Monday, June 28, 2010

Mouse and Hawk Five

I had given up, lamenting those final few seconds of precious life. Oh, how hard and brutal a cat's life could be I thought. As if realizing the fight had all but left me the hawk's dark black eyes narrowed. Her great wings stretched open. That golden-ivory beak seemed sharper and more jagged than ever. I shuddered and could almost feel her huge talons sinking into my flesh.

Across the yard smudge edged around in front of a flower pot. One by one the mouse and squirrels scrambled onto her back and into the pot. A rose bush, filled with sharp thorns overflowed from the pot. The plant was lashed gently to a pair of thin bamboo twigs. A silver wind chime was hung from the top of the posts.

Two of the squirrels undid the ties and drew the roses aside, while the mouse climbed up and pressed his back firmly against the bamboo posts. Meantime, Smudge had gone back around, and standing on her hind legs grasped the twigs with her front paws. She pulled back with all her might, bending the twigs back with the terrified mouse still clinging to them.

"This had better work," said the mouse.

"This is a first for all of us, pal," said Smudge.

"Confident in your aim?'

Smudge shrugged. "You'll fly, that much I can guarantee. What I can't guarantee is whether you'll fly where we want, or if your gonna sail over the building!"

"Let's do this," said the mouse, "before I come to my sensesssss...."

Smudge let go of the twigs. As they snapped back they sent the mouse flying, and with it went the chattering chimes, sending up a terrible racket.

The hawk heard the chimes and the long wild and terrified shriek of the mouse turned furry missile. She turned away for just a moment, intime to get clobbered by the mouse, who, rather than tumbling away to safety, held on time, his tail and paws wrapped around the hawks face. She squealed with surprise and reeled back. At that instant I charged directly at her, slamming my hard little head into the hawkd belly.

She cried and fell backwards, briefly flailing on her back. But she was powerful and alone the mouse and I were simply no match for her incredible strength. In a single great shudder she shook us both away, sending us tumbling into the open grass of the yard, far from any saving shelter.

She stood, now fuming, shaking away grass and leaves. It was pointless to run, and fighting would only prolong the inevitable. I looked to the mouse and saw him swallow hard as the hawks massive shadow eclipsed the sunlight. I patted him gently in the head. We both knew we were done for.

"Well, this is it, little buddy," I said.

"Almost wish you'd eaten me before."

"Naw," I replied. "We sure put up a good fight. Win or lose, I'm glad I got to be in it with you."

"Really mean that?"

"More than I can say, little friend."

The hawk shrieked angrily and brought her face close to ours, enough that her fuming hot breaths pressed us back a little.

"Oh, enough of this!" the Hawk scoffed. "You puny little creatures think you can upset the balance of nature by attacking me? Now, the questionis which one of you will I eat forst. Maybe the mouse is an appetizer, or shall you be dessert? Perhaps I'll roll you up in your feline friend like a hot dog and ..."

Suddenly the hawk stopped and looked up. She stumbled back then raised her wings and cried louder and angrier than I'd ever heard. I followed her gaze and turned slowly to the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

All the animals of the yard had come out and stood behind us, looking just as fierce as they could in the face of the great hawk. There were mice, 2 skunks, an old waddling Opposum, a dozen squirrels-all spoiling for a fight, adozen excitable sparrows, two robbins,a fat pigeon and a hare. Two grimy rats scurried up, though everyone kept their distance for the smell of fresh trash all about them.

"You all think you can challenge me?" snarled the hawk.

The yard critter closed ranks around me and the mouse.

Almost overcome with emotion I stepped forward and looked the Hawk square in the eyes. "I think you have your answer. Now beat it!"

"Do you realize what you are doing? You are upsetting a system s old as the world? You think you can just change nature to suit yourself? You are all playing with fire!"

I thought a moment and turned to all the other creatures of the yard. We all lived by a simple rule, and that was to live life the best we could. Could we live simply by our instincts? Of course we could! But where would that leave us? I could see something in the eyes of all those different creatures. It was something few of us had ever really thought about. We were a community, even for all of our differences. I turned back to the Hawk.

"We are more than our instinct, and we could do what it takes to survive, but we don't want to just survive, we want to have a life, and if that means changing the world, then so be it."

"You are a fool," snapped the hawk, leaping onto the wall. "You're all fools. You can't change what's always been. You are what you are!"

"But that doesn't mean we have to wallow in filth."

"Hey!" complained the rats.

"No offense," I said. "The truth is," Ithrew a paw around the mouse, "we've already changed the world. If only in this little yard. You're welcome to join us, if you can live by those simple rules."

The great hawk seemed clearly torn, and perhaps it was too soon to overcome her nature. She turn, spread her wings and pounded them hard, lifting her into the air. She shriek loudly as she rose skyward and was lost in the sun's glare.