Artful Stratagem

Looking outside I feel very serene inside; the brown-breasted drake has returned to his nest not too happy to have found the snow-clad bushes that stood astride a river that was the gold-seekers' pride! The wind-whipped lake below is subdued; last spring a brood of six closely followed the mother duck until they swam alongside. They disappeared from her sight to learn skills. Her attentive glance was constantly set on them... being afraid they would be attacked by ravens which watched them not flipping their wings to outwit them with their artful stratagem, and suddenly snatch them with their claws! Copyright ( c ) 2018 by Andrew Crisci