Check out the latest episode of 'The Art of Don' on RTE 2 at 3.15pm today.

In today's episode Don and his friends draw the amazing Eagle Owl. One of Don's favourite birds which is often portrayed in TV and Film. In Disney's 'Winnie The Pooh' the eagle owl was portrayed in the character the owl.

A tale from Ancient Greece...

A long time ago Owls were the only birds who sang at night. After a hard day scratching for food, raising their young and general day-to-day toiling all the animals and birds of the land would gather round the massive oak trees and listen to the beautiful music of the owls.

Everyone agreed it was the most wonderful sound ever heard and animals and birds came from far and wide to listen. As news spread of the wonderful music, so did the egos of the owls increase.

One night the owls announced that they were so wonderful that they deserved to be paid for their performances. It was decided they would charge everyone for the pleasure of listening to their song. Annoyed though they were, the animals and birds agreed that the owls' music was worth paying for and each night brought treasures and sumptuous foods for the haughty owls.

Then something very strange happened.

On one particular night the owls were sitting on their branches, deliberately making their paying public wait, "We are owls! We perform when we are good and ready!" they told each other.

Suddenly beautiful music was heard.

The animals and birds were confused. This song was not the song of the owls. It was much sweeter and lighter and much more melodic.
But where did it come from?
The animals searched high and low until they found the author of the glorious music. It was none other than a nightingale.

The owls were astonished and in their own arrogant way cried "Who? Who? Who?". They couldn't believe that anyone would ever try and upstage them. And since that day the owls lost their gift of song and, like a stuck record, repeat the words "who?', "who?", "who?" over and over again.

But what about the owl who couldn't give a hoot? Now that's another story. To find out more go here...

http://donconroy.com/publications

Category: TV and Radio