old and infirm, he had a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren
who attended to his wants; and then, too, his master cared very
particularly for his comfort, and saw that Daddy Jake had good fires,
and that his clothes were kept clean and mended, and his food nicely
cooked; so the old man passed his days in peace and quiet.

The children found him now lying stretched out on a bench in front of
his cabin, while Polly, his great-granddaughter, was scratching and
"looking" his head.

"We've come for you to tell us about the Owl, Daddy," said Diddie, after
she had given the old man some cake and a bottle of muscadine wine that
her mother had sent to him.

"All right, little misses," replied Daddy; and, sitting up on the bench,
he lifted Tot beside him, while Diddie and Dumps sat on the door-sill,
and Dilsey and Chris and Riar and Polly sat flat on the ground.

"Well, yer see de Owl," began Daddy Jake, "he usen fur ter see in de
daytime des same ez he do now in de night; an' one time he wuz in his
kitchen er cookin' uv his dinner, wen hyear come de Peafowl er struttin'
by. Well, in dem days de Peafowl he nuber had none er dem eyes on his
tail wat he got now; his tail wuz des er clean blue."

"Did you see him, Daddy?" interrupted Dumps.

[Illustration: "'STRUCK'N UV DE CHIL'EN."]

"No, honey, I ain't seed 'im wen he wuz dat way; dat wuz fo' my time;
but den I know hit's de truf, do'; his tail wuz er clar blue dout'n no