Retribution

“Vengeance will be mine,” said the fox.

Since he was a kit, Ajax had been tormented by the crows. “A murder of crows is it. You wait until I’m older, and you’ll know what a real murder looks like,” muttered the fox.

“Rosey Red, why are you looking down today? Did mommy forget to feed you?” said Claxton, the crow’s leader.

Even when the fox had grown, the bird continued to mock him. “Wait and see what the next snow brings,” remarked Ajax.

As the snow fell fast and hard, the Ajax knew it was his time. “Retribution is at hand,” said the fox.

Ajax made his way to the clearing where, at dawn, the crows gathered to feed and gossip. Placing himself in a shallow grove, the fox allowed the snow to bury him.

“Soon,” said Ajax to himself as he waited for the birds to settle into their daily routine.

Claxton was the last to arrive. “Have you seen Rosey Red this morning?” asked the crow.

No one had. “Poor mama’s boy couldn’t take the cold,” mocked the bird.

Ajax burst from the snow, and Claxton’s throat was opened wide. “That should help you speak a little louder,” said the fox.

Ajax was able to catch two more before the birds vanished over the tree line.

“I have a bone to pick with you, gentleman,” chided Ajax as he prepared to devour the birds.

Belly full, the fox slipped into his den. Ajax fell into a sleep without dreams of taunting crows. Ajax slept like a baby, and he liked that a lot.

For More Fun: https://folksburywoods.com/