"""Owl at Home - Tear-Water Tea"" by Arnold Lobel. One of my favorites as a kid.  Owl took the kettle out of the cupboard. ""Tonight I will make tear-water tea."" He put the kettle on his lap. ""Now,"" said Owl, ""I will begin."" Owl sat very still. He began to think of things that were sad. Chairs with broken legs. His eyes began to water. Songs that cannot be sung because the words have been forgotten. Owl began to cry. A large tear rolled down and dropped into the kettle. Spoons that have fallen behind the stove and are never seen again. More tears dropped into the kettle. Books that cannot be read because some of the pages have been torn out. Owl was crying. Clocks that have stopped with no one near to wind them up. Many large tears dropped into the kettle. Owl began to sob. Mornings nobody saw because everybody was sleeping. Mashed potatoes left on a plate because no one wanted to eat them. And pencils that are too short to use. Owl thought about many other sad things. He cried and cried. Soon the kettle was all filled up with tears. ""There, that does it!"" Owl stopped crying. He put the kettle on the stove to boil for tea. Owl felt happy as he filled his cup. ""It tastes a little bit salty, but tear-water tea is always very good."""
{}