Right straight into the Deep Woods she flew, her scary little mate flapping along behind her. Pretty soon she heard a sound; it was a faint squawk, choked in the middle. She circled to listen. There came another squawk, exactly like the first. Then there was an uneasy stirring and fluttering in the secret depths of a thick, leafy tree. Dark deeds were being done there. “What? What? Who called?� said a scared bird voice. No answer. The silence was more terrible than any words.
A minute passed, another. She perched softly to listen. Her mate didn’t dare to speak, though he was ’most bursting with questions; yes, and something more. He was still afraid. He circled and lit beside her, with the least little scratching of a twig; she gave him a vicious peck. Poor little fellow, he didn’t even dare to preen the spot for fear he’d make another sound and get something worse. Then the first bird voice said at last: “Some youngster had a bad dream. You should always own up to it, little stubby wings, and not frighten the rest of us.� But still no one answered.
All the same the birds began to settle down again and all was quiet. “Ah-h!â€� came the very same choked cry; then a word. “Help! Kil——â€� and that was all. All but a soft thump. In a moment the tree was an uproar of fluttering and screaming.
“I knew he was there,� said the bad little lady owl triumphantly. “Killer’s been raiding the robins’ roost.� And she was right. After they finish nesting, all the robins fly to sleep in the same secret hiding place, in the loneliest grove they can find. And there they make friends with each other and talk over their fall trip and decide where they’ll go when the snow comes to cover up the ground, and hide the worms, and when, and which party they want to join. And Killer the Weasel and the hooter owls try to find it, because it’s such easy hunting.
“Don’t speak to him to-night. Please don’t!� begged her husband. “Do take a day to sleep on it. Something awful always happens if you lose your temper.� You see even the owls know that. But they won’t always believe it. She wouldn’t.
“It’s terrible!� he gasped. “Killer has more birds already than he’ll eat in a week.�
“That’s what I’m waiting for,� she answered grimly. “We’ll take care of the extra ones.�
“Oh, don’t! Don’t you dare touch them!� he protested. “The robins will find it out, and we’ll never hear the end of it. Just think what the jays did to us. We haven’t been able to fly decently since they picked on us, way last spring. And there are so many more robins. We’d never have a day’s rest. They’ll pluck us bare. Do let’s go home!�
“Oh, do shut up!� she snapped angrily. “You can fly back and good riddance. I’m not keeping you. I can mind my own business without you. It doesn’t concern you.�
“It does, too,� he whimpered. “Nobody ever knows us apart. If those robins get just a glimpse of you they’ll never believe I wasn’t eating them, too. Won’t you please listen?