“But no one had any sympathy for him, or believed what he said; for it is often the case that when one has earned a bad character he is thought capable of any wickedness. So the jury declared him guilty, and the judge condemned him to die at sundown. We were all to fall upon the prisoner together, and tear him into bits with bill and claw; but while we waited for the sun to sink Will Sparrow flew up to the Judgment Tree and said:
“‘Hello! What’s going on here?’
“‘We are just about to execute a criminal,’ replied the judge.
“‘What has he been doing?’ asked Will, eyeing the shrike curiously.
“‘He killed the titmice children this morning, and ate two of them, and stuck the other four upon a thorn bush,’ explained the judge.
“‘Oh, no; the shrike did not do that!’ cried Will Sparrow. ‘I saw the crime committed with my own eyes, and it was the cunning weasel — the one that lives in the pine stump — that did the dreadful murder.’
“At this all the birds set up an excited chatter, and the shrike again screamed that he was innocent. So the judge said, gravely: ‘Will Sparrow always speaks the truth. Release the prisoner, for we have misjudged him. We must exact our vengeance upon the weasel.’
“So we all flew swiftly to the pine stump, which we knew well, and when we arrived we found the weasel sitting at the edge of his hole and laughing at us.
“‘That is the very weasel I fought with,’ said the shrike. ‘You can see where I tore the fur from his head and back with my sharp beak.’
“‘So you did,’ answered the weasel; ‘and in return I killed the little tomtits.’
“‘Did you stick them on the thorns?’ asked Judge Bullfinch.
“‘Yes,’ said the weasel. ‘I hoped you would accuse the shrike of the murder, and kill him to satisfy my vengeance.’
“‘We nearly fell into the trap,’ returned the judge; ‘but Will Sparrow saw your act and reported it just in time to save the shrike’s life. But tell me, did you also eat Nancy Titmouse’s eggs?’
“‘Of course,’ confessed the weasel, ‘and they were very good, indeed.’
“Hearing this, Tom Titmouse became so excited that he made a furious dash at the weasel, who slipped within his hole and escaped.
“‘I condemn you to death!’ cried the judge.
“‘That’s all right,’ answered the weasel, sticking just the tip of his nose out of the hole. ‘But you’ve got to catch me before you can kill me. Run home, my pretty birds. You’re no match for a weasel!’
“Then he was gone from sight, and we knew he was hidden safely in the stump, where we could not follow him, for the weasel’s body is slim and slender. But I have not lived in the forest all my life without learning something, and I whispered a plan to Judge Bullfinch that met with his approval. He sent messengers at once for the ivory-billed woodpeckers, and soon four of those big birds appeared and agreed to help us. They began tearing away at the stump with their strong beaks, and the splinters flew in every direction. It was not yet dark when the cunning weasel was dragged from his hole and was at the mercy of the birds he had so cruelly offended. We fell upon him in a flash, and he was dead almost instantly.”
“What became of the shrike?” asked Twinkle.
“He left the forest the next day,” answered Policeman Bluejay. “For although he was innocent of this crime, he was still a butcher-bird, and he knew our people had no confidence in him.”
“It was lucky Will Sparrow came in time,” said the girl-lark. “But all these stories must have made you hungry, so I’d like to invite my guests to have some refreshments.”
The birds seemed much surprised by this invitation, and even Policeman Bluejay wondered what she was going to do. But Twinkle whispered to Chubbins, and both the bird-children flew into their basket and returned with their claws full of cookie. They repeated the journey many times, distributing bits of the rare food to all of the birds who had visited them, and each one ate the morsel eagerly and declared that it was very good.
“Now,” said the policeman, when the feast was over, “let us all go to the brook and have a drink of its clear, sweet water.”
So they flew away, a large and merry band of all sizes and colors; and the child-larks joined them, skimming the air as lightly and joyously as any of their new friends. It did not take them long to reach a sparkling brook that wound its way through the forest, and all the feathered people drank their fill standing upon the low bank or upon stones that rose above the level of the water.
