When Farmer Brown’s boy first caught sight of
the nest and saw the Crows darting down toward it
and acting so excited, he was puzzled.
“That’s an old nest of Red-tail the Hawk,
" thought he. “I found that last spring.
Now what can there be there to excite those Crows
so?”
Then he caught sight of Hooty the Owl. “Ha,
so that’s it!” he exclaimed. “Those
scamps have discovered Hooty and have been having
no end of fun tormenting him. I wonder what he’s
doing there.”
He no longer tried to keep out of sight, but walked
right up to the foot of the tree, all the time looking
up. Hooty saw him, but instead of flying away,
he snapped his bill just as he had at the Crows and
hissed.
“That’s funny, " thought Farmer Brown’s
boy. “If I didn’t know that to be
the old nest of Redtail the Hawk, and if it weren’t
still the tail-end of winter, I would think that was
Hooty’s nest.”
He walked in a circle around the tree, looking up.
Suddenly he gave a little start. Was that a
tail sticking over the edge of the nest? He found
a stick and threw it up. It struck the bottom
of the nest, and out flew a great bird. It was
Mrs. Hooty! Blacky the Crow chuckled.
When you’re tempted to do
wrong
Is the time to prove you’re
strong.
Shut your eyes and clench each fist;
It will help you to resist.
When a bird is found sitting on a nest, it is a pretty
sure sign that that nest holds something worth while.
It is a sign that that bird has set up housekeeping.
So when Farmer Brown’s boy discovered Mrs.
Hooty sitting so close on the old nest of Redtail the
Hawk, in the most lonesome corner of the Green Forest,
he knew what it meant. Perhaps I should say
that he knew what it ought to mean.
It ought to mean that there were eggs in that nest.
But it was hard for Farmer Brown’s boy to believe
that. Why, spring had not come yet! There
was still snow, and the Smiling Pool was still covered
with ice. Who ever heard of birds nesting at
this time of year? Certainly not Farmer Brown’s
boy. And yet Hooty the Owl and Mrs. Hooty were
acting for all the world as feathered folks do act
when they have eggs and are afraid that something is
going to happen to them. It was very puzzling.
“That nest was built by Red-tail the Hawk, and
it hasn’t even been repaired, " muttered Farmer
Brown’s boy, as he stared up at it. “If
Hooty and his wife have taken it for their home, they
are mighty poor housekeepers. And if Mrs. Hooty
has laid eggs this time of year, she must be crazy.
I suppose the way to find out is to climb up there.
It seems foolish, but I’m going to do it.
Those Owls certainly act as if they are mighty anxious
about something, and I’m going to find out what
it is.”
