Owl Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 – Hamish climbing finds drawing and feels fulfilled. Emptiness at home due to death of father. Tama arrives from city to help on the farm. Farm in financial problems.
Chapter 2 – Hamish goes back to the cave and the first pictures are disappointing. Real treasure hidden high up on overhang. Plans to take pictures with help from Kirsten and Tod. Mother says may need to sell farm and Asian consortium is interested.
Chapter 3 – Takes photos of drawings in cave and Hamish finds bag with drawing materials hidden on ledge. Puts it back but pockets carved stone that falls out.
Chapter 4 – At lambing time Hamish takes Tama out to show him what to do. Hamish develops the photos of the drawings. At the end of the chapter Kirsten delivers the news that three sheep and lambs have been killed. (Why is this latest news such a serious blow to the McIntyre family?)
Chapter 5 – Hamish and Tama check the ewes. Hamish thinks he sees a huge bird in the fog. At the farm everyone is upset. Hamish tells Tama what he thought he saw but is not believed. When they next go out, Tama and Hamish are attacked by a big bird.
Chapter 6 – Hamish and Tama return to the farm but are reluctant to tell the others what has happened. Hamish does some research and then Tama and him tell Kirsten and Tod. Kirsten believes them because of a large bird feather she found. At the local meeting the young adults cannot say anything as the adults assume dogs are attacking the sheep.
Chapter 7 – They go out to hunt the bird and Storm is attacked and killed. Hamish shoots the bird but it flies away. Hamish decides the creature is mythical and they decide they need to talk to a Maori person about the myth. Mother hurts ankle. Eventually Tama decides to phone someone who could help.
Chapter 8 – Hamish and Tama go to visit Tama’s uncle Manny. He introduces them to Tāua Gray. She explains how Hamish has unleashed the bird through removing the stone and taking the photos. His nickname owl is significant and so is Tama’s name. He comes from Ngāti Ruru – people of the owl. The boys have to defeat Pouākai. Tāua Gray teaches Tama a chant to help them. He is one of ancient line of Maori even though he has been cast out of Maori culture at school due to his looks.
Chapter 9 – Hamish develops the photos to look at the images and work out what they need to do. They think the images are predicting what is happening now. The birdman attacks and the stone saves them. They have to act to make things happen – trial and error.
Chapter 10 – children look through photos for clues. Tāua Gray’s voice comes into Hamish’s and Tama’s head. They get the idea of trapping the killer bird in a pit. The Asian consortium visits the farm and Hamish begins to understand the plight of the Maori with their land claim issues. A news report says that an army sniper team is coming to help out. They have arrived and are staying locally.
Chapter 11 - children go and sort out trap. Tod and Kirsten help. They try to get the army away from the area. They come up with a plan that uses Hamish as the bait to trap the bird in the latticework. Hamish would run into the pit and the bird would get trapped trying to catch him. Hamish is nervous and does not think metal will kill the bird.
Chapter 12 – Hamish acts as bait. Tama chants. They manage to trap Pouākai and brutally kill him. His mate comes and attacks them. They hide in the trap and wait for the bird to ensnare itself. Tama chops her head off. They wash in a stream and then burn the bodies.
Chapter 13 – Everyone is not getting on well. Fresh snow means they have to work digging sheep out. Tama and Hamish talk about the events of yesterday. Back at farm Jane tells them that the army thinks they may have shot the dog but are not sure. Everyone starts laughing and getting on better. They go round to Rod’s for dinner to celebrate no more deaths.
Chapter 14 – Jane explains that Mr Xiang is going to make an offer on the farm. Kirsten gets upset. Hamish phones Tama’s uncle and leaves a message on the answer phone. Uncle Manny and Tāua Gray arrive later. They offer to buy the farm for the paintings found in the cave. Mr Xiang withdraws his offer as he believes honour, loyalty to family and ancestry come before business.
Chapter 15 – Tāua wants to see the site where the birds were killed. Hamish begins to cry. She gives a pendant to Tama and then Hamish and small carvings to the others. Tāua reminds Tama and Hamish of the birds’ offspring and how they were waiting for their parents to return. They had to be dealt with. They find the nest on the pictures and Tod agrees to help them climb the mountain to the nest. They set off.
Chapter 16 - They climb the mountain and hear the singing of the birds. Tama kills them. They talk about the future and going to live in town and continue with their education.
Epilogue – They all go to the cave and leave all evidence of the birds and the photos of the paintings on the ledge of the cave.
