P. V. Ramaswami Raju

The Four Owls

Four owls went out, each to a part of the world, to see how people liked things, ill and false, and came back to tell of what they had seen.

The Four Owls

The owl that went north said, "I saw, by a stream, the fish make mouths at the birds. They further said, "Look at our fins and their wings, how queer they are!"

The owl that went south said, "I saw on a hill a fly of fair hues go by the door of a hive; the bees said, 'Look, he has come to beg of us for some food.' The fly said to a friend of his, 'These rogues, I mean the bees, stole the sweets from the blooms when the air was dry, so now I have naught to eat when it is cold.' "

The owl that went east said, "I saw in a wood a pard go out from his den. The wolf went with him a few yards, came back, and said to a friend of his, 'The pard is a knave, yet I cling to him, for he is strong.' "

The owl that went west said, "I saw a bear pass by a lion's den. A fox close by said the bear went to make love to the lion's mate, but was sent back with a box on his ear."

The four owls together said, "Where the sun shines, there scandal is."