Poe's Lucky Day

As a bolt of lightning struck its final blow unto a tree in Manhattan, Poe whizzed through the air to escape his nest just in time. The strike tore into his home of twigs and sticks and split the birch tree it was nestled on cleanly in half. Poe whistled a sigh of relief through his beak and soared higher into the sky. Well, he considered, at least a storm means fresh meat! He wasn't even thinking about the fact that his home had just been destroyed (birds tend to be very single-minded). He circled down toward Central Park and landed gently on the blacktop. It was cool enough from the rain so that it did not scorch his claws. Searching for sustenance as he hopped along, he came across a few choice pieces of dead worm. Poe gobbled them up quickly, turning this way and that to make sure no other ravens were hunting in his newfound favorite spot. Just as he was about to nibble on one last morsel, he heard a strange noise. He stopped mid-chew and cocked his head to the right. Did I just hear something? He considered his surroundings. There were certainly no other birds in sight. Was there a chance that his prey was begging for mercy? He hopped a few feet toward the closest worm, and there it was again! 

“Hey! Hey, you! Yes, you blackbird over there! Come help me, won’t you?”

Poe flew a few feet into the air, shocked by the askance of the wriggling thing he saw beneath him. 

“I’m not a blackbird,” Poe sniffed, jutting his beak into the air indignantly, “I am a raven,” he finished.

“Oh, why of course! I didn't mean to offend. After all, I am just a lowly worm, and usually blackbirds...uh, I mean...ravens try to eat me before I get the chance to befriend them,” the small thing blinked twice, nervously taking in his surroundings. 

“Well, what do you want from me?” Poe inquired. He couldn't be bothered with such small creatures when there was food to be had.

“You see,” started the worm once more, “I cannot move very quickly. I don’t have your feet to hop or your wings to fly. I don’t want to get stepped on, but there are children running all over my home! Maybe you would take me back to your nest?”

Poe considered this for only a minute before being hit with a realization of his own.

“My nest is no more!” he wailed, shocking the poor worm, “It was destroyed when a bolt of lightning hit my birch tree.” Poe’s eyes started to twitch, and then big fat tears began to flow, dampening his already soaked feathers. 

“No, don’t cry!” consoled the worm. He wanted Poe to feel better, but was also quite concerned about drowning in his tears. After all, he had only narrowly avoided being drowned by the rain that had ceased to fall only minutes before. “I have an idea that might help…” the worm was tentative, but he couldn’t let his new raven friend be so sad. 

Poe stopped sobbing and considered the worm, “Well, even if you are just a lowly worm, maybe I could spare you from being eaten just this once.”

“Why thank you! I think maybe we could try rebuilding your nest...together!” the worm had neither enough time nor the presence of mind to be offended by Poe’s insult. He just wanted to be dry and feel warm again. 

Poe wasn’t sure about this idea. How could a little worm with no wings or claws carry a stick or a twig? Regardless, I guess I do need to start rebuilding my home…

Poe was pulled out of his reverie by the worm crying out once more “Let me help you rebuild your nest, please!” 

Poe wasn’t a bad bird. A little haughty, maybe. But good at heart. He knew sparing one worm wouldn’t hurt anything. After all, he had just enjoyed quite the feast after that downpour. 

“Okay, let’s get to work,” he decided. The worm nodded his head (which was kind of equivalent to bending the entirety of the front half of his body up and then down again), and the unlikely pair got to work. 

Poe had come up with a plan. While he collected firm twigs and proper sticks, the worm watched for any other birds coming by. If he saw one, he would play dead to lure the other bird away from the high quality sticks and twigs. Right when the other bird was about to peck into his meal, Poe would swoop in (quite literally) and carry his worm friend to safety.

This operation allowed Poe to have his first choice of any materials he'd need for his nest, and allowed the worm to feel useful. After this had gone on for a few hours, Poe and the worm decided to call it a day. They nestled into the newly built nest that they both felt they had worked hard for and earned by a job well done.

"Hey, that wasn't half bad," started Poe, "you should consider becoming an actor!"

The worm thought on this, "Is there a market for worms right now?"

"For someone with your talent, I'd say absolutely. You have a shot at making it big!" Poe was suddenly struck by how strange it was to be relaxing in his brand new home with a living worm. But it didn't really bother him. Perhaps he could stick to eating berries from now on.

As for the worm, Poe never did ask him what his name was (it was Harry, by the way). But that didn't really bother him. He was just grateful to have been rescued, and by a blackbird, ahem, raven no less.

If anyone had seen the team, not a fox nor a dog nor a stray cat would have believed their eyes. It was quite an odd affair, to be honest. But it wouldn’t be the last time Poe and his newfound friend would be seen together. They were a family now, and no matter the species, family is what matters.