The Owl

Something strange took place some two hundred years ago in a small town when people were more unsophisticated and less shrewd. In this little town, one night, a big horned owl took a flight from the woods outside into a barn. The next morning the owl didn't dare to come out for fear of all the other birds that would peck at her.

Early next morning, the farmer's servant came in for some straw. Soon he espied the owl sitting in a corner and, highly frightened, he ran out, shouting to his master that a fearful monster was in the barn, quite big enough to devour a man.

The farmer laughed at him, saying, "You’re brave enough to chase blackbirds, but you’re scared of a dead hen! Let me see this so-called monster." But when the farmer went into the barn and saw the owl with his own eyes, he was just as scared. He ran to his neighbors, begging them for help, saying the creature might escape and endanger the whole town.

And so word gets around, and in a matter of an hour, or so, they are gathered there: armed with spears and axes and scythes, some of the villagers had. Even elders had come - including the major, surrounded the barn, sending inside the brave of them to defeat the animal. He ran out pale and white without even saying a word. So, two other persons tried. And they too emerged just that afraid.

Till finally one proud, daring man took action. Mocking the rest, he swore he'd solve this nightmare in its tracks and sent his enemies packing. On with his armor, and he grabbed his sword and pike; now he climbed by means of ladder steps to the owl's high beam, where the monster was now seated.

Then the owl, terrified and affrighted by the noise and flight of the people, fluttered her wings, and screeched out: "Tu-whit, tu-whoo!" The countryman stammered on, up the tree, shaking all over. But all the people beneath cried out, "Shake, shake!" Whereupon he was so terrified that he came down again, half-dead with fear.

The townsfolk panicked, believing the owl was too dangerous to fight. They felt that either the owl's breath or its bite had injured the bravest man among them. Nobody dared to go near it again.

After much deliberation, the mayor came up with a plan. He proposed that they remunerate the loss caused to the barn owner and then burn the barn down with the owl inside it. Everybody agreed, thinking it was the safest option.

They lit the barn from all four corners, and the owl was burnt along with it. The people of the town were convinced that they had saved themselves from a great evil.

If any of you do not believe this story, just go to that town and ask them!