OWLS IN A VILLAGE 175 



head-shakings, and now the young woman gave 

 up all hopes of her sick aunt's recovery ; for 

 that one of her people was going to die was 

 certain, and it could be no other than that 

 ailing one. And, after all, the message and 

 warning was for her and not the aunt. Not 

 many days after the owl had hooted in broad 

 daylight, she dropped down dead in her cottage 

 while engaged in some domestic work. 



On the following morning I went with the 

 friend I was visiting at Willersey to Saintbury, 

 and the story heard overnight was confirmed. 

 The owl had been hooting in the daytime in 

 the same old horse-chestnut tree from which it 

 had a short time ago foretold the young woman's 

 death. One of the villagers, who was engaged 

 in repairing the thatch of a cottage close to the 

 tree, informed us that the owl's hooting had 

 not troubled him in the least. Owls, he truly 

 said, often hoot in the daytime during the 

 autumn months, and he did not believe that 

 it meant death for some one. 



This sceptical fellow, it is hardly necessary to 

 say, was a young man who had spent a good 

 deal of his time away from the village. 



