Two or three hundred years ago, when people were far from being so crafty and cunning as they are now-a-day, an extraordinary event took place in a little town.
By some mischance one of the great owls, called horned owls, had come from the neighboring woods into the barn of one of the townsfolk in the night-time, and when day broke did not dare to venture forth again from her retreat, for fear of the other birds, which raised a terrible outcry whenever she appeared.
In the morning when the man-servant went into the barn to fetch some straw, he was so mightily alarmed at the sight of the owl sitting there in a corner, that he ran away and announced to his master that a monster, the like of which he had never set eyes on in his life, and which could devour a man without the slightest difficulty, was sitting in the barn, rolling its eyes about in its head.
"I know you already," said the master, "you have courage enough to chase a blackbird about the fields, but when you see a dead hen lying, you have to get a stick before you go near it.
I must go and see for myself what kind of a monster it is," added the master, and went quite boldly into the granary and looked round him.
When, however, he saw the strange grim creature with his own eyes, he was no less terrified than the servant had been.
With two bounds he sprang out, ran to his neighbours, and begged them imploringly to lend him assistance against an unknown and dangerous beast, or else the whole town might be in danger if it were to break loose out of the barn, where it was shut up.
A great noise and clamour arose in all the streets, the townsmen came armed with spears, hay-forks, scythes, and axes, as if they were going out against an enemy; finally, the senators appeared with the burgomaster at their head.
When they had drawn up in the market- place, they marched to the barn, and surrounded it on all sides.
Thereupon one of the most courageous of them stepped forth and entered with his spear lowered, but came running out immediately afterwards with a shriek and as pale as death, and could not utter a single word.
Yet two others ventured in, but they fared no better.
At last one stepped forth; a great strong man who was famous for his warlike deeds, and said, "You will not drive away the monster by merely looking at him; we must be in earnest here, but I see that you have all tuned into women, and not one of you dares to encounter the animal." He ordered them to give him some armour, had a sword and spear brought, and armed himself.
All praised his courage, though many feared for his life.
The two barn-doors were opened, and they saw the owl, which in the meantime had perched herself on the middle of a great cross-beam.
He had a ladder brought, and when he raised it, and made ready to climb up, they all cried out to him that he was to bear himself bravely, and commended him to St.
George, who slew the dragon.
When he had just got to the top, and the owl perceived that he had designs on her, and was also bewildered by the crowd and the shouting, and knew not how to escape, she rolled her eyes, ruffled her feathers, flapped her wings, snapped her beak, and cried, "Tuwhit, tuwhoo," in a harsh voice.
"Strike home! strike home!" screamed the crowd outside to the valiant hero.
"Any one who was standing where I am standing," answered he, "would not cry, strike home!" He certainly did plant his foot one rung higher on the ladder, but then he began to tremble, and half-fainting, went back again.
And now there was no one left who dared to put himself in such danger.
"The monster," said they, "has poisoned and mortally wounded the very strongest man among us, by snapping at him and just breathing on him! Are we, too, to risk our lives?" They took counsel as to what they ought to do to prevent the whole town being destroyed.
For a long time everything seemed to be of no use, but at length the burgomaster found an expedient.
"My opinion," said he, "is that we ought, out of the common purse, to pay for this barn, and whatsoever corn, straw, or hay it contains, and thus indemnify the owner, and then burn down the whole building, and the terrible beast with it.
Thus no one will have to endanger his life.
This is no time for thinking of expense, and niggardliness would be ill applied." All agreed with him.
So they set fire to the barn at all four corners, and with it the owl was miserably burnt.
Let any one who will not believe it, go thither and inquire for himself.
