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Then it was “How-dy-do, Mr. Owl!” and “I hope you’re well to-day!” And when Solomon Jasper, that bold fellow always felt quite uneasy; and he was glad when Solomon Owl looked away. If Solomon Owl chanced to hoot on those occasions, Jasper Jay would jump almost out of his bright blue coat. Then Solomon’s deep laughter would echo mockingly through the woods.
Reddy had drummed so hard on Solomon’s door, in the effort to awake him when he wasn’t there, that Aunt Polly Woodchuck told him he would ruin his bill, if he didn’t look out. And since the warning thoroughly alarmed him, Reddy stopped visiting the hemlock grove. In time Solomon Owl grew to look like himself again. And people never really knew just what had happened to him.
He seemed much surprised that Solomon Owl should be so agreeable. “Can you hear me?” Reddy asked him. “Perfectly!” said Solomon. “That’s strange!” Reddy Woodpecker exclaimed. “I was almost sure you had suddenly grown deaf.” And he could not understand why Solomon Owl laughed loud and long. “Wha-wha! Whoo-ah!” Solomon’s deep-voiced laughter rolled and echoed through the woodland.
For afterward his neighbors seldom troubled him—except when Jasper Jay brought a crowd of his noisy friends to tease Solomon, or Reddy Woodpecker annoyed him by rapping on his door when he was asleep. But those rowdies always took good care to skip out of Solomon’s reach. And when Jasper Jay met Solomon alone in the woods at dawn or dusk he was most polite to the solemn old chap.
And if these employments about Solomon’s temple were not to be called spiritual or ecclesiastical, far less about our material churches, which are not holy nor consecrated as Solomon’s was for a typical use. Wherefore, without all prejudice to our cause, we may and do commend the building and repairing of churches by Christian princes. Sect. 10.
They are symbolical and contain realities of spiritual meaning. For instance, in the book of Solomon’s songs you will read about the bride and bridegroom. It is evident that the physical bride and bridegroom are not intended. Obviously, these are symbols conveying a hidden and inner significance. In the same way the Revelations of St. John are not to be taken literally, but spiritually.
And since his two visitors did not dare follow him into the dark cavern where he lived, they decided at last that they would go home—and get into bed. “Let’s take away his sign, anyhow!” Jasper Jay suggested. So they pulled down Solomon’s sign, which said “Disputes Settled Within,” and they carried it off with them and hid it in some bushes.
The reply to this seems to me conclusive. In the first place, he is, in this respect, like all other writers of his time. That was an age of fanciful theories. Montesinos is certainly no worse than others in this respect, while he has the merit of being somewhat more original. He brought the Peruvian civilization from Armenia, and argued that Peru was Solomon’s Ophir.
But after a time it became one of Reddy Woodpecker’s favorite sports. Not only once, but several times a day did he go to the hemlock grove to hammer upon Solomon’s hollow tree. And each time that he brought Solomon Owl to his door Reddy Woodpecker laughed more loudly than ever before. And Reddy Woodpecker was so amused that he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Afterward, Solomon heard a bit of gossip that annoyed him. A friend of his reported that Aunt Polly Woodchuck was going about and telling everybody how she had saved Solomon’s life. And if people in this neighborhood keep on taking her advice and her catnip tea they’re going to be sorry some day. For they’ll be really ill the first thing they know. And then what will they do?”
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