At first the children were afraid they might fall into the brook; but presently they gained courage, and when they saw the thrush and bullfinch plunge in and bathe themselves in the cool water Chubbins decided to follow their example, and afterward Twinkle also joined them.
The birds now bade the child-larks good-bye and promised to call upon them again, and soon all had flown away except the bluejay, who said he would see Twinkle and Chubbins safe home again, so that they would not get lost.
They thanked him for this kindness, and when they had once more settled upon the limb beside their nest the bluejay also bade them good night and darted away for one last look through the forest to see that all was orderly for the night.
CHAPTER VIII
Mrs. Hootaway
As the child-larks sat side by side upon their limb, with the soft gray nest near at hand, the twilight fell and a shadow began to grow and deepen throughout the forest.
“Twink,” said Chubbins, gravely, “how do you like it?”
“Well,” replied the girl, “it isn’t so bad in the daytime, but it’s worse at night. That bunch of grass mixed up with the stems of leaves, that they call a nest, isn’t much like my pretty white bed at home, Chubbins.”
“Nor mine,” he agreed. “And, Twink, how ever can we say our prayers when we haven’t any hands to hold up together?”
“Prayers, Chub,” said the girl, “are more in our hearts than in our hands. It isn’t what we do that counts; it’s what we feel. But the most that bothers me is what the folks at home will think, when we don’t come back.”
“They’ll hunt for us,” Chubbins suggested; “and they may come under this tree, and call to us.”
“If they do,” said Twinkle, “we’ll fly right down to them.”
“I advise you not to fly much, in the night,” said a cheery voice beside them, and Wisk the squirrel stuck his head out of the hollow where he lived. “You’ve had quite a party here today,” he continued, “and they behaved pretty well while the policeman was around. But some of them might not be so friendly if you met them alone.”
“Would any bird hurt us?” asked the girl, in surprise.
“Why, I’ve seen a magpie meet a thrush, and fly away alone,” replied Wisk. “And the wrens and chickadees avoid the cuckoo as much as possible, because they are fond of being alive. But the policeman keeps the big birds all in order when he is around, and he makes them all afraid to disobey the laws. He’s a wonderful fellow, that Policeman Bluejay, and even we squirrels are glad he is in the forest.”
“Why?” asked Chubbins.
“Well, we also fear some of the birds,” answered Wisk. “The lady in the third flat, for instance, Mrs. Hootaway, is said to like a squirrel for a midnight meal now and then, when mice and beetles are scarce. It is almost her hour for wakening, so I must be careful to keep near home.”
“Tut — tut — tut!” cried a harsh voice from above. “What scandal is this you are talking, Mr. Wisk?”
The squirrel was gone in a flash; but a moment later he put out his head again and turned one bright eye toward the upper part of the tree. There, on a perch outside her hollow, sat the gray owl, pruning her feathers. It was nearly dark by this time, and through the dusk Mrs. Hootaway’s yellow eyes could be seen gleaming bright and wide open.
“What nonsense are you putting into the heads of these little innocents?” continued the owl, in a scolding tone.
“No nonsense at all,” sai
d Wisk, in reply. “The child-larks are safe enough from you, because they are under the protection of Policeman Bluejay, and he would have a fine revenge if you dared to hurt them. But my case is different. The laws of the birds do not protect squirrels, and when you’re abroad, my dear Mrs. Hootaway, I prefer to remain snugly at home.”
“To be sure,” remarked the owl, with a laugh. “You are timid and suspicious by nature, my dear Wisk, and you forget that although I have known you for a long time I have never yet eaten you.”
“That is my fault, and not yours,” retorted the squirrel.
“Well, I’m not after you tonight, neighbor, nor after birds, either. I know where there are seven fat mice to be had, and until they are all gone you may cease to worry.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” replied Wisk. “I wish there were seven hundred mice to feed your appetite. But I’m not going to run into danger recklessly, nevertheless, and it is my bed-time. So good night, Mrs. Hootaway; and good night, little child-larks.” The owl did not reply, but Twinkle and Chubbins called good night to the friendly squirrel, and then they hopped into their nest and cuddled down close together.
