Crow and raven: three short fables

Original media : TES Online By Anonymous Crow and Raven were watching Cormorant dive for fish. "I wish I could dive," said Crow. "I like to eat fish." "What?" said Raven. "Are you saying Cormorant can do something that you cannot? That's absurd. You're twice the bird Cormorant is." "You're right!" said Crow, and he dove deep into the water. Half a minute later he thrashed his way back to the surface. Raven stood nearby. "Raven!" gasped Crow. "Why did you say that? I nearly drowned!" Raven shrugged and said, "I like to eat birds." Crow and Raven were watching Mourning Dove take a bath in a shallow pool. "I believe I shall take a bath as well," said Crow. He flew down, splashed about in the pool, and then flew back up next to Raven. "That's better!" said Crow. "Why is that?" said Raven. "Your feathers, and your beak, and your eyes are just as black as before." "True," said Crow, "but when I flew down to the pool it startled Mourning Dove, and she flew to her nest. Now I know where it is." "Eggs for lunch!" said Raven. Crow and Raven sat in the tree above the roadside inn, above a drover snoring in a drunken stupor. Crow cocked his head and said, "That sleeping person has a shiny pin on his shirt." "It's an award," said Raven. "He got it for drinking ale. If you drink the rest of the ale in his mug, you'll get a shiny pin, too." "Shiny pin!" said Crow. He flew down to the table, drank the rest of the ale, and then fell over and couldn't get up. Raven flew down and plucked the pin from the drover's shirt. "Shiny pin!" she said, and flew off.