"I don't believe it!" a baffled hare said to Hop.

"It's true, unfortunately. Hoot is gone- taken." Hop said.

The group of animals started whispering to each other. Hop and Ift and ten, eleven, twelve other animals were gathered together under the Tree fo Meeting (a large, leafy oak that stood alone in the middle ofa  beautiful meadow).

"But what should we do? We have no idea where Hoot has been taken!" said a raccoon. Hop looked at Ift and she looked at him. Both expected each other to give an answer. Both could not give any- they had, it was true, no idea what to do.

"I know!" a squirrel from a tree chimed in. Everyone kept silent and waited for him to say something.

"Ibbit said that they were taken captive by the tall creatures, right?" asked the squirrel. Ift nodded a yes.

"That means they would probably have taken Hoot back to where they live." the squirrel said. Everyone looked at each other. Yes, they all knew where the tall creatures lived- where they came from. But they also knew that no one would ever dare go near them.

"You all know that it would be very silly to go there..." a mole said softly.

"That's right. There are hawks and foxes and unfriendly ravens." said a sparrow.

"I would be willing to fly there." Ift said.

"No, it's too dangerous." Hop quickly replied.

"That young rabbit is right." said an old deer, who had kept silent until now.

"But I can quickly fly there and find Hoot. It's simple!" Ift pleaded.

"No, no," said the old deer, "how can you be so sure that you can find that owl easily? Where would you go once you get exhausted?"

Everyone agreed. But Ift said, "I must try."

The old dear chuckled, and said: "I don't mean to say that you or anyone else should not bother to rescue Hoot."

"What do you mean to say then?" a hedgehog asked.

"That in order to find and bring back Hoot," the old deer explained, "You'll need more than a single swallow- no matter how skillful she is. You'll need, in other words, help."