Oscar Becomes a Wise Owl

Jacqueline Mahoney

Once upon a time, there was a young owl called Oscar. Now as you know, most owls are very wise, but poor Oscar was not at all a bit wise.

Night after night, he sat on the branch of the old oak tree, with nothing to do, while all the other owls were busy giving advice and being wise. Nobody came to see Oscar, because he didn’t know anything!

“Oh Dear” said Oscar, “I must go and see my Uncle William. He’s the wisest owl in the woods. I’m sure he can help me to be wise.”

So he packed some things into a small bag and he set off. His uncle William was very pleased to see him, and he asked him why he had not been to see him recently.

“I never thought about it’ said Oscar. The wise owl looked very surprised. “Oh dear” he said, “an owl who doesn’t think”. I’ve never heard of this be-fore. This is very bad. Haven’t you ever been to school?”

“No” said Oscar.

“Well, this must be put right at once” said his Uncle. “Now off you go and start school today.”

So Oscar went off feeling that now at last, he would learn to be a wise owl. As he flew along, he saw a lot of children moving along a lane towards a big house. He followed the children into the big house, and sat on a windowsill and watched. Very soon, a lady came into the room, and began to speak. All the children sat very quiet and listened. “The lesson today will be maths” said the lady.

“Ah, this must be school” said Oscar, and settled down to learn. Every day he came and sat on the window-sill and the children loved him, and brought him nice things to eat. He thought it was great fun and wished he’d come to school sooner. He listened and soon he knew quite a lot and felt he was becoming a very wise owl indeed.

One day, his Uncle asked him how he was getting on at school.

“Very well” said Oscar, and he began to tell his uncle all the things that he had learnt.

The old owl was very surprised. They were not the things he has learnt at school.

The next morning, after Oscar had gone, Uncle William set out to see him at school and have a talk with his teacher. When he got to the school, Oscar was not in the class and the teacher knew nothing about him. Uncle William went to all the owl schools in the wood, and none of the teachers had heard of Oscar, so tired and cross, he went home to wait for him.

When Oscar arrived home, he found his Uncle pacing backwards and forwards on a branch, looking very an-gry indeed.

“Oscar” said his uncle, “I’ve been to every owl school in the woods, and you were not at any of them,”

“Owl Schools?” said Oscar, surprised. “I didn’t know there were any owl schools. I followed the children to school, and learnt my lessons with them.”

Then the wise old owl started to laugh!

“No wonder you didn’t learn the things that owls should know! You really are the silliest owl. I’ll take you to the best owl school tomorrow”.

Well, Oscar went to the best owl school and did learn all the things owls should know and when he went back at last to his own tree all the animals, pixies and fairies were happy to have him back.

On summer evening they loved to gather at the bottom of his tree while he told them lots of interesting things that other owls didn’t know. And lived happily with his woodland friends and became wiser than even his Uncle William.

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Other books by J. Mahoney

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Rear Cover