The Owls of Thunder Hollow
by
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There was a male who had a way of flitting from
place to place without even rustling the leaves as he
flew. It was a talent that he had been born with, but
it was a wonderful talent all the same. Old Teacher
named him “Silent Hunter.” The male who had been
hatched in the same tree with the young eagle was the
one who had the great strong shoulders, so the Old
Teacher named him “Strongshoulders”.
Finally, she turned to the young bird who had been
late. He had already been a distraction from the teaching
that was so important for the survival of the young
owls. She could not send him back to his home tree
with a name like “clumsy” or anything like that. Try as
she would, she just could not see one positive ability or
one beautiful trait that this young bird possessed.
At last, with a long sigh, she called him “Brownie”
because of his dull brown feathers. All of the young
owls hooted their own names for a while. Then they
hooted each others’ names for a while. None of them
seemed to notice that Old Teacher had given Brownie a
less beautiful name than the rest of them.
Old Teacher hoped that Mama and Papa owl would
not ask for an explanation about Brownie’s name.
Now it was time for the night’s flying lessons to
begin. The young owls flitted from limb to limb in the
big Naming Tree while Old Teacher gave instructions
and tips on hunting and diving. The young birds learned
quickly. That is to say that most of them did. One of
them fell asleep on a high limb of The Naming Tree.
Brownie just could not stay awake.
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Book Details
About the Book
The Owls of Thunder Hollow have a perfect teaching system for teaching their young. The young owls learn to fly, hunt, and survive within this perfect system. There never has been a problem with the system.
Everything changes when the owls accidentally hatch a strange egg. The young bird is not an owl. It does not fit into their “perfect teaching system”.
This is a story about an honest effort that was made by both teacher and student. After months of frustration and failure, it appears that they have parted with bitter feelings.
The young bird is banished from the presence of his friends. The teacher has been denied the affection that she should have received from the young owls that she taught.
Many teachers and students have lived through the sadness of a story like this one.
If you had hoped for a happy ending, but never were able to find one, you really need this book.
The Owls of Thunder Hollow were able to find an end to the story that is seldom achieved in the world of people.
About the Author
Dan Barnwell is the seventh son in a family of twelve children. His father died when he was seven years old, leaving the family a small farm on the rocky side of Crooked Mountain just east of Jacksonville, Alabama.
Dan’s childhood was spent in abject poverty, but it was not an unhappy childhood. His mother taught the family to hope for a better day no matter what the present circumstances happened to be. Dan was able to keep the joy in his brothers’ and sisters’ lives by continually entertaining and encouraging them with original stories and poems. He never saw his family as poor folks. He saw them as future champions in life.
Through this book, his first serious work of fiction, he continues to display his natural talent. His great gifts of imagination and communication will make the characters seem to come to life.
The message he sends through his tales has never changed. Believe in yourself.
Dan still lives on the rocky hillside just up the road from the old house that he called his home when he was a child.