One would think that the Owl's fate would forever silence any thought of opposition or rebellion against what turned into rat's dictatorship over the playroom. At first, all the evidence confirmed the dominance of fear. Deadly silence replaced the usual sounds of laughter, and singing and friendly bickering.
The birds huddled together in the closet moaning and crying softly in disbelief.
There must be something - anything - we can do... there must be...
Perhaps, we could set up a round-the-clock watch... Always have at least one of us awake and on guard to ensure that this... this .... The white heron's voice cracked...
Yes, absolutely! Why didn't we think of it sooner?
The other animals joined a 24-hour vigil, emboldened by the feathery compassion of the birds. The vigil apparently stopped the series of daily carnage which greatly encouraged the animals who have begun to see themselves more and more as powerless victims of cruel fate than lovingly adopted members of an amazing family.
The Owl's life, however, seemed to be hanging by a very thin thread. The attack turned out to be not only humiliating, but also life-threatening. The animals huddled, and prayed, and prayed and huddled, and watched each other's back.
As the day turned into the night which turned into another day, the real possibility of losing the wise Owl forever weighed heavily on everyone's heart. Their sorrow simmered and churned, settling deep down inside and slowly transforming itself into something they didn't realize they had in themselves.
As the rat took his usual spot in the center of the playroom, ready to dish out his daily dose of dread and intimidation, he was faced with a row of glaring angry birds, backed up with an entire army of crippled creatures.
The rat scanned the rows of suddenly proudly determined animals in various degrees of disfigurement, and realized that he had seriously miscalculated, for things were not working out according to his plan.
He needed a new strategy and he needed it fast.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
I Peter 5:8-9
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