
"Why?" asked Chubbins.
"Well, we also fear some of the birds," answered Wisk. "The lady in thethird flat, for instance, Mrs. Hootaway, is said to like a squirrel fora midnight meal now and then, when mice and beetles are scarce. It isalmost her hour for wakening, so I must be careful to keep near home."
"Tut--tut--tut!" cried a harsh voice from above. "What scandal is thisyou are talking, Mr. Wisk?"
The squirrel was gone in a flash; but a moment later he put out hishead again and turned one bright eye toward the upper part of the tree.There, on a perch outside her hollow, sat the gray owl, pruning herfeathers. It was nearly dark by this time, and through the dusk Mrs.Hootaway's yellow eyes could be seen gleaming bright and wide open.
"What nonsense are you putting into the heads of these littleinnocents?" continued the owl, in a scolding tone.
"No nonsense at all," said Wisk, in reply. "The child-larks are safeenough from you, because they are under the protection of PolicemanBluejay, and he would have a fine revenge if you dared to hurt them.But my case is different. The laws of the birds do not protectsquirrels, and when you're abroad, my dear Mrs. Hootaway, I prefer toremain snugly at home."
"To be sure," remarked the owl, with a laugh. "You are timid andsuspicious by nature, my dear Wisk, and you forget that although I haveknown you for a long time I have never yet eaten you."
"That is my fault, and not yours," retorted the squirrel.
"Well, I'm not after you tonight, neighbor, nor after birds, either. Iknow where there are seven fat mice to be had, and until they are allgone you may cease to worry."
"I'm glad to hear that," replied Wisk. "I wish there were seven hundredmice to feed your appetite. But I'm not going to run into dangerrecklessly, nevertheless, and it is my bed-time. So good night, Mrs.Hootaway; and good night, little child-larks." The owl did not reply,but Twinkle and Chubbins called good night to the friendly squirrel,and then they hopped into their nest and cuddled down close together.
The moon was now rising over the trees and flooding the gloom of theforest with its subdued silver radiance. The children were not sleepy;their new life was too strange and wonderful for them to be able toclose their eyes at once. So they were rather pleased when the gray owlsettled on the branch beside their nest and began to talk to them.
"I'm used to slanders, my dears," she said, in a pleasanter tone thanshe had used before, "so I don't mind much what neighbor Wisk says tome. But I do not wish you to think ill of the owl family, and so I mustassure you that we are as gentle and kindly as any feathered creaturesin the forest--not excepting the Birds of Paradise."
"I am sure of that," replied Twinkle, earnestly. "You are too soft andfluffy and pretty to be bad."
"It isn't the prettiness," said the gray owl, evidently pleased by thecompliment. "It is the nature of owls to be kind and sympathetic. Thosewho do not know us very well say harsh things about us, because we flyin the night, when most other birds are asleep, and sleep in thedaytime when most other birds are awake."
"Why do you do that?" asked Chubbins.
"Because the strong light hurts our eyes. But, although we are abroadin the night, we seek only our natural prey, and obey the Great Law ofthe forest more than some others do."
"What is the Great Law?" enquired Twinkle, curiously.
"Love. It is the moral law that is above all laws made by livingcreatures. The whole forest is ruled by love more than it is by fear.You may think this is strange when you remember that some animals eatbirds, and some birds eat animals, and the dreadful creeping things eatus both; but nevertheless we are so close to Nature here that love andtenderness for our kind influences us even more than it does mankind--the careless and unthinking race from which you came. The residents ofthe forest are good parents, helpful neighbors, and faithful friends.What better than this could be said of us?"
"Nothing, I'm sure, if it is true," replied the girl.
"Over in the Land of Paradise," continued the owl, thoughtfully, "thebirds are not obliged to take life in order to live themselves; so theycall us savage and fierce. But I believe our natures are as kindly asthose of the Birds of Paradise."
"Where is this Land of Paradise you speak of?" asked Twinkle.
"Directly in the center of our forest. It is a magical spot, protectedfrom intrusion not by any wall or barred gates, but by a strong windthat blows all birds away from that magnificent country except theBirds of Paradise themselves. There is a legend that man once livedthere, but for some unknown crime was driven away. But the birds havealways been allowed to inhabit the place because they did no harm."
"I'd like to see it," said Chubbins.
"So would I," confessed the gray owl, with a sigh; "but there is no useof my attempting to get into the Paradise of Birds, because the windwould blow me back. But now it is getting quite dark, and I must be offto seek my food. Mrs. 'Possum and I have agreed to hunt together,tonight."
"Who is Mrs. 'Possum?" the girl asked.
"An animal living in the lowest hollow of this tree," answered the owl."She is a good-natured creature, and hunts by night, as I do. She isslow, but, being near the ground, she can spy a mouse much quicker thanI can, and then she calls to me to catch it. So between us we getplenty of game and are helpful to each other. The only drawback is thatMrs. 'Possum has four children, which she carries in her pouch wherevershe goes, and they have to be fed as well as their mother. So the'possums have five mouths to my one, and it keeps us busy to supplythem all."
"It's very kind of you to help her," remarked Twinkle.
"Oh, she helps me, too," returned the owl, cheerfully. "But now goodnight, my dears. You will probably be sound asleep when I get homeagain."
Off flew Mrs. Hootaway with these words, and her wings moved sonoiselessly that she seemed to fade away into the darkness like aghost.
The child-larks sat looking at the silver moon for a time; butpresently Twinkle's eyelids drooped and she fell fast asleep, andChubbins was not long in following her example.