The moon was now rising over the trees and flooding the gloom of the forest with its subdued silver radiance. The children were not sleepy; their new life was too strange and wonderful for them to be able to close their eyes at once. So they were rather pleased when the gray owl settled on the branch beside their nest and began to talk to them.
“I’m used to slanders, my dears,” she said, in a pleasanter tone than she had used before, “so I don’t mind much what neighbor Wisk says to me. But I do not wish you to think ill of the owl family, and so I must assure you that we are as gentle and kindly as any feathered creatures in the forest — not excepting the Birds of Paradise.”
“I am sure of that,” replied Twinkle, earnestly. “You are too soft and fluffy and pretty to be bad.”
“It isn’t the prettiness,” said the gray owl, evidently pleased by the compliment. “It is the nature of owls to be kind and sympathetic. Those who do not know us very well say harsh things about us, because we fly in the night, when most other birds are asleep, and sleep in the daytime when most other birds are awake.”
“Why do you do that?” asked Chubbins.
“Because the strong light hurts our eyes. But, although we are abroad in the night, we seek only our natural prey, and obey the Great Law of the forest more than some others do.”
“What is the Great Law?” enquired Twinkle, curiously.
“Love. It is the moral law that is above all laws made by living creatures. The whole forest is ruled by love more than it is by fear. You may think this is strange when you remember that some animals eat birds, and some birds eat animals, and the dreadful creeping things eat us both; but nevertheless we are so close to Nature here that love and tenderness for our kind influences us even more than it does mankind — the careless and unthinking race from which you came. The residents of the forest are good parents, helpful neighbors, and faithful friends. What better than this could be said of us?”
“Nothing, I’m sure, if it is true,” replied the girl.
“Over in the Land of Paradise,” continued the owl, thoughtfully, “the birds are not obliged to take life in order to live themselves; so they call us savage and fierce. But I believe our natures are as kindly as those of the Birds of Paradise.”
“Where is this Land of Paradise you speak of?” asked Twinkle.
“Directly in the center of our forest. It is a magical spot, protected from intrusion not by any wall or barred gates, but by a strong wind that blows all birds away from that magnificent country except the Birds of Paradise themselves. There is a legend that man once lived there, but for some unknown crime was driven away. But the birds have always been allowed to inhabit the place because they did no harm.”
“I’d like to see it,” said Chubbins.
“So would I,” confessed the gray owl, with a sigh; “but there is no use of my attempting to get into the Paradise of Birds, because the wind would blow me back. But now it is getting quite dark, and I must be off to seek my food. Mrs. ‘Possum and I have agreed to hunt together, tonight.”
“Who is Mrs. ‘Possum?” the girl asked.
“An animal living in the lowest hollow of this tree,” answered the owl. “She is a good-natured creature, and hunts by night, as I do. She is slow, but, being near the ground, she can spy a mouse much quicker than I can, and then she calls to me to catch it. So between us we get plenty of game and are helpful to each other. The only drawback is that Mrs. ‘Possum has four children, which she carries in her pouch wherever she goes, and they have to be fed as well as their mother. So the ‘possums have five mouths to my one, and it keeps us busy to supply them all.”
“It’s very kind of you to help her,” remarked Twinkle.
“Oh, she helps me, too,” returned the owl, cheerfully. “But now good night, my dears. You will probably be sound asleep when I get home again.”
Off flew Mrs. Hootaway with these words, and her wings moved so noiselessly that she seemed to fade away into the darkness like a ghost.
The child-larks sat looking at the silver moon for a time; but presently Twinkle’s eyelids drooped and she fell fast asleep, and Chubbins was not long in following her example.
CHAPTER IX
The Destroyers
A loud shouting and a bang that echoed like a clap of thunder through the forest awoke the bird-children from their dreams.
