Week 1 Storytelling: The Four Owls

There were once four owls who went out across the world to see see the other animals and how they lived. Each owl flew in a different direction, and came back to tell the others what spectacles they witnessed.

The four owls, source: wikimedia commons

The owl that journeyed North declared,"I came to a clear stream where the fish below mocked the birds above. 'The birds look ridiculous with those awkward wings,' the fish snickered. I found it absurd that such lowly creatures would mock our noble brethren." The other owls hooted in agreement.

The owl who flew South began his report,"I saw a small fly at the door of a beehive, and the bees called him a beggar and turned him away. The fly said to a friend, 'Those bees stole all of the food in the summer, and now we have nothing to eat.' How sad that these bugs can't share like civilized people." The other owls cried that it was a sorry state of affairs.

The owl who went East told his story."I saw a cave where a wolf and a leopard lived together. The leopard left one morning, and a the wolf told his friend,'I hate that scoundrel, but I need her because she is strong.' I pity that weak creature." The other owls decided the wolf was rather pathetic.

The last owl who went West described what she saw." I witnessed a bear leave a lion's den. A fox told me the bear went to be with the lion's mate, but left with a bruised head. How wicked and corrupt some creatures can be." Again, the other owls agreed.

While the owls told each other about the rest of the scandalous things they saw, a small mouse listened in on their conversation from under the rocks where they were perched. He couldn't wait to go back and tell the other animals what he had heard.

Author's Note: This is a retelling of a fable taken from Indian Fables, by P.V. Ramaswami Raju (1887). In the original story, the owls are much less judgemental, and the moral of the story is that "where the sun shines, there is scandal." The story more reminded me of a group of friends who get together to gossip about the goings-on of the other people in the community. I added the twist with the mouse at the end to show how gossip can spread unintentionally.