AN OLD BARRED OWL 



55 



could be spelled that they detested the very thought of 



him. 



After a time the owl grew weary of such nonsense, and 

 flying suddenly out of the cedar swept close to the earth 

 and sped away a hundred yards or more to the hollow in 

 the big hickory, into which he flew and was hidden from 

 sight. No crow cared to go into the hole after him or even 

 to perch at the opening, so after more abuse, in which the 

 interest soon began to lag because the tormenters could not 

 see the object of their concern, they betook themselves to 

 their accustomed feeding grounds, a very ill-humored flock 

 of crows. 



The barred owls were very noisy neighbors, and at times 

 were quite boisterous. They appeared to shout and laugh 

 and say many queer things to each other, as for instance, 

 ''ivah, ivah; ha, ha; ha, who ah," or words to that effect. 

 One farmer's wife declared if ever her hired girl left, ''that 

 night the old swamp owl was sure to call, 'Who, who, who, 

 who cooks for you all?' " But in May, when the three 

 white eggs in the hollow up in the big oak had hatched, the 

 parents did not often call, for they were then much occu- 

 pied with feeding their offspring. 



It was about this time that the man who owned the farm 

 on which the owls lived, learned of a plan that he thought 

 might rid him of them forever. Out in the field a hundred 



