Now, when Sparrow Hawk, who had just arrived in Birdland, learned that Flicker had given one of his houses to Owl, he was very angry, for he had wanted it himself. He resolved to outwit Owl. Being rather stupid himself, he could not believe that Owl was really a bright fellow. So, with this object in view, Sparrow Hawk chose a nice, quiet spot in the nearby underbrush. Song Sparrow, who lived in the thicket, moved to the other end. He had never been fully satisfied as to how Sparrow Hawk received his name. However, Sparrow Hawk did not disturb him in the least, but remained hidden in the brush. “When Owl goes out to dinner,” thought he, “I’ll take possession of his house.” But Owl saw through his plan with half an eye and remained at home. At night, as soon as it became dark, he would slip quietly out and get himself a very comfortable meal. Then he would go back chuckling to himself as he thought of Sparrow Hawk’s plan. This went on for many days, and each morning Sparrow Hawk would say to himself, “He must come out to-day or he will starve.” Little did he know how Owl was getting ahead of him. At length Sparrow Hawk became tired of hiding and flew up to Owl’s door. He expected to find the latter dead from starvation, or at least too weak to make any resistance. But when he saw Owl, plump and healthy, puff out his chest with an angry snap of his bill, he changed his mind and left in a hurry. He was at a loss to account for Owl’s sleek condition. One day, however, he overheard one of his neighbors say that he had seen Owl fly out of his house late on the evening before. Sparrow Hawk was more angry than ever. He saw that Owl had outwitted him. He resolved to be revenged, yet he knew that he could not stay awake all night to get possession of Owl’s house. Instead, he made up a lot of scandalous stories about Owl, and even went so far as to say that he ate other birds. At first Birdland would not believe these stories about Owl, but, when finally they learned his queer habits, they began to think that they must be true. So it happened that Owl became confirmed in his night-going habits.