The Young Owl

Once there lived a young owl. All around him, the older owls could hoot. “Whoo, hoo, hoo!” they cried from the trees. But the young owl could not hoot yet. He was not old enough.

He tried and he tried to hoot. He took a deep breath through his beak. He blew out air. But he didn’t make a sound. The other owls laughed at him. “I will never be able to hoot,” the owl said sadly.

His mother said, “Wait and see, little owl. Very soon, you will have your grown-up voice. Then, you will hoot.”

One evening, months later, the young owl awoke in his tree. He opened his eyes to see a crow flying straight toward him. “Who, hoo, hoo are you?” he hooted. The crow flew away. The owl flew after him, hooting happily all the while. His mother had been right!