The Friend

They had become friends, but she hadn't made the best first impression, the little girl's face popping into the hole where her nest was with a gasp, the little barn owl had been spooked.

Quite annoyed as well, its sleep had been rudely interrupted.

Then her foot slipped off the wood and there she went. With a little cry and a thud on the ground, the leaves, fortunately, broke her fall.

The owl peered out of her nest and looked down, surprised and admittedly, a little worried, but her eyes were narrowed in annoyance.

But the girl simply laughed away and kept playing.

And curiosity drove it to follow.

So the owl shook its body, unfurled its wings, and flew.

From above she stared at the little girl, who simply ran around without a care in the world.

So much so that she didn't notice the snake that she was nearing, readying its bite.

With a scream the owl dived, startling the girl and surprising the snake, the latter's head being pierced brutally by the owl's sharp talons.

After a brief tussle, the snake finally had enough, battered and bruised, and slivered away into the underbrush.

The girl gasped in awe and wonder, staying still for just a moment.

And then she moved on.

The owl merely stared in disbelief, even indignant at the sheer uncaring attitude the girl had.

Its eye twitching, it flew off into the air, planning on leaving the foolish girl to her fate.

But worry and compassion soon brought it circling back around.

Just in time to deal with another snake.

Then some rats.

A weasel.

And somehow, a bear?

And as the owl rested, having finally driven off the bear, it glared angrily at the girl who seemed so naive, so foolish.

The girl, however, merely smiled and held out food for the owl to eat.

The owl snorted and shook its head, the day had been long, its feathers dirty, and hunger had plagued it throughout the day.

With a slight hop, it moved forward and ate.

And for some reason, it decided to stay.

The girl eventually grew older, her adventures becoming more daring, the dangers more perilous, and the owl stood by her side, watching, guiding, and helping all along the way, providing wisdom whenever the questions arose.

The owl watched as the girl became a woman, finding love along the way.

The owl herself had also found companionship and had seen her young grow and fly away.

They had been far, far easier to deal with.

She was the first to sense it, the new life that began to grow within her lifelong friend.

One day became two, and soon enough nine months had passed by.

And a little boy was born.

It seemed as if the owl's job wasn't done quite yet.

The little boy grew and started to learn of the world that surrounded him, and to no one's surprise, had become just as curious as his mother was.

It seemed as if she would never escape this fate.

Well, at least his mother was finally getting a taste of her own medicine. He was providing no shortage of headaches nor heart attacks as he increasingly found himself in dangerous situations.

But while the mother panicked and fretted, the owl took charge and helped calm the boy. Always standing by, always at the ready.

And one day, the mother asked.

"My friend? How did you become so wise, dealing with children?"

The owl laughed delightedly and merely smiled.

"Why, from dealing with you of course."

The woman narrowed her eyes in annoyance, an unimpressed look marring her face, her arms crossed over her son in irritation.

The owl laughed once more.

"What? You asked."

And the owl laughed heartily with her friend.