Free Gunns & Roses by Karen Kelly Page A

gauntlet that covered her left hand and lower arm. Then she lifted her arm, and the owl extended his wings to glide across the field. The man stepped away from her as she pulled from a pocket a leather lure with a piece of meat attached to the end and began to swing it in circles around her.
    “Owls can see moving prey at an astounding rate of speed and hone in on their target.” The crowd struggled to keep track of the bird of prey, as it swooped silently closer and closer to the twirling bait. Then it wheeled, picked up speed, and extended its talons to snatch the bait at the end of the leather. Gandalf alighted gracefully on the grass several feet from the falconer to eat its catch.
    The audience broke out into cheering and applause. Emily hung onto her father’s arm. “Gandalf’s wings are huge ! Could he carry me away?”
    Wally looked down at his daughter and grinned into her eyes that were round with amazement. “Nah, you’re safe, Em. Sure, he can carry several times his weight like the lady said, but those owls don’t weigh more than five or six pounds at the most. Now, if you were only twenty pounds of child, we’d have to guard you real close.”
    The owl returned to the falconer’s gauntlet. “I’ll need some help. Are there any children out there who would like to be a part of the next demonstration?”
    As children around the perimeter started jumping up and waving for attention, Emily asked her parents, “Can I?”
    “Of course,” answered Peggy. “Now that Daddy told us you weigh too much for an owl to carry away.”
    Emily jumped as close to the barrier as she could and waved hard at the male falconer who was walking along the edge selecting the helpers. He paused as he came near the bouncing youngster, waved her to him, and said, “You!”
    “Well, now we know what Em will talk about on the first day back at school this fall,” said Alice.
    “I’m so glad she got picked!” Peggy’s eyes followed her daughter as the falconer, Finley, had the children sit cross-legged in two rows, facing inward.
    With the children almost in position, Brooke made another request to the crowd. “I also need four adults to be trees for us, no branches required.” In short order four tall adults had taken their places at the end of the two rows of children, on the side opposite from where Brooke and Gandalf stood. Finley took his place behind the “trees” and held out his gloved hand and padded arm.
    “Children, each of you is a mouse who does not want to be Gandalf’s dinner. An owl can see the tiniest movement, so you must not wiggle, twitch, giggle, or talk. Try to sit so still that you can feel when Gandalf has flown over you.” The children glanced at each other and settled into their positions, nervousness on some faces and excitement on others as they became still.
    “And ‘trees,’” Finley said, addressing the adults next to him, “you also need to stay as motionless as you can. Tree bark can withstand owl talons better than skin and cloth.”
    Quiet settled over the crowd, each person fixing their eyes on the magnificent bird of prey. At the slightest of signals from his falconer, Gandalf leapt into the air, extending his four-foot wingspan to glide over the heads of the children. Obedient to the falconer’s instructions, the children sat as if frozen, the occasional lift of hair as the bird flew over them was the only sign of movement.
    It seemed impossible that the large bird could fit between the “trees” as they stood a mere twelve inches apart. But Gandalf rolled back slightly, extended his feet, and landed on Finley’s arm in a movement so graceful it could almost be called dainty.
    The children, adults, and audience drew in a collective gasp and broke into applause. Emily bounced up onto her knees and hugged herself, giggling with the girl next to her about feeling her hair lift when Gandalf flew over her. The falconers announced a brief intermission and dismissed the