The Owl and the Grasshopper
retold by Sara Huber
Early the next morning, before their parents awoke, Abby and Lily went out in search of breakfast.
"Let's see if we can find those flowers from last night," said Abby. "We got so sidetracked with meeting that dove that we forgot our midnight snack!"
"I know! I am so hungry. It's like last night times a million. She was nice though, wasn't she, the dove? I hope she finds her ant friend," replied Lily from up front. She had taken the lead and was searching out for the red flowers they found last night.
"Will you be quiet over there!" yelled a grouchy, rough voice. "I am trying to sleep!"
"Who? Where? Sleep!? It's the morning, it's time to get up!" Lily cheerfully shouted back. She looked all around, but couldn't tell where the voice came from.
"Well, not for me! This is when I sleep. I can't take it anymore! All morning and through the day everyone just talks and talks and talks. Don't you have any courtesy?"
Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Lily saw a huge brown
and white bird right in front of her. 
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed as she turned around so fast her sister Abby didn't have time to stop behind her. The two sisters collided and fell to the ground.
"Abby! Abby! Did you see that..that thing! It was huge. What is it?"
"What am I? Where have you been? Now, I know I might sleep in the day time, but don't you two ever get out? I'm an owl. And you are hummingbirds, right? I imagine you are migrating down south. It seems about that time of year," replied the
owl.
"Ye..yess. We're hummingbirds. I'm Lily. This is Abby," whispered Lily as she pointed to her sister with her beak. "I am so sorry to bother you. I promise we will be quiet from here on out. Please, just don't eat us!"
"Eat you!? I don't eat hummingbirds. Where ever did you get that idea?" answered the owl with a chuckle.
"I'm not sure really," answered Lily as Abby cowered behind her. "I think I've heard stories about you owls. You eat birds! At least, that's what I heard."
"Yes, well. I do eat some birds, but not hummingbirds. You are too fast for me! Why, I don't think anything could catch you girls. I'll tell you what though. I had the best breakfast this morning before I laid down to go to sleep. It was a grasshopper. That poor fool crawled up to my tree and started singing as loud as he could. I asked him to stop at first, you see. I was very nice. I said 'Please! Grasshopper, I'm trying to sleep. I've been out hunting all night and I didn't catch a thing. Can't you go sing somewhere else?' Do you know what he did?" she asked the sisters.
"What? What did he do?" answered Abby, peaking curiously from behind her sister's shoulder.
"He refused! He said that he had just as much a right to sing as I to sleep. Can you believe it? I've never had anyone be so rude to me! I said to him, 'Grasshopper, you know, you're right. I'm just being selfish, I guess. Why, maybe you could help me. My mother used to sing me songs to help me sleep. Seeing as how I'm having trouble sleeping this morning, do you mind? Here, I'll clear a space for you and you can come sing next to me.'" said the owl.
"Did he do it? Did he come and sing for you?" interrupted Abby as she creeped out from behind her sister and moved towards the owl.
"Well, what do you think! Of course he did! That foolish grasshopper. I knew he'd fall for it! Who talks back to an owl? When he came over to sing for me I jumped up and grabbed him quick. Best breakfast I've had in a long time."
"You know, owl, just last night we met a dove who didn't like to eat bugs. She said one saved her life," Lily told the owl.
"Yeah? Well, this bug was making my life miserable. She can do what she wants, but I eat them!" she replied getting grouchy again. "And didn't I ask you to be quiet? How'd I end up out here talking to you anyway? Didn't I tell you I was trying to sleep?"
"Yes, you did. We'll leave you alone now. Sorry to have disturbed you!" answered Lily as she pushed Abby backwards.
"Let's get out of here quick!" whispered Abby.
***************************************************
"God! That owl was grouchy wasn't she?" said Lily. "I'm just glad we don't regularly stay up at night. I'd hate to run into her again!"
"I know! What a shame she's trying to sleep where all the flowers are. I guess that's the reason we didn't see her last night - she was out hunting. You know, I think it may be getting late. I bet mom and dad are awake. We should get back. Didn't you hear them talking yesterday? We're supposed to get to Mexico by tomorrow night! We're almost done!" Abby replied.
"Let's go then! I'll race you back!" shouted Lily as she took off into the air.
Author's Note
I chose to retell the story of "The Owl and the Grasshopper" because owls are one of my favorite animals. I also thought that having Lily and Abby meet an owl would be a good aspect of story because a lot of people have never seen one in the wild (such as myself), but have heard them at night. They sound really scary sometimes, especially barn owls, so I wanted Lily and Abby to have an initial fear of them. I have again kept the plot of the story the same as the original, but I have actually shortened it, as opposed to most of Aesop's fables which need lengthening! In the original story the owl actually coerces the grasshopper over with some wine, which she claims will make him sing like the gods. I left this bit out in order to meet the word limit.
Questioning Faces
The winter owl banked just in time to pass
And save herself from breaking window glass.
And her wings straining suddenly aspread
Caught color from the last of evening red
In a display of underdown and quill
To glassed-in children at the window sill.
Coverpage
Introduction
Story One: The Crow and the Pitcher
Story Two: The Dove and the Ant
Story Four: The Peacock and the
Crane
Bibiliography Information:
"The Owl and the Grasshopper" from "Aesop for Children" by Aesop 1919/2006 Webpage Link
"Questioning Faces" by Robert Frost Webpage Link
Image Information:
"Thousand Mild Stare" by jmix2 Webpage Link
"Wild Solid Wood Picture Frame" by LindaPaul Studios Webpage Link
"Barney" by Gregory Smith Webpage Link
"Grasshopper" by Catherine Liversidge Webpage Link
"Rofous Hummingbird" by Jonathan Rodgers Webpage Link
"Costa's Hummingbird" by Jon Sullivan Webpage Link
"Urmiaj" by Mohammad Hamidi Webpage Link
