<h2><SPAN name="IV" id="IV"></SPAN>IV</h2>
<h2>THE GREAT HORNED OWL</h2>
<p>Billy Woodchuck knew that the Great
Horned Owl was a dangerous person. His
mother had often told him that. But he
had never yet seen the Great Horned
Owl; and Billy wondered how he should
know him if he should ever happen to
meet him. So Billy Woodchuck went indoors
and asked his mother to tell him how
the Great Horned Owl looked.</p>
<p>“He’s a big fellow,” said Mrs. Woodchuck—“almost
as big as the Great Gray
Owl and the Snowy Owl. But you can
tell him from them by his ear-tufts, which
stick up from his head like horns.”</p>
<p>“What color is he?” Billy inquired.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>“Buff and black,” Mrs. Woodchuck answered.
“He’s mottled—that means
about the same as spotted,” she explained.
“I’ve heard him called the ‘tiger among
birds.’ But whether it’s because of the
spots, or because he’s so fierce, I really
don’t know.”</p>
<p>“Maybe it’s <i>both</i>,” Billy suggested.</p>
<p>“Perhaps!” his mother said. “He has
a deep voice,” she continued. “And he
calls ‘<i>Whoo, hoo-hoo-hoo, whoo, whoo!</i>’
If you heard him in the woods you might
almost think it was old dog Spot barking.
But when he screams”—Mrs. Woodchuck
shuddered—“<i>then</i> you’ll know him. For
his scream is the most dreadful sound that
was ever heard.”</p>
<p>“I wish you would scream like him
once,” said Billy.</p>
<p>“Bless your heart!” said his mother.
“My voice may not be very sweet, but I<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</SPAN></span>
never could screech like him.”</p>
<p>“Why doesn’t Johnnie Green shoot
him?” Billy asked. “If he only would,
the Great Horned Owl could never trouble
us any more.”</p>
<p>“Why, there’s more than just <i>one</i>!”
his mother exclaimed. “When I say ‘the
Great Horned Owl,’ I don’t mean just
<i>one</i>!”</p>
<p>“Oh!” said Billy. That was different.
And then he went out to play again.</p>
<p>For a long time he couldn’t get the
Great Horned Owl out of his mind. Every
time he heard the leaves rustle in the trees
he jumped as if forty Great Horned Owls
were after him. But since nothing of the
sort happened, at last he forgot all about
that danger. It was late in the afternoon
when a horrid call sent him scurrying off:</p>
<p>“<i>Whoo, hoo-hoo-hoo, whoo, whoo!</i>”</p>
<p>Billy Woodchuck was sure that the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</SPAN></span>
Great Horned Owl had found him at last.
He ran a little way as fast as he could;
and then he crouched down in the grass.</p>
<p>Again came that deep, long-drawn call.
It sent Billy off on another short run.</p>
<p>And after that had happened three
times, he was so scared that he thrust his
head under a heap of dried leaves. So
long as he couldn’t see the Great Horned
Owl, he thought that the Great Horned
Owl couldn’t see him.</p>
<p>Then Billy heard his mother’s voice.
She was calling him. And he looked up
quickly. There she was, right beside him!</p>
<p>“Did you drive him away, Mother?”
he asked.</p>
<p>“Whom do you mean?” she inquired.</p>
<p>“Why, the Great Horned Owl!” Billy
said.</p>
<p>“I was the only one that called,” she
told him. “I wanted to see what you<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</SPAN></span>
would do. And I must say, you behaved
very foolishly. Don’t ever cover up your
head like that. First, you must try to get
away. And if you should get caught, remember
that your teeth are sharp. But
they won’t be of any use to you with your
head buried under a pile of leaves.”</p>
<p>Billy Woodchuck saw that he had a
great deal to learn. But he was glad that
his mother had taught him that much,
though he was ashamed that he had been
so silly.</p>
<hr />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</SPAN></span></p>
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