Chapter 3
One day while Tom was keeping an eye on the chicken yard the most beautiful young owl he had ever seen, landed on the crossbar of the pole he was sitting on. Her features were perfect, big black eyes that seemed to be able to look right through him; not a feather out of place the cutest tail feathers he had ever witnessed. For the first time in his life he was speechless. Her head rotated 90 degrees and the loveliest Barn Owl in the world chirped, “Hi there big fella.”
Tom was speechless, he opened his beak but nothing came out, he finally regained control and managed, “Hello.” Tom shook his head as if he was trying to rid it of flees. ‘Hello, he thought, that’s the best you can do? You screech like a house on fire to everyone else, but when a gorgeous lady like this lands next to you, the best you can offer is hello?’
“What ’ya hunting for?” asked the lovely bird.
Tom cleared his throat and explained, “I’m just watching over my family.”
She slowly rotated he head to the right and then left, “All I see are chickens.”
Tom looked straight into her beautiful eyes, “They are chickens, my Mom is in the coop and that’s my Dad, the big rooster in the middle with all my sisters.”
She laughed, “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard, do you think you’re a chicken.”
“I know I’m an Owl, but they are the only family I have ever known, would you like to meet them?” Tom asked.
“No, but I might consider eating one or two.”
Tom cocked his head to one side, “You are a whole lot of dumb wrapped up in a pretty package if you think you have a chance at eating one of my sisters. You’d be pushing up daisies before you got half way there.”
Her eyes got even bigger as she hopped back, “I’m sorry if I said something wrong, I was only joking, I hate the taste of chicken.”
“What is your name?” Tom chirped.
“Birdy,” she said, “What’s yours?”
“My name is Tom, I was always too big and too clumsy, everyone said I looked like a turkey, until the day I killed the viper.”
“I’ve heard they taste good, but they give me the willies. I just don’t like the way they slither across the ground.”
Tom thought for a moment, “I doubt if you would like the taste.”
After two weeks of meeting here and there, Birdy said would like to meet his family. As they approached the chicken yard Tom sensed something was wrong. All his sisters were in the hen house and his father was defending them against a red fox.
Tom immediately dove on the fox with Birdy in hot pursuit. As if it was a choreographed maneuver, Tom grabbed the fox by the neck and Birdy grabbed its rump. The Red Fox was airlifted out of the chicken yard and across the river with a stern reprimand. “Leave my family alone, or the next time you will become a skydiver.” Birdy added, “Our family.”
The red fox never bothered to cross the river again.
Tom introduced Birdy to his mother and father. Six months later Tom introduced his family to their grandparents and cousins. Nobody thought they were big and clumsy, they were just adorable.
Birdy leaned against Tom and chirped, “You know what I love about you?”
“What?” Tom answered.
“You are different.”
Tom chirped, "Who me."
