The Owl and the Grasshopper

In a dark, cozy hollow of an old oak tree lived a large gray Owl. Unlike most birds, Owls are awake all night hunting for food and flying under the moon. When the sun comes up, they need peace and quiet so they can sleep all day long.

One warm afternoon, the Owl was trying very hard to sleep. But down on the grass below, a tiny green Grasshopper was jumping around and singing at the top of his lungs.

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! the Grasshopper sang loudly, rubbing his little back legs together to make his noisy music.

The Owl opened one big yellow eye. She poked her fuzzy head out of her tree hollow and looked down. “Excuse me, Mr. Grasshopper,” the Owl said kindly. “Could you please be a little quieter? I have been awake all night and I am trying to get some sleep.”

But the Grasshopper was entirely too proud of his own voice to stop. “I will not!” snapped the Grasshopper. “This is a free forest. I have just as much right to be awake and sing in the sunshine as you do to sleep!” And he began singing even louder. CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!

The Owl was very annoyed. She really wanted to swoop down and chase the noisy bug away, but her eyes were very sensitive to the bright afternoon sun. If she flew down now, she might crash into a branch.

So, the clever Owl thought of a different plan. She composed herself, smiled sweetly, and said, “Well, Mr. Grasshopper, since you refuse to let me sleep, and since your singing is actually quite beautiful, I suppose I should just stay awake and listen. I happen to have some delicious, sweet nectar up here in my nest. Why don’t you come up, have a sip with me, and sing me a private concert?”

The Grasshopper was incredibly flattered. He could not believe that the great Owl loved his singing that much! Completely forgetting that Owls eat small bugs, the proud Grasshopper eagerly hopped right up the trunk of the tree and into the Owl’s dark hollow.

As soon as the Grasshopper stepped inside the nest, the Owl gobbled him up in one quick bite!

With the loud chirping finally gone, the clever Owl closed her big yellow eyes and went back to having a peaceful, quiet sleep.

Moral of the Story: Flattery is often a trap in disguise.