Jim was having a problem with math, Algebra to be exact. Jim was a child, who always seemed to have his nose in a book, and school was just so easy for him; easy that is till he got into Algebra. Thos X's and Y's drove him crazy and all the mumbo jumbo in trying to figure out how much those oranges were of how long it would take to fill a tub with water just sent him up the wall. Heck Jim' brother Lou who was younger than he was a whiz in math but he had not hit Algebra yet. Little sister Effie who was on eight already knew her times tables and loved to go to the store and show off her adding abilities. His Pa and his Mom could figure in their head stuff that most people couldn't do with a pencil. He must just be a real dummy he had decided. Matter of fact his Pa had said that unless his Math grades improved the Mysteries which Jim loved to read would have to be curtailed until he improved, for Pa said, "You children are smart, real smart and I will not accept a C in this house, you are A students but all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but I will not accept a C or less." His Pa was pretty easy going; well easy going if you followed his rules and obeyed, and he was heck to pay if you did not.

Jim was out in the barn mucking out the stalls, which was one of his chores and he was a mumbling to himself, "I don't know why I have to take Algebra, heck I can add and subtract but I don't need Algebra."

A deep voice from up in the hayloft spoke up, "What do you mean you do not need to know algebra?"

Jim was taken aback and immediately started to look around to see who had spoken to him, for Pa was a fixing fence down by the road, Mom and Effie were in the house sewing and Lou was at a 4 H meeting down in the village. Jim looked around, up and down and saw no one. "Who are you, where are you?"

"Jim, algebra is not that difficult," The voice said as Jim was climbing into the hayloft.

"Who are you, what are you?" Jim was becoming rattled as he reached the hayloft and stood looking around. All he saw was an old Owl sitting on a rafter.

"Yes Jim, it is I who is talking to you." The old Owl spoke with a deep, but pleasant and somewhat soft voice; but when he spoke you listened.

"Ok, ooooooh yes, you are the one my brother Lou told me about, and I laughed at him. Owls don't talk." Jim was rattled.

"Sit down and listen for a couple minutes Jim, OK?" The old Owl slowly moved across the rafter closer to Jim all the while looking at the boy.

"Yes sir, Mr. Owl, yes sir!" Jim plopped down on a clump of loose hay, never taking his eyes of the Owl.

"Jim, you Mom makes the best pones in the county, and if you so feel, you could bring me one when and if you have time." The Owl moved his wings and kept looking at Jim.

"Yes sir, I will" Jim had relaxed for this was one crazy thing that was happening to him. Heck he knew he wasn't dreaming but it was happening.

"Jim, you like to read mysteries correct?" The owl asked.

"Ahhhhhhh, Yes sir." Jim replied.

"And in a mystery, you read the book, take the clues and try to figure out who did it." The Owl was intently looking at Jim. "Regardless of what the crime was you want to know who did it, correct?"

"Yes sir, I do, and I am pretty good at it," Jim sort of smiled as he made his statement.

"Well Jim my boy, Algebra is like a mystery, for in Algebra you do not have a murder, or a thief, but you have those elusive X's and Y's, correct?" The old Owl, Jim would have sworn was smiling.

Jim thought for a moment and then replied, "Yes, but it is so hard and confusing."

The old Owl knew he had Jim hooked now, "Well Algebra is nothing but a mystery, for in it you go through all these steps to find out who did it and the values for X and or Y are the person who did it." The old Owl could see Jim's brain a churning. He waited a few seconds and then added. "So you see Jim if you approach algebra as you would a murder mystery and when you find the value of X then you have the murderer."

"Mister Owl, all you are saying is to take all the clues, or givens and then apply my skills to solving for that slippery X." Jim's face was beaming.

"Yes Jim, that is all there is to it. Now finish your chores and just approach all math as if it were a mystery you are trying to solve." The old Owl looked pleased as he finished speaking.

"I had better get going, finish my chores and get to my home work, uhhhh that is after I get you a couple corn pones." Jim was standing and from the look on his face he was enthused. "Jim, just one pone and tell Lou howdy for me." The old Owl felt good as he relaxed and started to snooze.

After he had finished his chores, Jim raced into the house and asked his Mom, "Can I have a pone for that old Owl out in the barn?" Knowing his Mom would say yes.

"My goodness, here we have an Owl in the barn who likes pones, and both my sons are feeding him, when he should be doing his job as a mouser." His Mom smiled for she knew there had to be something special about tis old Owl out in the barn, and Lou had told her that he had a hurt wing. "Take one for your friend and one for yourself, and get your homework done afore supper."

Jim rushed out to the barn, climbed up and laid the pone on a board, which was nailed next to where the old Owl was perched. "Thanks Mr. Owl," he said as he scurried down the ladder and into the house to get to work on his Algebra homework. Funny he became so engrossed that his Pa had to call him twice for supper.

"What you a smiling and a working on so hard, Jim?" His Pa knew he was working on his Algebra.

"Just some homework," Jim said, "it was interesting and I became engrossed in trying to find the flow rate of that pipe."

His Pa smiled and knew something had transpired during the day.

Lou looked at Jim and smiled, for Lou knew what had happened.

After supper both boys were in the back room doing their homework when curiosity got the best of Lou, "Jim have you been talking to that old Owl out in the barn?"

Jim didn't know what to say but he and his younger brother were close so he looked around and said, "Yeah, he told me that Algebra was like solving a mystery."

Lou smiled, and then said, "Yeah I been talking to him since afore I brought him from that pin in the Quakie copse at the turn off. Both boys then went back to work knowing that they had a special friend, a wise old friend in the barn.