The Burgess Bird Book for ChildrenBurgess, Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo)
General
The Burgess Bird Book for Children
Burgess, Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo)
Birds -- Juvenile literature
Terror did not sit on that stump long. He knew that Peter was not likely
to come out in a hurry. Presently he flew away, and Peter suspected from
the direction in which he was headed that Terror was going over to visit
Farmer Brown's henyard. Of all the members of the Hawk family there is
none more bold than Terror the Goshawk. He would not hesitate to seize
a hen from almost beneath Farmer Brown's nose. He is well named, for the
mere suspicion that he is anywhere about strikes terror to the heart of
all the furred and feathered folks. He is so swift of wing that few can
escape him, and he has no pity, but kills for the mere love of killing.
In this respect he is like Shadow the Weasel. To kill for food is
forgiven by the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows,
but to kill needlessly is unpardonable. This is why Terror the Goshawk
is universally hated and has not a single friend.
All that day Peter remained hidden in that hollow log. He did not dare
put foot outside until the Black Shadows began to creep through the
Green Forest. Then he knew that there was nothing more to fear from
Terror the Goshawk, for he hunts only by day. Once more Peter's thoughts
were chiefly of his stomach, for it was very, very empty.
But it was not intended that Peter should fill his stomach at once. He
had gone but a little way when from just ahead of him the silence of
the early evening was broken by a terrifying sound--“Whooo-hoo-hoo,
whooo-hoo!” It was so sudden and there was in it such a note of
fierceness that Peter had all he could do to keep from jumping and
running for dear life. But he knew that voice and he knew, too, that
safety lay in keeping perfectly still. So with his heart thumping madly,
as when he had escaped from Terror that morning, Peter sat as still as
if he could not move.
It was the hunting call of Hooty the Great Horned Owl, and it had been
intended to frighten some one into jumping and running, or at least into
moving ever so little. Peter knew all about that trick of Hooty's. He
knew that in all the Green Forest there are no ears so wonderful as
those of Hooty the Owl, and that the instant he had uttered that fierce
hunting call he had strained those wonderful ears to catch the faintest
sound which some startled little sleeper of the night might make. The
rustle of a leaf would be enough to bring Hooty to the spot on his great
silent wings, and then his fierce yellow eyes, which are made for seeing
in the dusk, would find the victim.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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