large/12918/tommy_smiths_animals_1812_librivox_64kb_mp3/tommysmith_11_selous_64kb_87
large/12918/tommy_smiths_animals_1812_librivox_64kb_mp3/tommysmith_11_selous_64kb
English
12918
Well, have you thought of it all?" "I've tried to," said Tommy Smith. "It's difficult, isn't it?" said the owl. "It's all very well to say 'think,' but the fact is, you _can't_ think what a useful bird an owl is—and especially a barn owl. WELL HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF IT ALL I'VE TRIED TO SAID TOMMY SMITH IT'S DIFFICULT ISN'T IT SAID THE OWL IT'S ALL VERY WELL TO SAY THINK BUT THE FACT IS YOU CAN'T THINK WHAT A USEFUL BIRD AN OWL IS AND ESPECIALLY A BARN OWL
is rather large for me—too large to swallow whole, at anyrate; and I like to swallow things whole if I can. But the mice and the young rats are just the right size, and you’ve no idea what a lot of them I eat. I have a very good appetite, I can tell you, and so have my children. Of course, I have to feed them as well as myself, so there is plenty of work for me to do. Every night I fly round the fields and farmyards, and when I see a mouse, or a rat, or a mole, or a shrew-mouse, down I pounce upon it. Now think how many owls there are all over the country, and think what thousands and thousands of rats and mice they must catch every night, and then think what a lot of good they must do. Or, here is another way. Think how many rats and mice there are even now, although there are so many owls to catch them, and think how much harm they do, and think how many more there would be, and how much more harm they would do if there were no owls to catch them. That is a lot of thinking is it not?  THE MICE A FULL GROWN RAT IS RATHER LARGE FOR ME TOO LARGE TO SWALLOW HOLE AT ANY RATE AND I LIKE TO SWALLOW THINGS WHOLE IF I CAN BUT THE MICE AND THE YOUNG RATS ARE JUST THE RIGHT SIZE AND YOU'VE NO IDEA WHAT A LOT OF THEM I EAT I HAVE A VERY GOOD APPETITE I CAN TELL YOU AND SO HAVE MY CHILDREN OF COURSE I HAVE TO FEED THEM AS WELL AS MYSELF SO THERE IS PLENTY OF WORK FOR ME TO DO EVERY NIGHT I FLY ROUND THE FIELDS AND FARMYARDS AND WHEN I SEE A MOUSE OR A RAT OR A MOLE OR A SHREW MOUSE DOWN I POUNCE UPON IT NOW THINK HOW MANY OWLS THERE ARE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THINK WHAT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF RATS AND MICE THEY MUST CATCH EVERY NIGHT AND THEN THINK WHAT A LOT OF GOODS THEY MUST DO OR HERE IS ANOTHER WAY THINK HOW MANY RATS AND MICE THERE ARE EVEN NOW ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SO MANY OWLS TO CATCH THEM AND THINK HOW MUCH HARM THEY DO AND THINK HOW MANY MORE THERE WOULD BE AND HOW MUCH MORE HARM THEY WOULD DO IF THERE WERE NO OWLS TO CATCH THEM THAT IS A LOT OF THINKING IS IT NOT
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