Scott McMullen, age 9, of Streator, Illinois for his question:

Is an owl really a wise bird?

We all know about that wise old owl who sat on an oak and said nothing at all. But since he never told anybody what he knew, nobody could be sure whether he was a wise old bird or not. In ancient times, people thought he was a very quiet sensible looking bird. Certainly his big round eyes look very thoughtful as he watches the world go by. Ages ago, when people believed in gods and goddesses, they claimed that the owl was the favorite bird of Pallas Athene. And she was their goddess of wisdom.

After 2,000 years, people forgot about Athene, the goddess of wisdom. But they remembered that the owl was her favorite bird. That maybe is how he got his reputation for being so wise. Actually, he is smart enough to know the things an owl needs to know in order to live a happy and successful life. But there are some other birds who seem to know more than they need to know. Experts tell us that the smartest of these birds is the bold and sassy old crow.