Prevod

A few hundred years ago, when people were nowhere near as clever and cunning as they are today, a strange thing happened in a little town. One night, one of those great owls known as eagle owls happened to stray from the nearby forest into a townsman’s barn. When day broke, it dared not venture out of its hiding place for fear of the other birds, which raise a dreadful clamour whenever it shows itself. Now, when the servant came into the barn that morning to fetch some straw, he was so terrified at the sight of the owl sitting in a corner that he ran away and told his master there was a monster in the barn such as he had never seen in all his life: it rolled its eyes in its head and could swallow a man without a second thought. ‘I know what you’re like,’ said his master. ‘You’re brave enough when it comes to chasing a blackbird across a field, but if you see a dead hen lying on the ground, you fetch a stick before you dare go near it. I had better go and see for myself what sort of monster this is,’ he added, and strode boldly into the barn and looked about. But when he saw the strange and hideous creature with his own eyes, he was no less frightened than his servant. In a couple of bounds he was outside again, and he ran to his neighbours, imploring them to help him against an unknown and dangerous beast. Indeed, the whole town might be in peril if it broke out of the barn where it was lurking. A great noise and shouting arose in every street. The townspeople came armed with spears, pitchforks, scythes and axes, as though marching out against an enemy; at last the councillors appeared as well, with the mayor at their head. Once they had formed ranks in the marketplace, they marched to the barn and surrounded it on every side. Then one of the boldest stepped forward and went inside with his spear lowered, but a moment later he came running out again with a shriek, deathly pale and unable to utter a word. Two more ventured inside, but fared no better. At last a tall, strong man, famous for his deeds in battle, stepped forward and said, ‘You will never drive the monster away merely by looking at it. This calls for stern measures, but I see you have all turned into women, and not one of you dares bite the fox.’ He had armour, a sword and a spear brought to him, and armed himself. Everyone praised his courage, though many feared for his life. Both barn doors were thrown open, revealing the owl, which had meanwhile perched on a great crossbeam in the middle of the barn. He had a ladder brought, and as he set it in place and prepared to climb, they all called to him to bear himself like a man, and commended him to Saint George, who had slain the dragon. When he was nearly at the top, the owl saw that he was coming for it. Bewildered by the crowd and their shouting, and not knowing which way to turn, it rolled its eyes, ruffled its feathers, spread its wings, snapped its beak and cried ‘Tu-whit, tu-whoo!’ in a harsh voice. ‘Strike! Strike!’ the crowd outside shouted to the gallant hero. ‘If you were standing where I am,’ he answered, ‘you would not be shouting “Strike!”’ He did put his foot one rung higher, but then he began to tremble and, half fainting, made his way back down.

Now there was no one left who was willing to face the danger. ‘The monster,’ they said, ‘has poisoned and mortally wounded the strongest man among us merely by snapping its beak and breathing on him. Are the rest of us to stake our lives as well?’ They took counsel over what was to be done to save the whole town from destruction. For a long time all seemed hopeless, until at last the mayor found a way out. ‘My opinion,’ he said, ‘is that we should pay the owner out of the public purse for this barn and everything in it—grain, straw and hay—so that he suffers no loss, and then burn down the whole building with the dreadful beast inside it. That way, no one need risk his life. This is no time for saving money, and stinginess would be sadly misplaced.’ They all agreed. So the barn was set alight at all four corners, and the owl perished miserably in the flames. Whoever does not believe it may go there and ask for himself.