kitten? Such a wise, blinking, round-eyed
kitten! Its head is reddish, not gray--and
the rufous markings on its breast, too!
Oh-h! I wonder if the boys did catch it
in the woods and thought it was a good
'henkyl' to put down our chimney?"

But that, as the girls knew, would remain
as blind a puzzle as the long, screened
dormitory was to the dazzled owl, unable
to see clearly in daylight, out visiting when
he should have been in bed in the cool,
dark hollow of a tree.

"Oo-oo-oo-ooo ... cluck!" it cooed
and grumbled, pressing a dappled breast
and wide-spread wings against a screen,
the mottled back-feathers ruffling into a
huge breeze-swept pompon.

"See! He 's playing he 's a big owl."

"Oh! I wonder if he'd let me--let
me catch him." Jessie sighed yearningly.

"Do-o, and we'll tame him--keep him for
a mascot!" It was a general acclamation.

And the feathered Santa, apparently
having no objection to this role--finding
[[192]]

p191 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p192w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p193

v?