The Calm Before The Storm

The days goes by. Rikko's plan begins to show results with the farmers showing satisfaction with Kohko's egg laying, which made him feel more at ease. On the other hand...

“Pako, are you sure about this?”

“Of course I am, Goppa! It came out of me, and this morning it was gone! My egg is gone!” - A hen said in tears.

“It doesn't seem to have been the work of foxes. I didn't see any sign of paws either inside or outside. Could it be a snake?”

“How Horrible! Snakes? No way, no way! The last time one appeared here, it was like a nightmare!” - Another hen said.

“Whatever it is, there are eggs disappearing here and there, you need to do something, Goppa! As soon as possible!” - Says Gelda energetically.

“I know, I know. Let's see what I can do with the other roosters. Kel, have you noticed anything?”

“No. As you know, I'm getting old, my senses are not what they used to be.” - Kel stated, somewhat discouraged. - “But at least I'll try to keep Rikko protected as long as possible.”

“Ha, Ha, Ha, He's useless, really.” - Gelda scoffed - “Taking advantage of the occasion... What a miracle, Kohko has been laying eggs. Truly a miracle!”

“What do you mean by that, Gelda? Explain yourself!” - Kel didn't like the strange tone in the inquisitor's voice.

“Oh, it's nothing, just something that occurred to me, sorry. Ignore what I said and go take care of your little boy.”

Kel stared at Gelda for a while longer, although she showed no signs of changing her attitude. He knew her better than anyone, but his days had been tiring, so he thought it best to end the subject, at least for now.

“Okay. Rikko! Let's eat!”

Rikko followed him out of the chicken coop, but he was paying close attention to their conversation. His plan was starting to show signs that it wouldn't go very far.

But damn, I thought they wouldn't realize it so quickly. I underestimated them too much because they're chickens. I need to be more careful, or they'll catch me.

He remained thoughtful in that early morning. He swallowed the corn kernels one by one while he devised a new way to ensure Kel and Kohko's survival, and he needed to be quick. But his thoughts became scattered when his sense of smell took over.

“Sniff, sniff. What's this wonderful smell I'm smelling? - The smell seemed new to him, so he decided to look for its source.

Kel had ended up on the other side of the chicken coop, eating something that couldn't be seen from afar. Maybe ants, attracted by the food scraps that the farmer had thrown on the ground that morning. Riko took advantage of his distraction to head towards the fence. The intoxicating smell seemed to be coming from outside.

“Wow, am I seeing things?”

It wasn't. As he focused his eyes toward the main house, he noticed that the kitchen window was open. And on its wooden sill, there was a plate that looked like ceramic, and on it was something that looked like a delicious, freshly baked pie. Saliva dripped from Rikko's beak.

A pie! My eyes didn't deceive me!

His memory flashed back in time for a moment, to the day one of the girls he had courted gave him a homemade pie that she had made herself. His stomach began to growl fiercely, not letting him think straight.

I can't stand eating chopped corn and vegetable scraps anymore! I'm sorry, farmer lady, but this snack has my name written on it.

He looked for the secret exit in the fence. His wings weren't yet big and strong enough to climb the fence in one jump, so the hole Kel had shown him days ago would be of good use now. As he passed outside, he looked to make sure no one had seen him.

Perfect, no one had seen me. - Now, all he has to do is go slowly over there and grab that delicious treat.

Slowly Rikko approached the house. First, he hid behind a large rock, then behind a tree, a wooden tub and finally, he was next to the window. But at that moment a problem arose before him: how would he reach the window?

Even if he flapped his wings, he would barely get half the height he needed. He analyzed the situation until his neck started to hurt.

“Oh, that's it! I'm a genius!”

He noticed that the wall of the house was made of wood coated with some kind of putty, and that large crooked nails here and there were enough to reach the window if he used them as hooks.

Very carefully, he jumped on each one of them, using his paws to hold on and spreading his wings to keep his balance. Soon he finally reached the windowsill.

“Phew, I made it. It was hard work, but this little beauty will be worth it. And now…”

He watched through the corner of the window. He couldn't see the farmer, but he could hear him taking a shower in the back of the house. His wife was busy preparing food on the wood stove with her back to the window. He needed to be quick, but he decided to wait for a better opportunity.

“Missus, bring me my clothes! And a towel!”

“Man, seriously? It's always like this! I'll get it right away!” - His wife put her hands on her waist in a disapproving tone, but left the kitchen soon after.

Even without understanding a word, for Rikko this was the chance he needed. He advanced on the pie and without delay, began to tear it apart with his beak. An explosion of nostalgic flavors invaded his being. He was in ecstasy.

“This... mmph... is so good! !”

His palate soon identified the flavor of the pie. BLACKBERRIES! Sweet and tender, and some kind of jam with the same flavor. He was in paradise.

He was, because an unexpected event brought him back to reality:

“Oh... hello, do you always come here, Big Guy?”

