Fox came upon a family of crows circling an old oak tree. Head cocked, he barked up to them, “Crows, why are you circling around up there?”

“We’re waiting for our next meal!” the carrion-eaters cawed back.

Farmer sighted down his gun, saw a bushy red tail with a creamy-white tip. Gently, he squeezed the trigger.

The chickens will be safe tonight.

Mama Crow called her fully fledged chicks back down to the branches of the oak. Their work was done, and now they settled in for a long wait.

Later, there would be scraps.

This has been a Fox & Crow story inspired by this #writephoto prompt from Sue Vincent. Check out Sue’s blog for other wing-related stories.