A Murder of Crows by Penny Bates

Author:Penny Bates [Penny Bates]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781781274590
Publisher: Ransom Publishing
Published: 2013-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

Ben didn’t want to talk to his mother about school. He couldn’t tell her that he wasn’t Ben any more, but Crow Boy. He was the soft, city kid who didn’t fit in. At least he could talk to Joe.

The crow was always waiting for Ben when he came home from school. It was good to find him there.

‘You’re a good friend, Joe,’ Ben liked to say, when the crow flew to him and landed on his shoulder. ‘A good listener.’

The bird followed Ben everywhere.

‘Joe copies everything I do!’ Ben explained when Mrs Carter spotted the crow following her son into the kitchen. ‘If I eat, he eats. When I do my homework he taps my pen with his beak! Joe’s really special. He’s not like other crows.’

Ben’s mother was worried. She wanted Ben to spend time with Luke and not with a filthy crow.

‘He’s a clever bird!’ William Turner called over the fence as Ben weeded the garden, watched closely by Joe. ‘Looks like he wants to help!’

‘I think so too!’ Ben replied. ‘We’re both in trouble with Mum. Doing the garden is one way of cheering her up!’

Ben bent down to pull up another weed. The crow copied him by plucking at some grass.

‘Crows are clever,’ the old man continued. ‘That’s why they’re not fooled by scarecrows. I’ve often seen crows sitting on a scarecrow’s head!’

Ben nodded as he watched Joe tug at some dandelion leaves.

‘If Joe wants me when I’m in the house, he taps on the window,’ Ben said proudly. ‘And when he finds a tough seed to crack, he holds it with one foot and breaks it open with his beak. He’s always working things out for himself!’

William was happy to talk to someone who liked animals and birds.

‘I watched some crows by the seashore once,’ William added. ‘They were picking up small crabs. The crows flew high in the air, then dropped the crabs on hard ground to break their shells open! Crows are clever birds. I just wish Luke would take more of an interest in birds of the feathered kind!’

Ben took a deep breath at Luke’s name. The old man was kind and friendly. If only Luke could be the same!

‘Don’t let Luke get the better of you,’ William said quietly, as if reading Ben’s mind. ‘He likes to throw his weight around a bit.’

‘Luke told me about the builders feeding the crows,’ Ben said, changing the subject. ‘It must have been noisy with so many crows around.’

‘It made the front page of the local paper!’ William laughed. ‘The reporter used the headline A MURDER OF CROWS! I ask you! Of course, some people wanted to leave as soon as they’d moved in. They said it was like a scene from a horror film. After the builders had gone, the crows kept tapping on the windows asking for food. Some of the children were terrified and their mothers wanted the birds shot.’

‘I suppose there wasn’t much point washing cars on a Sunday, with so many crows around!’ Ben joked.

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