I wonder what people thought of the owl in the prospector tale. Not only does the prospector leave her most of her eggs, her hoot & passing are enough to distract the boy while in the act of murdering the prospector.
Symbolism?
Or just a bird of prey...?
Many Indian tribes believed that an owl hooting was an omen of death. They would cancel raids if they heard an owl hoot. I know the prospector and the boy are not Indians, but maybe they had absorbed some Indian lore?
shareI thought it was going to attack the claim jumper
shareIt was a reminder of the good deed he did for the owl in only taking one egg, and that good karma rewarded him later
shareDuring the scene where the prospector steals the owls eggs, he asks “how high can a bird count anyway?” This is a call back to the previous story, and a hint that Liam Neeson’s character got conned.
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