170 GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS 
THE EARLY OWL 
An Owl once lived in a hollow tree, 
And he was as wise as wise could be. 
The branch of learning he didn’t know 
Could scarce on the tree of knowledge grow; 
He knew the tree from branch to root, 
And an Owl like that can afford to hoot. 
And he hooted until, alas! one day 
He chanced to hear in a casual way 
An insignificant little bird 
Make use of a term he had never heard. 
He was flying to bed in the dawning light, 
When he heard her singing with all her might: 
“Hurray! hurray! for the early worm !” 
“Dear me,” said the Owl, ‘‘what a singular term! 
I would look it up if it weren’t so late. 
I must rise at dusk to investigate. 
Early to bed and early to rise 
Makes an Owl healthy, and stealthy, and wise!” 
So he slept like an honest Owl all day, 
And rose in the early twilight gray, 
And went to work in the dusky light 
To look for the early worm at night. 
He searched the country for miles around, 
But the early worm was not to be found; 
So he went to bed in the dawning light 
And looked for the ‘‘worm”’ again next night. 
And again and again, and again and again, 
He sought and he sought, but all in vain, 
Till he must have looked for a year and a day 
For the early worm in the twilight gray. 
At last in despair he gave up the search, 
And was heard to remark as he sat on his perch, 
