THE FUNISTY LITTLE OWL. 



The loud chirping of a robin attracted my 

 notice one day soon after I entered my en- 

 chanted woodland. 



" She has little ones somewhere in the sap- 

 lings or bushes," I thought, " and takes me for 

 a kidnapj^er." 



But the robin racket being ke]3t up even 

 after I had gone farther away, I went back to 

 see what might be its cause. The distressed 

 mother bird was flitting about in the saplings, 

 and presently swung down toward an old 

 stump. Ah ! there it was, the object of her 

 wrath and fear- — a little screech owl, standing 

 as straight as a major on the top of the stump. 

 His face was turned toward me, and looking at 

 him with my glass, I could see that his yellow 

 eyes were wide open. His small size as well as 

 his awkward manner proclaimed him a young- 

 ster — quite well fledged, it is tme, but from the 

 nest only a short time. 



Madam Robin seemed to grow bolder. It 



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