兩年或三百年前，當人們都遠遠不如他們現在的每天如此狡猾的，狡猾的，不同尋常的事件發(fā)生在一個小城鎮(zhèn)。
運氣的一個杰出的貓頭鷹，叫梟，來自附近的森林，在一個夜晚在鄉(xiāng)親的谷倉，拂曉時不敢冒險再從她撤退，為其他鳥類的恐懼，它提出了強烈的*時，她出現了。
在早上，當仆人走進谷倉取來一些稻草，他是如此強烈地感到震驚的坐在那里，在一個角落里貓頭鷹的視線，他跑了，宣布了他的主人，一個怪物，這是他從來沒有看見他的生活，并且可以吞噬一個人沒有絲毫的困難，坐在谷倉里，轉著眼睛在頭。
“我已經認識你了，”大師說，“你有足夠的勇氣去追逐一個關于戰(zhàn)場的黑鳥，但當你看到一個死母雞撒謊，你要你去接近它之前把棍子。
我一定要去看看自己是什么樣的一個怪物是的，補充說：”主人，又很大膽的進倉，回頭看了一下。
然而，當他看到那奇怪的冷酷的動物，他自己的眼睛，他是不那么害怕比仆人了。
兩界他跳了出來，跑到他的鄰居，并請求他們哀求地借給他援助對一個未知的和危險的野獸，否則整個小鎮(zhèn)可能要掙脫出來的谷倉是很危險的，它是關了。
一個杰出的噪音和喧囂起來，所有的街道，市民都手持長矛，干草叉，鐮刀，斧頭，如果他們去攻擊敵人；最后，參議員們出現在他們頭上的市長。
當他們在市場上的時候，他們在谷倉里*，把它圍在所有的地方。
于是，最勇敢的人走了出來，進入了他的槍放下，但跑出來馬上尖叫一聲，面色蒼白，一句話也說不出來。
然而，兩家人都在冒險，但他們表現不好。
最后一個走了出來；一個偉大的健壯的人因他的好戰(zhàn)行為，并說，“你不會趕走怪物只是看著他；我們必須認真的在這里，但我看到你都調整到女人，沒有一個你敢遇到的動物?！八兴麄兘o他一些盔甲，有一把劍和槍帶，和武裝自己。
都稱贊他的勇氣，雖然許多人擔心他的生活。
兩只牲口棚的門被打開了，他們看見了貓頭鷹，這只貓頭鷹在一個巨大的十字梁的中間坐了下來。
他帶了一個梯子，把它舉起來，準備爬上去，他們都向他喊著說他是勇敢地忍受自己，并把他帶到圣
誰殺了龍。
當他剛剛到達山頂，和貓頭鷹發(fā)覺他設計的她，也在人群中，喊著不知所措，不知道如何逃生，她推出了她的眼睛，豎起羽毛，扇動著翅膀，咬住了她的嘴，哭了起來，“tuwhit，tuwhoo，”用刺耳的聲音。
“回家！罷工回家！”在外的英勇的英雄的人群尖叫。
“站在我站立的地方，”他回答說，“不會哭，回家吧！”他肯定是植物腳一步更高的階梯上，然后他開始發(fā)抖，半昏迷，去了又回。
現在沒有人敢把自己放在這樣的危險中。
“怪物，”他們說，“毒害和致命傷的很強壯的男人在一起，被咬他，他只是呼吸！我們也是，要冒生命危險嗎？”他們商議要做什么，以防止整個城鎮(zhèn)被摧毀。
很長一段時間，一切似乎都是沒有用的，但是最后市長找到權宜之計。
“我認為，”他說，“這是我們應該的，不平常的錢包，支付這個谷倉，凡玉米，秸稈，干草或它所包含的內容，從而保護業(yè)主，然后燒毀了整個建筑，并用它可怕的野獸。
因此，沒有人會危及他的生命。
這是沒有時間考慮費用，和吝嗇將無法應用?！倍纪馑?BR> 于是他們放火燒了谷倉的四個角，用它的貓頭鷹被燒得很慘。
誰要是不相信，去問問自己。
By some mischance one of the great owls, called horned owls, had come from the neighboring woods into the barn of one of the townsfolk in the night-time, and when day broke did not dare to venture forth again from her retreat, for fear of the other birds, which raised a terrible outcry whenever she appeared.
In the morning when the man-servant went into the barn to fetch some straw, he was so mightily alarmed at the sight of the owl sitting there in a corner, that he ran away and announced to his master that a monster, the like of which he had never set eyes on in his life, and which could devour a man without the slightest difficulty, was sitting in the barn, rolling its eyes about in its head.
"I know you already," said the master, "you have courage enough to chase a blackbird about the fields, but when you see a dead hen lying, you have to get a stick before you go near it.
I must go and see for myself what kind of a monster it is," added the master, and went quite boldly into the granary and looked round him.
When, however, he saw the strange grim creature with his own eyes, he was no less terrified than the servant had been.
With two bounds he sprang out, ran to his neighbours, and begged them imploringly to lend him assistance against an unknown and dangerous beast, or else the whole town might be in danger if it were to break loose out of the barn, where it was shut up.
A great noise and clamour arose in all the streets, the townsmen came armed with spears, hay-forks, scythes, and axes, as if they were going out against an enemy; finally, the senators appeared with the burgomaster at their head.
When they had drawn up in the market- place, they marched to the barn, and surrounded it on all sides.
Thereupon one of the most courageous of them stepped forth and entered with his spear lowered, but came running out immediately afterwards with a shriek and as pale as death, and could not utter a single word.
Yet two others ventured in, but they fared no better.
At last one stepped forth; a great strong man who was famous for his warlike deeds, and said, "You will not drive away the monster by merely looking at him; we must be in earnest here, but I see that you have all tuned into women, and not one of you dares to encounter the animal." He ordered them to give him some armour, had a sword and spear brought, and armed himself.
All praised his courage, though many feared for his life.
The two barn-doors were opened, and they saw the owl, which in the meantime had perched herself on the middle of a great cross-beam.
He had a ladder brought, and when he raised it, and made ready to climb up, they all cried out to him that he was to bear himself bravely, and commended him to St.
George, who slew the dragon.
When he had just got to the top, and the owl perceived that he had designs on her, and was also bewildered by the crowd and the shouting, and knew not how to escape, she rolled her eyes, ruffled her feathers, flapped her wings, snapped her beak, and cried, "Tuwhit, tuwhoo," in a harsh voice.
"Strike home! strike home!" screamed the crowd outside to the valiant hero.
