Well, why is it they're going?"

"It's all because of old Mrs. Owl," said the beetle. "She and old Father
Owl used to live deep in the woods in a hollow tree, but one time they
determined to move out to the edge of the hill, because the air was
better, and what tree should they choose for their home but this
very one where Granddaddy Thistletop has been living as long as I can
remember. Then when the owls were all settled they began to complain.
They said that Granddaddy Thistletop and Rosine were so noisy all day
that they couldn't sleep.

"After the little owls hatched out it was worse than ever, for the old
mother said that every time Rosine cooked the dinner it made the little
owls sneeze, and so the fairies must go."

"I wouldn't have gone," cried Teddy.

"Oh, yes you would," said the beetle. "The owls could have stopped up
the doors and windows, or they could--well, they could have done almost
anything, they're so big. You may go in and look at the house, if you
want to. I have to go down the bush and see old Mrs. Ant. Good-bye! I'll
see you again after a while."

When the beetle had gone, Teddy climbed up to the knot-hole and went
in. There was a long entry as narrow and dark as a mouse-hole, and with
doors opening off from it here and there. At the end of the hall was a
room that must have been the kitchen. It was very bare and lonely now,
and there was a fireplace at one end with a streak of light shining down
through the chimney.

While Teddy was standing by the chimney, he heard a rustling and
stirring about overhead; one of the little owls clicked its beak in
its sleep, and he heard a sleepy, whining voice: "Now just you stop
scrouging me. Screecher is scrouging me!"

Then he heard the Mother Owl: "Hus-s-s-h! Hus-s-s-h! Go to sleep; it's
broad daylight yet." After that all was still again.

"I wish," thought Teddy to himself, "that I could do something to make
the owls go away." Then he began to giggle to himself, and put both
hands over his mouth so that the owls up above wouldn't hear him.

He tiptoed back to the door in the knot-hole, and looked down at a bush
with long thorns on it, that grew close by. "I'll do it," he said to
himself; "I'll break off the thorns and put them in the nest, so that
the owls just can't stay there." In a moment he was down on the bush and
tugging at a tough thorn.

As soon as it broke off, he lifted it on his shoulder and clambered up
the rough bark of the tree to