The Owl (fairy tale) facts for kids

The Owl is a German fairy tale collected by the famous Brothers Grimm. It is story number 174 in their well-known book, Grimm's Fairy Tales. This tale is also known by a special classification system as Aarne-Thompson type 1281, which is about "Burning the Barn to Destroy an Unknown Animal."

What the Story is About

The story begins when a horned owl flies into a barn. This barn belongs to someone in a nearby town. The owl quickly scares everyone who tries to go into the barn.

On the same day, a man known for being very brave and good at fighting speaks to the townspeople. He tells them they are "all acting like women," meaning they are being too scared. He then bravely goes into the barn, carrying a spear.

However, the owl hoots loudly at him. Even this brave man gets scared and runs away! The people of the town then decide on a drastic plan. They choose to burn the barn down completely. This way, they believe they will get rid of the scary owl forever.