THE WISE OLD OWL : The Owl and the Grasshopper

Aug 18th, 2010 by rachel1919

Recently I have become fascinated by owls. This sudden interest in owls is mostly due to Molly the famous barn owl. Molly is a wild barn owl who, along with her mate McGee, is raising her clutch of owlets in front of a live webcam. My 6 year old son and I are really enjoying being able to witness nature at it’s finest.

My son asked if owls are smart, which I thought was an interesting question that made me wonder “why DO we view owls as a symbol of wisdom?”

The owl is not really a wise bird at all. The owl actually has a small brain in comparison to it’s size. Other birds such as crows, ravens and geese are much smarter than owls.

The origin of the wise owl dates all the way back to Greek mythology. The owl represents Athena who was the goddess of wisdom. In early Indian folklore, owls represent wisdom, helpfulness and they also have the power to predict the future.

I remember this nursery rhyme from when I was a child that depicts the owl as a wise bird.

A wise old owl lived in an oak

The more he saw the less he spoke

The less he spoke the more he heard.

Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?

As a young girl I fondly remember the smart little clockwork owl named Bubo who helped Perseus in the Clash of the Titans. There was also this Aesop’s fable.




“Get away from here, sir,” she said to the Grasshopper. “Have you no manners? You should at least respect my age and leave me to sleep in quiet!”




The foolish Grasshopper was taken in by the Owl’s flattering words. Up he jumped to the Owl’s den, but as soon as he was near enough so the old Owl could see him clearly, she pounced upon him and ate him up.

The moral; Flattery is not a proof of true admiration.



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