It was the couple's dog. A dog huge enough to reach the railing and sniff Rikko's butt. After analyzing it, he logically realized that that little being shouldn't be there, so his curious posture changed to angry as quickly as Rikko would have liked.

“Growl…”

“Whoa, calm down… turn those sharp teeth that way…”

He needed to think fast or his life would end because of a simple pie. He gathered all his strength and in the split second that the dog opened his mouth, he pushed the pie plate with everything he had.

The attempt worked, making the dog's mouth busy for a moment and then Rikko jumped out of the window flapping his wings incessantly, managing to land about three meters ahead and running at full speed towards the fence.

The dog made a move to go after him when he realized he had been tricked. But a lick on the corner of his mouth made him change his mind and change his target, a skinny chick, to that beautiful plate of sweet food. He destroyed the pie in seconds, leaving only the plate.

“AHHHH, YOU DAMN DOG! YOU”LL SEE, JUST WAIT!”

The woman caught him red-handed with his nose smeared with jelly. She chased the poor dog with a straw broom and cursed at the top of her lungs. Meanwhile, Riko came in out of breath through the hole in the fence, almost being caught by his father.

“Rikko! So you were here all this time?”

“Wheeze - huh? Oh, yes, I was. All this time!

“What happened to your beak? What's that mess? And what was that noise?”

In his desperation, Rikko had not noticed his condition, with his beak and chest smeared purple. He had to invent something.

“Oh, that? I... I ate some blackberries that had fallen here on the ground, the wind must have knocked them off the tree. They were great! And I didn't hear anything!”

“Blackberries? Oh, those dark things? Yes, they are really good. Now go drink some water to wash off that dirt and then go play with the other chicks.”

“Yes, daddy. Right now!”

Relieved that he had not been discovered, he ran to the other side of the chicken coop, his belly full of pie and not the least bit sorry for the dog.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the farm, the dog was hiding. If we could understand what he was thinking, perhaps it would be:

“Damn little one. He’s going to pay for this...”

Later, Rikko thought of another plan to prevent his parents from becoming a meal, but to no avail. Stealing eggs was dangerous, he could be discovered, but he had no other choice. He considered the idea of ​​reducing the number of eggs to the minimum possible.

Well, I’ll try to catch one more tonight and wait a couple of days to catch another one. Goppa should keep watch with the other roosters, but I know they are heavy sleepers, it will work out.

Night falls, and Rikko awaits the moment for another venture. Since he is a little older, Kel allowed him to leave the nest to sleep on the perches with the adults, so it would be a little easier to move around.

The moons were already high in the sky when he silently climbed down from the perch and, as he had predicted, the roosters were in a deep sleep with their heads hanging down. He crept through the chicken coop towards the nearest nest, when he felt someone pulling him from behind.

“Wha-”

“Shhh!” - The misterious being who had pulled him in the dark whispered next to his head as he covered his beak. - “Come with me.”

He was discovered, but by whom? Without a choice, he agreed to be taken out of the chicken coop in silence and, by moonlight, he met his discoverer.

“Mrs. Kakke, I…”

“I already understood everything, boy, don't bother explaining. You're stealing eggs to save your parents. I understand your actions, but there would be no point in saving them if in the end someone has to be sacrificed in their place.”

“And what do I do, then?”

“Nothing. Don't do anything.”

“But they're going to die!”

“We are someone's food. Whether it's our eggs or ourselves, it's a destiny we can't escape, and it will always be that way. Your parents have already fulfilled their roles, and you are proof of that, and I am a witness.”

”And what's the point of that?”

“You are their greatest and only treasure. And I know they would give their lives with pride if it were to protect you. Accept this fate willingly.”

“What if I don't want to? There's nothing saying I have to.”

“Really, there isn't. But if you don't want this for yourself, then run away. As far away from here as your paws will take you. Let us fulfill our destinies and go create your own. You're young, you can do it.”

“Let's all go together! Run away together!”

“None of us would be able to survive, we're too used to this life. Except you.”

“...Why only me?”

“Ever since you were born, I've always thought you were different, and your parents must think so too. If anyone among us is capable of living out there, it's you. Trust old Kakke, boy”.

“...I don't know...”

“And you'll never know if you don't try! Think about it. And if it makes you leave more at ease, I'll talk to the others, see if they'll agree to continue what you've been doing for a little while longer. Well, I don't count on Gelda and her followers at all, but we'll find a way, I promise you.”

Hearing that made Rikko more hopeful. It was just a promise, but knowing that Kel and Kohko would have some chance of living with the help of the other chickens made her heart lighter.

“Okay, I'll think about it.”

“...Okay? Well, you really are quite different. Let's go inside before anyone wakes up. And you can take my egg, accept it as a promise of better days.”

“Okay, Mrs. Kakke.”

“Huhuhu, you're a good boy.”

Before dawn, Rikko was back in his place on the perch, fast asleep, and another egg was under Kohko to be discovered in the morning. On the other side of the henhouse, Gelda watched Rikko with her eyes half-open.