The Owl and
The Bluejays

Charles Krafft

While hitchhiking to Seattle, two Indians gave me a ride from La Conner to Mt. Vernon in a pickup truck.

On the way I told them I was an artist, and showed them a folio of bird drawings I had with me.

The Indians looked at them with some interest, then the one driving asked me to draw a picture of a Bluejay for him.

He told me that the Bluejay was the only bird that will help another bird of a species different than its own.

I asked the Indian how they did this.

He said that the Bluejays will always surround a hungry bird, even an Eagle, and feed it.

I said I would give him a picture of a Bluejay the next time I saw him.

Then the Indian sitting next to me who had been silent, turned and said, "I can hear the Bluejays talk."

I asked him what they said.

He replied, "Right now they are talking to an Owl they've got riding between them in a truck."