Mrs.Rose BarnOwl got up with a start as the grandfather clock of Mr. McDonald’s Barn struck twelve.
How scary these human beings are, making devices to frighten poor owls and waking them up at the middle of the day.
She wondered why couldn’t they observe time watching heavenly bodies.
Annoyed though she was to be woken up at the middle of the day she looked around to check her owlets.
Tom and Dick were sleeping comfortably looking like white fluffs of snow.
She was about to sleep again when she realised that Harry was nowhere to be seen.
She nudged Mr.BarnOwl fearing the worst,” Donald, Harry is missing .”
Mr BarnOwl fluttered his wings a bit and went to sleep again. Mrs.BarnOwl had to push him hard to wake him up.
By now they were wide awake in spite of the sun hurting their eyes.
“ Hey honey,” a worried Mrs.BarnOwl hooted to her husband,” Have you observed Harry lately? Isn’t he behaving funny? “
“ I don’t think so, he is the best of all our hatchlings. So cute and fluffy.”
She retorted, “ What poor observation you have. Just like humans.”
Then she expressed her concern,” I think I am having nightmares.
The other day I saw him eating corn from a sack along with a group of white mice. He plays with butterflies and moths. Wish it were just my imagination.”
Mr BarnOwl sleepy and flustered, suddenly remembered that he had been warned before getting married to Rose. But he was so enticed by her innocent looks and eyes that he had ignored everything.
“ I should’ve thought ten times before starting a family with you . I had heard that you too behaved weird. You were generally found sitting amongst roses . That’s why they named you Rose.It is all in the genes”
Before Mr.BarnOwl was able to speak further ,Rose scratched him badly. “ Stupid, it was because I loved to eat butterflies and beetles which were found in abundance around roses. And is it the time to fight?”
Letting other owlets sleep they flew in search of Harry. “ God !he should be fine,” they prayed hard.
” Didn’t I tell you to read some books on parenting, but you never listen to me. He is always sleeping during the day.”
“The other day I tried to feed him a mouse but he felt nauseated. He gives me shudders.”
They had to fly quite far when they found him perched on a branch talking to a hummingbird, who was telling him her plans of migration to the south.
They had the shock of their lives.
Mrs.BarnOwl Swooned for a moment.
This was the harsh reality, not a nightmare.
They had to take him to a psychiatrist.
“ Look! didn’t I tell you that all owls don’t sleep during the day? My parents are awake too.”Harry told the hummingbird innocently.
Mrs and Mr BarnOwl looked at each other in alarm.
***
Photo By: Unsplash
This is an entry for the event #twelve #Five00-10 at ArtoonsInn Writers Room.
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