STOEIES ABOUT BIKDS. 191 



Mahmoud; while he reigns over us, we shall 

 never want for ruined villages.' " The story 

 says, the Sultan was so touched with the fable, 

 that he rebuilt the towns and villages which 

 had been destroyed, and from that time for- 

 ward consulted the good of his people. 



The great horned owl is famous for his theft 

 in the poultry -yard. A very large one, who had 

 his wing broken by a shot, while he was prowl- 

 ing about a farm-house, trying to catch a 

 chicken for his dinner, was captured, and kept 

 in the house for several days. At length he 

 was missing, and no one knew where he was. 

 It was thought that he had returned to the 

 woods. Almost every day, however, after the 

 owl went away, some hen or chicken was 

 missing, also. A score or more of hens and 

 chickens disappeared from the poultry-yard. 

 Who could be the author of the mischief? was 

 a question which every member of the family 

 asked, but which none could satisfactorily 

 answer. The fox, the minx, the weasel, were 

 all suspected. One morning, the mystery was 

 solved. The lady of the house rose earlier 

 than usual. It was washing day, I guess. 

 Happening to go to the well for water, she 

 spied her old friend, the owl, making his 

 breakfast on one of the finest of her chickens. 



