Fables for Grown-Up Children

8. Crow

Rabbit slept for three days straight and woke up bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Not to be cliche or anything, but there's no better description.

She bounded out of her burrow into a world of fresh possibilities. The world is only made anew when our perspective changes; Pigeon could tell you that. Goat too. And Duck...

Ok, every creature in this story besides Crow, who we come to now.

Rabbit came bounding over a small hill and tumbled right into Crow, who was arranging bits of this and that on the ground. Everything was scattered.

"My treasures!" squawked Crow angrily. "You're a fool, you know that?!"

The noise attracted the attention of Fox and Possum, who moseyed over to the scene.

"I'm sorry, Crow," said Rabbit. "I'll help you put everything back in place."

"Don't bother! My designs are highly complex. A twitchy bunny can't grasp what I'm doing here." 

Crow was so loud that Squirrel and Hedgehog peeked out from nearby brambles, then gingerly came forth.

"Oh," said Rabbit, looking around nervously. The other animals were inching closer and forming a circle around her and Crow. Rabbit gulped.

"Oh!" Crow mocked. "You're not only stupid, you're pathetic too! Ooooh I'm so nervous! Oh I'm soooo scared! Help me, Duck, before my nose falls off!" Crow laughed and looked around the circle. Fox had a wicked grin and an equally wicked gleam in his eye. Possum was hard to read.

Rabbit's heart began to hammer. "Oh goodness," she exhaled. "This is literally a nightmare come true." She looked down at her trembling legs until Crow's jeering commanded her full attention once more.

"I heard the whole conversation, Rabbit. I collect treasures near the stream. It's where I found these buttons." Crow pecked at some colorful discs with his impressive black beak.

"I'm so embarrassed I think my heart might explode," Rabbit stated.

Crow paused, cocking his head to one side. Then he tore into his victim anew. "You should be! You haven't even the brains to seek counsel from the smartest bird around. Which is me. Not Duck--me!" Crow's glittery eyes danced from face to face once more, looking for agreement. Fox nodded and that satisfied him, since Fox was clever in his own right.

"I think I might cry any moment," said Rabbit. "I am humiliated, Crow."

Crow cocked his head to the other side in confusion. "Stop it, you idiot! No one admits this stuff!"

"I'm too stupid to know any better," responded Rabbit. "Which is embarrassing in its own right. And my nose is going to start twitching any minute."

"Shut up!" screeched Crow. "Get out of my sight!"

Rabbit tried to move, but found she was frozen to the ground. She looked about apologetically and noticed that Hedgehog was twice her normal size. Every quill stuck straight out and Hedgehog was gripping a particularly long one with both paws. With a grunt, she yanked it from her own flesh.

"This is for your collection, Crow, and I think you know where you can stick it!" Hedgehog threw the quill at him like a dart, which he dodged with a hop and the shuffling of feathers.

"Ha, yeah! Quack off, Crow!" added Squirrel.

Crow's midnight plumage fluffed with indignation. "You two are absolutely--"

"Come with me," Fox commanded Crow. "I've got to discuss something important with you."

"Very well," sniffed Crow, beak upturned. "Let me just gather my treasures..."