"The next morning Bob and I went straight to the summer-house to see our captive.
"It was now quite quiet, and sat on Bob's hand letting him stroke it gently.
"'What shall we do with it?' said Bob to me.
"'Let us take it to the old tree in the field,' I answered.
"So Bob put it down near the hollow of the tree, and it shuffled away into the darkness.
"And that is the end of the story," said Jack's father.
"But why did you let it go?" cried Jack.
"Well, the farmer does not like people to kill owls, as they eat up the mice that do harm to his corn-fields."