Opening their eyes with a start they saw that the gray dawn was breaking and a sort of morning twilight made all objects in the forest distinct, yet not so brilliant as the approaching daylight would. Shadows still lay among the bushes and the thickest branches; but between the trees the spaces were clearly visible.
The children, rudely awakened by the riot of noise in their ears, could distinguish the barking of dogs, the shouts of men calling to the brutes, and the scream of an animal in deep distress. Immediately after, there was a whirl overhead and the gray owl settled on the limb beside their nest.
“They’ve got her!” she exclaimed, in a trembling, terrified voice. “The men have shot Mrs. ‘Possum dead, and the dogs are now tearing her four babies limb from limb!”
“Where are they?” whispered Twinkle, her little heart beating as violently as if the dread destroyers had always been her mortal enemies.
“Just below us. Isn’t it dreadful? We had such a nice night together, and Mrs. ‘Possum was so sweet and loving in caring for her little ones and feeding them! And, just as we were nearly home again, the dogs sprang upon my friend and the men shot her dead. We had not even suspected, until then, that our foes were in the forest.”
Twinkle and Chubbins craned their necks over the edge of the nest and looked down. On the ground stood a man and a boy, and two great dogs were growling fiercely and tearing some bloody, revolting object with their cruel jaws.
“Look out!” cried the voice of Wisk, the squirrel. “He’s aiming at you — look out!”
They ducked their heads again, just as the gun roared and flamed fire beneath them.
“Oh-h-h!” wailed Mrs. Hootaway, fluttering violently beside them. “They struck me that time — the bullet is in my heart. Good-bye, my dears. Remember that — all — is love; all is — love!”
Her voice died away to a whisper, and she toppled from the limb. Twinkle and Chubbins tried to save their dying friend from falling, but the gray owl was so much bigger than they that they could not support the weight of her body. Slowly she sank to the ground and fell upon the earth with a dull sound that was dreadful to hear.
Instantly Twinkle darted from the nest and swooped downward, alighting on the ground beside the owl’s quivering body. A big dog came bounding toward her. The man was reloading his gun, a few paces away.
“Call off your dog!” shouted Twinkle, wildly excited. “How dare you shoot the poor, harmless birds? Call off your dog, I say!”
But,
even as she spoke, the words sounded in her own ears strange and unnatural, and more like the chirping of a bird than the language of men. The hunter either did not hear her or he did not understand her, and the dog snarled and bared its wicked teeth as it sprang greedily upon the child-lark.
Twinkle was too terrified to move. She glared upon the approaching monster helplessly, and it had almost reached her when a black object fell from the skies with the swiftness of a lightning streak and struck the dog’s back, tearing the flesh with its powerful talons and driving a stout, merciless beak straight through the skull of the savage brute.
The dog, already dead, straightened out and twitched convulsively. The man shouted angrily and sprang upon the huge bird that had slain his pet, at the same time swinging his gun like a club.
“Quick!” said the eagle to Twinkle, “mount with me as swiftly as you can.”
With the words he rose into the air and Twinkle darted after him, while Chubbins, seeing their flight from his nest, joined them just in time to escape a shot from the boy’s deadly gun.
The inquisitive squirrel, however, had stuck his head out to see what was happening, and one of the leaden bullets buried itself in his breast. Chubbins saw him fall back into his hollow and heard his agonized scream; but he could not stay to help his poor friend. An instant later he had joined the eagle and Twinkle, and was flying as hard and swift as his wonderful lark wings could carry him up, up into the blue sky.
The sunshine touched them now, while below the tragic forest still lay buried in gloom.
“We are quite safe here, for I am sure no shot from a gun could reach us,” said the eagle. “So let us rest upon our wings for a while. How lucky it was that I happened to be around in time to rescue you, my little friends.”
“I am very grateful, indeed,” answered Twinkle, holding her wings outstretched so that she floated lightly in the air beside her rescuer. “If you had been an instant later, the dog would have killed me.”
Complete Works of L. Frank Baum Page 377