At dusk, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of a tall tree where little Olivia the owl was perched anxiously. It was her very first night, and she felt a flutter of excitement mixed with fear as she tried to swallow her dinner of fat, juicy beetles. “I’m afraid I’ll fall,” she said to her mother, who sat beside her.
“You won’t fall, dear owl,” her mother replied, wrapping her wings around Olivia comfortingly. “You’ll remember what I showed you, won’t you, and hold them out and beat them gently up and down, and fly just as all your brothers and sisters are doing?”
Olivia looked around and saw seven little owls swiftly soaring about in the clear evening sky. She watched them rise higher and higher, until she could hardly distinguish them from the big bright stars!
“They’ll come down again,” said her mother; and sure enough, after a little while they returned to rest on the thick branches, each one puffing out its feathers and looking very proud of itself. “The exercise will make them feel hungry,” their mother thought; and, as if she did not want to separate husband and wife too long, she flew quietly to her nest, and came back soon with the news that their father had prepared a good supper for them.
Olivia watched the others fly and fly, and wondered when she would be brave enough to accompany them. At last her sister Mina came and sat beside her.
“Aren’t you coming, Olivia?” she asked. “There’s such a beautiful moonlight.”
“Dear Mina, I am sure I cannot,” replied Olivia dismally. “I’ll wait for you all to come back.”
“Well, good-night, then,” said Mina, and off she flew to join her brothers and sisters.
Olivia remained where she was, gazing up at the sky and wondering how the others were managing. All at once a voice said near her, “Are you scared, dear little cousin?” Looking down, Olivia saw cousin Rose, a young screech owl, who had come out of her hollow.
“It is my first evening,” Olivia answered, “and I feel afraid to try that dreadful flight.”
“Oh, do come,” cried her cousin. “You can hold on with your claws, and that’s the greatest thing. Give me just one flap with your wing now; so. Now, one more—so. Now hold your left wing still down and give me another flap with the right. There! it seems to me you’re as good as up already. There is no pain in it, I assure you. Do run over to me, just outside the tree, and try.”
Olivia made a movement with her head, which her cousin took for consent, and immediately flew to the spot.
“There! I knew you would,” she cried. “Now just refuse to be frightened, and get on as fast as you can.”
Olivia was soon out in the moonglow, giving her first flap with all her might. No one was near to see her go up and up, and at last hear her wild, jubilant hoot as she soared quite away to the blue vault of heaven.