THE OWL. 133 



the " bad bird " or " death-bird," and dreads his 

 weird screech accordingly ; but he does not kill him 

 wantonly or for the purpose of mounting him as a 

 hand-screen. The use of the Owl to the native 

 consists in his various magical properties, chief of 

 which is the fact that if you serve him up instead 

 of chicken in a curry the hapless partaker thereof 

 will become as stupid as an owl, a consummation 

 devoutly to be wished in the case of an enemy ! 



