KIKO THE CROW

I am Kiko the crow, and as my fellow crow Aiko and I landed by the pond with the kind of bold, assertive presence and elegance only a crow can muster, what did we see?

A couple of sparrows and pigeons.

In other words, a group of irrelevant little nitwits hanging around the pond.

Were we thirsty? Yes. Did we need some nourishment from that little pond that carried some of last night’s rainwater? Yes. Did we want to show these prats who’s the superior bird?

You bet we did!

So we swooped down, letting out loud caws as we landed. You should have seen the looks on their faces as we approached the pond! They looked so bothered by our arrival. Hah!

We duly got a few sips to quench our thirst, and oh yes! The sweetness of rain water! You can never beat it!

Now as we stand at the edge of the pond, these sparrows and pigeons, like the small, insignificant creatures they are, are gathered around, casting wary and unfriendly glances our way.

Aiko lets out a low, guttural caw. I know that caw too well; it’s the caw she lets out whenever she’s amused.

“It’s the look on that sparrow’s face for me,” she chuckles. “Looking like he wants to take us on. It’s like he doesn’t realize I could end his entire existence with just one peck.”

I guffaw as I ruffle my feathers in agreement. “I think he’s trying to puff up. Look at him—he’s about three feathers away from popping. The cute, clueless little cotton ball.”

Aiko caws yet again. “And the pigeons? Bless their little pea brains. They think they’re so intelligent and dignified. Hah! When they’re yet to figure out how to fly more than five feet without crashing? Please?”

I guffaw once again. Aiko sure is a savage. “Awwww, don’t be too hard on them, Aiko. It’s not their fault, you know. After all, their entire species runs on… what do you call it? Limited processing power?”

“That’s it! Limited processing power!”

It’s just so funny how the sparrows and pigeons seem to be locked in a silent battle, each group eyeing us with disdain and fear. It’s so amusing to me how the presence of two crows could send such ripples of discomfort through their tiny world.

But then, why not? We’re bigger and stronger. And they… well, like I already said, they’re small and insignificant. I mean, I’d rather show respect to amoeba and jellyfish than these… these avian pygmies and dunderheads.

As we continue to stand by the puddle, the tension is palpable, without a shadow of a doubt and I reveled in the unease we stirred among the smaller birds.

“They’re so bothered by us,” Aiko chuckles, her beak clicking with amusement.

“As they’re supposed to. They’re not on our level. They could never go talon to talon with us.”

“I couldn’t agree more. For the pigeons, they’d be more suited to battling with earthworms. Although… that’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

“Of course! Earthworms are slippery and smart. Key word: smart. Maybe these jittery little twerps might have a shot at beating them, but these pigeons? Nah, forget it. They’d be outsmarted quicker than a leopard pouncing on a warthog.”

Aiko cackles once again.

The tension might be building up, but trust me, Aiko and I are hardly perturbed. And why should we? I mean, we’re up against these gigantic sparrows and uber-intelligent pigeons.

What could possibly go wrong?

***

RAINE THE SPARROW

So, here we are.

All locked in a silent standoff, each of us guarding the precious water source as if it were the last on Earth.

Us sparrows. Pigeons. Crows.

The tension is overwhelming, to say the least.

And suddenly, this knot begins to form in my tiny stomach. The unease continues to grow, and now I can’t shake the feeling that this face-off is extremely unnecessary.

Not just because this is not the only pond in the area; there are definitely a lot of other ponds around. After all, when it rains in this part of the country, it rains hard.

But also, because the truth is… we’re family.

We are all birds. Obviously we’re of different breeds and stuff, but, fundamentally, we’re the same.

We all have feathers. Beautiful, functional, insulating feathers. Sure, the crows’ feathers are a little too shiny and dramatic. Makes them look like they’re auditioning for some gothic bird band or something, but hey… feathers are feathers! They help us fly, keep us warm, and, uh, you know, look awesome.

And wings! We’ve all got wings, too. I and my buddies flap, the crows can flap, the pigeons can… okay, maybe they need some practice… or a lot of practice, actually. I can’t lie, their flapping skills are super cringe. And how they’re constantly bumping into windows and all…

…but look, the point stands. Wings are universal in the avian world.

So yeah, sure, we’ve got differences. Size, colour, how we eat… I mean, the least said about those rubbish-dump-loving crows, the better… but deep down, we’re all feathered family. And honestly, fighting over this puddle is pointless…

“Get your beady eyes off our water body, you feathered scavengers!”

I turn, and there stands Ash, chest puffed out, glaring at the crows, even though his voice trembles slightly.

I sigh.

I really shouldn’t have kept all that in my head. I should’ve spoken sooner.

Now it’s really about to kick off…

Uh-oh, looks like the battle’s about to go down…