The Classified Adventures of Owl: in which our Half-Woke Owl and Scarlett Pimpernowl Pull Off a Heist and Horny Owl Escapes from Mara-Lager

Season 6, Chapter 7

Story so far:

Our half-woke opportunistic hero and cunning covert operative, Owl of O.W.L. (Owl Woo-Woo unLimited), is once again about to make a bundle out of his bungle. He has accidentally headed north to ConstantOwlBull following in the wake of Scarlett Pimpernowl and her Band of Karma Chameleons after his Head Swivel jammed. Their original unowlthorised mission was to rescue his erstwhile family Belle Epoque and only son Leafy Green.

NZ Morepork Owl (bookbook or ruru)

But Owl's Eye has been caught by the glittering distraction of the Treasury of the Top-Kapo-ski Palace. A small sidewards foray into the Pasha's Condo is called for so Owl can replenish his L-$$ty. Will all that glitters indeed be gold? When will Belle Epoque and Leafy Green be rescued? And what's up with Horny Owl?

A powerful owl photographed at night showing reflective tapeta lucida; Powerful_Owl_-_April_6_2009_Chatswood_West_edited..JPG: Poyt448 Peter Woodard derivative work: Snowmanradio 

Read on..................

Theatre poster for 40 Thieves, a Grand Christmas Pantomime presented at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, Edinburgh. Printed by R. Arthur, Lithographer, 60 Kyle St., Glasgow.You can see this image in its original context, along with the rest of the Library's digital collections, in the NLS Digital Gallery

Owl: Merhaba, tüm arkada?lar?m, takip?ilerim ve eski sevgililerim! Owl here! You know - the wild-at-heart, safe-cracking noc Saviour of the Worldwide Wood (www.). What would they do without me going AWOL (Owl Without Limits)? Brown Owl, Leader and Treasurer of the NZ Branch of the Wood in the NZ Bush, has been placated and silenced by Gr?fin Mariza, Die Neue Marschellin of the Wood. She has sent her Handmaidens The Owlettes to help distract the Palace guards, the Ali Babas so I can get through the Palace Treasury Door. I need more L-$$ty because I have a rescue mission to complete and I hear via @owltwitter that Horny Owl may have escaped.

He was jailed, you may recall, after trial in Mara-Lager in the Million Acre Wood for trying to dislodge the Rightful Hegemoaner of the Wood, 'Mutti' Prinzessin, the operatic previous Marschellin, who has retired to warmer climes with her old lover Ray, H.H. Principe Gabriel Garcia Raimundo de Grande Manchegot, El Marquez de Corsair (buho noctambulo). I'm waiting for confirmation from my agents in the Westwood-Hoo (Southern Floridian District).

Elizabeth Schwartzkopf as The Marschellin in Der Rosenkavalier

In the meantime, back at Top-Kapo-ski, Owl is scoping out the Treasury and lurking, twerking and turking (new dance moves taught to him by The Owlettes, his former Shoo be doo be doo be wa wa ladies, "dance partners" and minders, also crack eye-zoomers and shots).........Scarlett his new "dance partner" is keen to do some rescuing of the L-$$ty. As she says,"I don't care where too, as long as I get to res-cue".

Owl: I'm a wee bit woosy and dopey and not quite woke. I've been training my bi-noculars all night on the comings and goings through the Treasury Door. An opportunity seems to have arisen! The Ali Babas guarding the Door have been distracted by The Owlettes who have lured them to the Bird Baths and are dunking them. Wait, it looks like the Pasha and his Entourage are heading that way too. I must warn The Owlettes! But! I must take advantage of this gap in protection of the L-$$ty. Oh, the struggle - the virtue of The Owlettes or the L-$$ty? It's another one of those ethical dilemmas they told me about at O.W.L. School.

Arabian Nights: Cassim in the cave by Maxfield Parrish (1909); Picture of the brother of Ali Baba: "Cassim ... was so alarmed at the danger he was in that the more he endeavoured to remember the word Sesame the more his memory was confounded".

The Baths of the Sultan and the Queen Mother (Hünkar ve Valide Hamamlar?; late 16th century) at the Topkap? Palace in Istanbul

I didn't quite get the gist then. I probably wasn't listening....something....something....yes, that's right....they said to always get the L-$$ty first! The Owlettes can take care of themselves! What's that? The Owlettes are on my @owltwitter. Wassup?

The Owlettes: We've tied the Ali Babas to the Bird-Bath. What are YOU up to, Owl?

"Le Bain Turc -Turkish Bath": Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres 1862

Owl: Get moving if you want to keep your virtue. The Pasha's on his way in your direction. Come and help me get the L-$$ty out. We'll have to do the work of 40 thieves. Open Sesame!

?Cut to the Palace Treasury where the L-$$ty is being removed by our incredibly brave and thieving owls through a window of opportunity.

As a last gesture Owl frees the ladies of The Seraglio........

The Reception

John Frederick Lewis 1873

The Seraglio at the Topkapi Palace

Meanwhile.......

.......back at the Mara-Lager, where Horny Owl and P-Hooty and his Band have been incarcerated, you may recall, after trial ages ago by the Parliament of Owls of the NZ Bush (www.parliamentofowls.nzb). Owl has now got word that there's been a break-out and the Most Wanted Criminowls of the Wood are on the lam! Owl has yet another moral dilemma. How will he solve it? He's heading with Scarlett Pimpernowl to rescue Belle and Leafy but Mara-Lager is on their way.......... Perhaps another small detour in the interests of the Wood.........?

Photo: Dade Correctional Institution/Homestead

The Great Horned Owl

Next Time: Owl makes his decision, forms a plan and he rescues Belle and Leafy with Scarlett Pimpernowl- or does he?

See you next time!

Pamela is an Auckland writer and consultant with a Masters in Conflict and Terrorism Studies from the University of Auckland. She is a former lawyer, psychotherapist and executive coach.

She loves owls, ballet, black cats, hot air balloons, witches and wizards, Shakespeare, metaphors, memes, magical realism, reading, walking around lakes, carnivals, carousels, circuses, bals masque, Fiat cars, surrealism, Mozart, opera, dragons, cheongsams, sky rockets, turkish delight, Supreme Court Justice spider brooches, mosaics, museums, hot baths, bedtime stories, riding on her broomstick and travelling in her imagination.

Photo: Pamela selfie