# The Owl - Source: McGuffey's Second Reader (second-reader.gutenberg.org), Public domain, William Holmes McGuffey, 1879, via Project Gutenberg - Reading level: Grades 1 and 2 - Subjects: Stories, Animals - Topics: bones, catch, easily, half, little, mice - Length: 192 words, about 1 min - Original: - Page: - Open in Sprouts: THE OWL. (CONCLUDED.) - "What are you going to do with him, Harry?" - "Let him go. He doesn't like this cage half so well as his old oak tree. A young owl can be tamed easily, but this one is too old to tame." - "But won't he catch all your ducklings and little chickens?" - "No, not while there are any rats or mice around. Father says an owl is a good mouser, and can catch more mice than half a dozen cats." - "I'm glad I had a look at him before you let him go. What soft feathers he has!" - "Yes, he can fly so softly that you can scarcely hear him, and for this reason he can easily surprise and capture his prey." - "How comical he looks, winking his big eyes slowly, and turning his head from side to side!" - "Yes; he is watching your dog. Be still. Bounce! - "We have just found out a funny thing about his way of eating. He breaks the bones of a mouse, and then swallows it whole. After an hour or two, he throws up the bones and fur rolled up in a little ball." ## Picture credits - illustrator not named in this edition, Public domain () - illustrator not named in this edition, Public domain ()