"Any one who was standing where I am standing," answered he, "would not cry, strike home!" He certainly did plant his foot one rung higher on the ladder, but then he began to tremble, and half-fainting, went back again.
And now there was no one left who dared to put himself in such danger.
"The monster," said they, "has poisoned and mortally wounded the very strongest man among us, by snapping at him and just breathing on him! Are we, too, to risk our lives?" They took counsel as to what they ought to do to prevent the whole town being destroyed.
For a long time everything seemed to be of no use, but at length the burgomaster found an expedient.
"My opinion," said he, "is that we ought, out of the common purse, to pay for this barn, and whatsoever corn, straw, or hay it contains, and thus indemnify the owner, and then burn down the whole building, and the terrible beast with it.
Thus no one will have to endanger his life.
This is no time for thinking of expense, and niggardliness would be ill applied." All agreed with him.
So they set fire to the barn at all four corners, and with it the owl was miserably burnt.
Let any one who will not believe it, go thither and inquire for himself.
兩年或三百年前，當人們都遠遠不如他們現在的每天如此狡猾的，狡猾的，不同尋常的事件發(fā)生在一個小城鎮(zhèn)。
運氣的一個杰出的貓頭鷹，叫梟，來自附近的森林，在一個夜晚在鄉(xiāng)親的谷倉，拂曉時不敢冒險再從她撤退，為其他鳥類的恐懼，它提出了強烈的*時，她出現了。
在早上，當仆人走進谷倉取來一些稻草，他是如此強烈地感到震驚的坐在那里，在一個角落里貓頭鷹的視線，他跑了，宣布了他的主人，一個怪物，這是他從來沒有看見他的生活，并且可以吞噬一個人沒有絲毫的困難，坐在谷倉里，轉著眼睛在頭。
“我已經認識你了，”大師說，“你有足夠的勇氣去追逐一個關于戰(zhàn)場的黑鳥，但當你看到一個死母雞撒謊，你要你去接近它之前把棍子。
我一定要去看看自己是什么樣的一個怪物是的，補充說：”主人，又很大膽的進倉，回頭看了一下。
然而，當他看到那奇怪的冷酷的動物，他自己的眼睛，他是不那么害怕比仆人了。
兩界他跳了出來，跑到他的鄰居，并請求他們哀求地借給他援助對一個未知的和危險的野獸，否則整個小鎮(zhèn)可能要掙脫出來的谷倉是很危險的，它是關了。
一個杰出的噪音和喧囂起來，所有的街道，市民都手持長矛，干草叉，鐮刀，斧頭，如果他們去攻擊敵人；最后，參議員們出現在他們頭上的市長。
當他們在市場上的時候，他們在谷倉里*，把它圍在所有的地方。
于是，最勇敢的人走了出來，進入了他的槍放下，但跑出來馬上尖叫一聲，面色蒼白，一句話也說不出來。
然而，兩家人都在冒險，但他們表現不好。
最后一個走了出來；一個偉大的健壯的人因他的好戰(zhàn)行為，并說，“你不會趕走怪物只是看著他；我們必須認真的在這里，但我看到你都調整到女人，沒有一個你敢遇到的動物?！八兴麄兘o他一些盔甲，有一把劍和槍帶，和武裝自己。
都稱贊他的勇氣，雖然許多人擔心他的生活。
兩只牲口棚的門被打開了，他們看見了貓頭鷹，這只貓頭鷹在一個巨大的十字梁的中間坐了下來。
他帶了一個梯子，把它舉起來，準備爬上去，他們都向他喊著說他是勇敢地忍受自己，并把他帶到圣
誰殺了龍。
當他剛剛到達山頂，和貓頭鷹發(fā)覺他設計的她，也在人群中，喊著不知所措，不知道如何逃生，她推出了她的眼睛，豎起羽毛，扇動著翅膀，咬住了她的嘴，哭了起來，“tuwhit，tuwhoo，”用刺耳的聲音。
“回家！罷工回家！”在外的英勇的英雄的人群尖叫。
“站在我站立的地方，”他回答說，“不會哭，回家吧！”他肯定是植物腳一步更高的階梯上，然后他開始發(fā)抖，半昏迷，去了又回。
現在沒有人敢把自己放在這樣的危險中。
“怪物，”他們說，“毒害和致命傷的很強壯的男人在一起，被咬他，他只是呼吸！我們也是，要冒生命危險嗎？”他們商議要做什么，以防止整個城鎮(zhèn)被摧毀。
很長一段時間，一切似乎都是沒有用的，但是最后市長找到權宜之計。
“我認為，”他說，“這是我們應該的，不平常的錢包，支付這個谷倉，凡玉米，秸稈，干草或它所包含的內容，從而保護業(yè)主，然后燒毀了整個建筑，并用它可怕的野獸。
因此，沒有人會危及他的生命。
這是沒有時間考慮費用，和吝嗇將無法應用?！倍纪馑?BR> 于是他們放火燒了谷倉的四個角，用它的貓頭鷹被燒得很慘。
誰要是不相信，去問問自己。