时间：2022-07-02 05:59:41
The Owl
One day when the birds were all together, they found a very beau-tiful rose by itself ona small bush. Each bird wanted to have the rose for itself so they decided to give it as a prize to the most beautiful of them all .
One by one the birds of the world strutted and hopped before the judges. There were brightly-colored parrots and parakeets, peacocks with their shimmering tails, tiny humming birds and long-plumed birds of paradise, snow-white doves and gleaming black ravens. It was very difficult to choose among so many.
Then an owl came hopping forward.
ìLet me save you some trouble,î he said.îIt is easy to see that I am the most beautiful bird of all. Give me the rose. î
The other birds all laughed.
ìThe only thing that is easy to see is that you are not the most beautiful bird of all,îthey said.ìGo away, everyone. It is late. We will decide tomorrow.î
During the night the owl crept up to the rose bush and stole the rose.ìIf they wonít give me the prize then I shall take it for myself.î he thought.
The next morning, when the other birds discovered what had happened, they were very angry.
ìThe owl must be punished.î said the thrush.
ìHe shall see by night but not by day.îsaid the bullfinch.
ìSince he thinks he is so much better than we are ,he shall live apart from us.î said the sparrow.
And that is why the owl is a solitary bird of the night; if the other birds ever find him flying in the daytime they swarm round him like angry bees, pecking and shrieking at him until he returns to the shelter of the dark woods.
一天，鸟儿们聚在一起，发现灌木树丛里有一朵非常漂亮的玫瑰花。所有的鸟儿都想得到它，于是他们决定把花奖给最漂亮的鸟儿。
世上的鸟儿一个个摇摇摆摆、蹦蹦跳跳地来到裁判员面前。这些鸟当中有色彩鲜艳的大小鹦鹉、尾巴闪闪发光的孔雀、嗡嗡直叫的小蜂鸟、羽毛长长的极乐鸟、雪白雪白的鸽子、又黑又亮的乌鸦。从这么多的鸟儿中选出最漂亮的，可真不容易。
猫头鹰跳上前去。
“让我来帮你们解决这个难题吧，”他说，“显然我是最漂亮的鸟儿，把玫瑰花给我吧。”
别的鸟儿都笑了起来。
“很明显，你不是最漂亮的鸟儿。”他们说，“大家都回家吧，天晚了。我们明天再定吧。”
当天夜里，猫头鹰悄悄来到生长着玫瑰的那片灌木前，偷走了玫瑰花。“他们不奖给我，我就自己拿。”他心想。
第二天一早，别的鸟儿发现花被猫头鹰偷走了，都很生气。
“猫头鹰一定得受到惩罚。”老鹰说。
“让他只能在夜里看东西，白天变成瞎子。”红腹灰雀说。
“既然他认为自己比我们都好看，他就该跟我们分开住。”麻雀说。
“就该这样。”老鹰说。
这样，猫头鹰只在夜间单独活动。如果别的鸟儿发现他在白天飞，他们就会像愤怒的蜜蜂一样把他团团围住，用嘴啄他，朝他尖叫，直到他回到黑暗的森林中躲起来才肯罢休。