Chapter 1 – Hamish climbing finds drawing and feels fulfilled. Emptiness at home due to death of father. Tama arrives from city to help on the farm. Farm in financial problems.
Chapter 2 – Hamish goes back to the cave and the first pictures are disappointing. Real treasure hidden high up on overhang. Plans to take pictures with help from Kirsten and Tod. Mother says may need to sell farm and Asian consortium is interested.
Chapter 3 – Takes photos of drawings in cave and Hamish finds bag with drawing materials hidden on ledge. Puts it back but pockets carved stone that falls out.
Chapter 4 – At lambing time Hamish takes Tama out to show him what to do. Hamish develops the photos of the drawings. At the end of the chapter Kirsten delivers the news that three sheep and lambs have been killed. (Why is this latest news such a serious blow to the McIntyre family?)
Chapter 5 – Hamish and Tama check the ewes. Hamish thinks he sees a huge bird in the fog. At the farm everyone is upset. Hamish tells Tama what he thought he saw but is not believed. When they next go out, Tama and Hamish are attacked by a big bird.
Chapter 6 – Hamish and Tama return to the farm but are reluctant to tell the others what has happened. Hamish does some research and then Tama and him tell Kirsten and Tod. Kirsten believes them because of a large bird feather she found. At the local meeting the young adults cannot say anything as the adults assume dogs are attacking the sheep.
Chapter 7 – They go out to hunt the bird and Storm is attacked and killed. Hamish shoots the bird but it flies away. Hamish decides the creature is mythical and they decide they need to talk to a Maori person about the myth. Mother hurts ankle. Eventually Tama decides to phone someone who could help.
Chapter 8 – Hamish and Tama go to visit Tama’s uncle Manny. He introduces them to Tāua Gray. She explains how Hamish has unleashed the bird through removing the stone and taking the photos. His nickname owl is significant and so is Tama’s name. He comes from Ngāti Ruru – people of the owl. The boys have to defeat Pouākai. Tāua Gray teaches Tama a chant to help them. He is one of ancient line of Maori even though he has been cast out of Maori culture at school due to his looks.
Chapter 9 – Hamish develops the photos to look at the images and work out what they need to do. They think the images are predicting what is happening now. The birdman attacks and the stone saves them. They have to act to make things happen – trial and error.
Chapter 10 – children look through photos for clues. Tāua Gray’s voice comes into Hamish’s and Tama’s head. They get the idea of trapping the killer bird in a pit. The Asian consortium visits the farm and Hamish begins to understand the plight of the Maori with their land claim issues. A news report says that an army sniper team is coming to help out. They have arrived and are staying locally.
Chapter 11 - children go and sort out trap. Tod and Kirsten help. They try to get the army away from the area. They come up with a plan that uses Hamish as the bait to trap the bird in the latticework. Hamish would run into the pit and the bird would get trapped trying to catch him. Hamish is nervous and does not think metal will kill the bird.
Chapter 12 – Hamish acts as bait. Tama chants. They manage to trap Pouākai and brutally kill him. His mate comes and attacks them. They hide in the trap and wait for the bird to ensnare itself. Tama chops her head off. They wash in a stream and then burn the bodies.
Chapter 13 – Everyone is not getting on well. Fresh snow means they have to work digging sheep out. Tama and Hamish talk about the events of yesterday. Back at farm Jane tells them that the army thinks they may have shot the dog but are not sure. Everyone starts laughing and getting on better. They go round to Rod’s for dinner to celebrate no more deaths.
Chapter 14 – Jane explains that Mr Xiang is going to make an offer on the farm. Kirsten gets upset. Hamish phones Tama’s uncle and leaves a message on the answer phone. Uncle Manny and Tāua Gray arrive later. They offer to buy the farm for the paintings found in the cave. Mr Xiang withdraws his offer as he believes honour, loyalty to family and ancestry come before business.
Chapter 15 – Tāua wants to see the site where the birds were killed. Hamish begins to cry. She gives a pendant to Tama and then Hamish and small carvings to the others. Tāua reminds Tama and Hamish of the birds’ offspring and how they were waiting for their parents to return. They had to be dealt with. They find the nest on the pictures and Tod agrees to help them climb the mountain to the nest. They set off.
Chapter 16 - They climb the mountain and hear the singing of the birds. Tama kills them. They talk about the future and going to live in town and continue with their education.
Epilogue – They all go to the cave and leave all evidence of the birds and the photos of the paintings on the ledge of the cave.
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