The Owl & The Rose

One day a beautiful red rose was growing on its own on a little red rose bush. It was the most precious rose of all so the birds of the heavens decided to have a competition and give the splendid rose to the most handsome bird of all. They all came strutting by in front of the judges; the swallow with its majestic tail behind, the peacocks with their wonderful colorful plumage, the sharp-eyed hawk with his handsome and fierce nature, they all hoped to win the precious rose for themself. So it happened that the old owl also paraded by in front of all and said, 'Give me the lovely rose, for it is plain to see that I am the best looking of all of you.' The other birds just laughed in return and told him 'The only thing that is plain to see is that you are certainly not the prettiest of us all. No, you shall not have the lovely rose all for yourself.' The judges could still not decide who the winner would be as the sun set and night fell, so it was decided that they would do so the next day. But in the darkness in the dead of night the owl stole up to the lovely rose bush and stole the rose clean away. The next day the other birds were furious when they found out that the sly old owl had stolen their precious rose after all. The banned him to the dark night hours far away from the rest of them who flew by day and said to him 'Now you shall only fly by night and not in the daytime anymore. None of us want you in our company any longer for you are nothing but a thief of the night.' 'Yes, I shall only fly by night from now on,' said the wise old owl, 'Ah, but I have the rose,' said he, 'I have the rose.'  

(The Aesop Fable.)