"I suppose that a bird who has lived on an old place like
this as long as I have ought to know about everything in the world; but
this is beyond my comprehension," she concluded.
She had been staring at the object that moved on the gravel path until
her eyes burned. Finally curiosity got the better of her and she flew
down to the ground to have a closer view of the stranger.
When the boy began to speak, the owl bent forward and looked him up and
down.
"He has neither claws nor horns," she remarked to herself, "yet who
knows but he may have a poisonous fang or some even more dangerous
weapon. I must try to find out what he passes for before I venture to
touch him."
"The place is called Marbacka," said the owl, "and gentlefolk lived here
once upon a time. But you, yourself, who are you?"
"I think of moving in here," volunteered the boy without answering the
owl's question. "Would it be possible, do you think?"
"Oh, yes--but it's not much of a place now compared to what it was
once," said the owl. "You can weather it here I dare say. It all depends
upon what you expect to live on. Do you intend to take up the rat
chase?"
"Oh, by no means!" declared the boy. "There is more fear of the rats
eating me than that I shall do them any harm."
"It can't be that he is as harmless as he says," thought the brown owl.
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