Lazy Ozzie

Ozzie was a very lazy owl.

"It's time you tried?to fly," said Mother?Owl one day.

But Ozzie just said, "Oh, do I have to?"

Ozzie didn't fancy flying one little bit.?It seemed much too much hard work,?all that wing-flapping. He just?wanted to sit around all day.?"I'm practising being wise,"?he said.

"Well, I want you to fly," said Mother Owl sternly.?

"Now, I'm going off to look for some food. And if you?are?wise, you will be on the ground by the time I come back!"

Ozzie thought hard.

If he was wise, then he should be able to think of a way of getting down to the ground without flying.

Suddenly he noticed the horse who lived in their barn. The horse's head came up almost as high as the beam Ozzie?was sitting on.

Ozzie had an idea...

"Help, help!" he yelled.?

"What's the matter with you, then?" said the high horse.

"It's an emergency!" shouted Ozzie, jumping on to the high horse's back. "Take me to the cowshed!"

So the high horse took Ozzie to the cowshed.

In the cowshed there lived a cow who wasn't quite as high as the high horse.

"It's an emergency!" cried Ozzie, jumping on to the not-quite-so-high cow's back. "Take me to the pigsty!"

So the high horse and the not-quite-so-high cow took Ozzie to the pigsty.

In the pigsty there lived a big pig. "It's an emergency!" cried Ozzie, jumping on to the big pig's back. "Take me to the farmyard!"

So the high horse, the not-quite-so-high cow and the big pig took Ozzie to the farmyard.

In the farmyard there lived a sheepdog.

The sheepdog wasn't as tall as the big pig.

He was a short sheepdog. "It's an emergency!" cried Ozzie, jumping on to the short sheepdog's back. "Take me to the big field!"

So the high horse, the not-quite-so-high cow, the big pig and the short sheepdog took Ozzie to?the big field.

In the big field there lived a little lamb.?

"It's an emergency!" cried Ozzie, jumping on to the little lamb's back. "Take me to the duck pond!"?

So the high horse, the not-quite-so-high cow, the big pig, the short sheepdog and the little lamb took Ozzie to?the duck pond.

In the duck pond there lived a diddy duck.

"It's an emergency!"?cried Ozzie, jumping on to the diddy duck's back.?"Take me to the barn!"?

So the high horse, the not-quite-so-high cow, the big pig, the short sheepdog, the little lamb and the diddy duck took Ozzie back to?the barn...

As soon as they got there, Ozzie hopped from the diddy duck's back down to the ground.?

He'd done it!

Now that's what you call?being wise, he told himself!

"So where's the emergency?" asked the high horse.

"Ah," said Ozzie. "I was only joking. What a hoot, eh?"

The high horse, the not-quite-so-high cow, the big pig, the short sheepdog, the little lamb and the diddy duck weren't amused.?

They went away grumbling.?

But Ozzie was pleased. His plan had worked. He was pretty wise already.

"I flew all the way down," he said to Mother Owl when she came back.

Mother Owl gave a big smile. "Well done, son," she said. Ozzie thought she was pleased with him...

...but he didn't know she'd been watching all the time.

"Now let me see you fly back up again," said Mother Owl.