Owls in the Family

Wol is the first of the two great horned owls that Billy finds and keeps as pets. He is white with only a few black spots. His mother and siblings die in a storm, and Billy and his friends find him wet and hungry under a bush. From the moment they find him, he is a fighter. Though he is initially “shivering like a leaf” (22), he still manages to hiss and spread his wings when Billy first approaches him. Throughout the book, Wol continues to be the bolder of the two owls and is usually the one responsible for the chaos the boys find themselves in. He teaches himself to fly, scares the neighborhood animals and children, and does not back away from a fight. When crows attack him at Dundurn, he stands up to them, which leads to a whole host of problems. This and other actions throughout the story prove that Wol is stubborn, for in addition to having a fighting spirit, he will only eat specific foods and refuses to stay locked in his cage when he does not want to be. Yet despite these harsher aspects, he also has a softer side that is most clearly shown in his self-assumed role as Weeps’s protector. As soon as Weeps arrives, Wol protects him from everyone, even Billy initially. He also has a tender moment with Billy at the close of the book, leaning his head against the cage bars so that Billy can stroke him and tell him goodbye.

Not only is Wol strong, stubborn and independent, but he is also highly intelligent. When the boys first discover him, he quickly ascertains that Billy only wants to help. Once he has established himself as part of the family, he finds a myriad of ways to make his preferences known and does not stand for limitations on his freedom. For example, his determination to use brute force to escape his cage reflects both his inner will and his love for Billy, for he only escapes in order to be with the boy as often as possible. He also shows ingenuity when he rescues the boys from being bullied during a campout, for although he may not understand the finer nuances of the situation, his timing is perfect and cannot be overlooked as mere coincidence. Finally, when the family is at Dundurn, Wol steps out of the clearing in order to bring the crows out into the open. Billy first believes that this is just an accident, but his father tells him, “Wol knew what he was doing” (84), thus reinforcing the family’s belief in the owl’s perspicacity. Similarly, Wol teaches himself to fly out of sheer spite, seeming to find motivation in being laughed at, a human experience. Yet even with this seemingly human intelligence, Wol, at the close of the book, is unable to live free. He still lacks the ability to fend for himself in the world because he has spent his life as a valued member of a human family rather than in the wild.

Weeps is the smaller of the two great-horned owls that Billy keeps as pets. Billy finds Weeps when the owl is being assaulted by two kids from Saskatoon. At their first meeting, the owl is small and covered in oil and barely has the will to live. Billy believes that his spirit is broken, which he provides as the reason for Weeps’ quiet and timid nature. Accordingly, Weeps is apprehensive in most situations and does not like to venture out on his own. He has no desire to learn to fly, and unlike Wol, he is content to be carried from place to place. As a result, Billy does not have any issues with him trying to escape his cage or get into the house. Weeps does not often cause any trouble.

In addition to being the timid owl while Wol is the bold one, Weeps serves as a foil for Wol’s behavior in most ways. For example, while Wol is particular about what he eats, Weeps will eat almost anything. While Wol enjoys playing pranks on Mutt, stealing his food and pulling his tail, Weeps searches Mutt out to snuggle with him, often to the point that Mutt tries to hide. He rarely involves himself in the boys’ many shenanigans, letting Wol carry much of the blame for the trouble that occurs. If he is ever involved, it is merely because he happened to be there. Overall, the two owls are almost polar opposites in every respect, for if Weeps seems unusual in his fear of the world, Wol seems to be almost menacing in his bold approach. As the story progresses, the two birds begin to behave more and more like individual people, ultimately taking on almost human roles within Billy’s family, and everyone comes to treat them as such.