Read Online First Came the Owl by Judith Benét Richardson - Free Book Online Page A

grass.
    â€œRats! Triple rats!” shouted Petrova.
    â€œDon’t shout,” said Nita in a tense voice. “The owl will go away. We’ll think of something. We’ll…”
    â€œDon’t be an idiot,” said Petrova. “Now we’ve got no bait. That’s it. We might as well go home.”
    And I have to go to your home, thought Nita. The home of someone who calls me an idiot. Great, really great. How could I ever have wanted to be part of her family? She pressed her hands against her earmuffs so she wouldn’t hear one more word Petrova said to her. And she was never going to speak to Petrova again. And … an idea jolted into Nita’s mind.
    â€œPetrova! Do they … do owls ever eat rabbits? Maybe we can fool him with my bunny fur earmuffs!” Nita snatched off the white fur circles and held them out, her fury vanishing in the wake of her great idea.
    Petrova frowned. Then she laughed. “Hey, I’ll try anything! Take a long piece of this line and tie it on.”
    Nita worked on the fake bait while Petrova set her trap. She had made loops out of nylon fishing line that could snare an owl by the foot. She tied the loops onto the top of the wire trap. Then she put the bunny fur earmuffs inside the wire mesh cage.
    And still the owl sat, a white flash on the top of a dune, almost as if he were watching them, waiting for them.
    They had to stop watching him to fix the trap, and when they finally had it ready, the owl was nowhere to be seen.
    â€œNever mind,” said Petrova. “Maybe he sees us. They have fantastic eyesight. Come on ! Let’s hide behind the dune.”
    They lay on their stomachs behind a dune about fifty feet away, out of the wind. Nita held the end of the line they had tied to the earmuffs, and every once in a while she tugged the line so the earmuffs twitched. She thought hard about the owl, as if she could will him to come.
    â€œGood idea, this trap,” said Petrova.
    â€œCome on, owl,” Nita murmured. And suddenly, lying there, Nita felt her wonderful “owl feeling.” For a day or two, she had completely forgotten how she had been swept away by the soaring calm of the huge white wings.
    She took a deep breath the way Amy had taught her.
    â€œCome on, owl,” she said again. Funny, Petrova didn’t seem to mind her talking to birds. Maybe she could understand this kind of conversation.
    *   *   *
    He came fast. He dropped down, his talons out in front of him, his feathery legs extended. His white wings were spread wide and he looked like a wild angel who had decided to swoop down into the ordinary world for a visit. Nita held her breath.
    The owl gripped the wire mesh with his talons. Nita twitched the line. The powerful feet trampled back and forth, trying to get to the pieces of white fur.
    Suddenly, the huge bird pulled away and fell over sideways. Nita jumped up. Oh no! Was he hurt?
    â€œIt’s okay,” said Petrova. “We’ve got him! Come on!” She ran toward the struggling bird, and Nita followed more cautiously. Those feet looked dangerous.
    But in seconds, Petrova had him in a firm grip. One hand held both feet and her other arm was around the wings. The owl was still. Nita came closer, and the fierce yellow eyes stared into hers.
    â€œIs he okay?” she whispered.
    â€œGet the cans,” said Petrova. “Oh, he’s fine, Nita. Now we’ve got to band him.” She didn’t seem to feel the way Nita did at all. To her this was technical, like pictures in a how-to book. To Nita, it was like catching the sun, or an angel in your arms.
    â€œThe cans, Nita,” said Petrova again.
    Nita found the metal tube and helped Petrova ease the owl into the cans head first. Gently they set the tube on its side on the ground. The owl didn’t struggle at all. He didn’t make a sound. Now all that could be seen of him were his feathery legs