it fairly made his head feathers stand on end to think of it, and he was so frightened that he forgot to be cross, and stepped right in and covered them with his own breast. what if they had already been left too long, and the owlets within would never hatch? would mrs. owl ever forgive him for being so stupid? he began to wonder if any of the other fellows would see him. he thought it so absurd for the king of the forest to be hatching out a couple of eggs, instead of swooping around in the dark and frightening the smaller birds.