Author's note: This short story was written for a story challenge. Thanks to Nebraska Wildfire for proofreading.
Harvest
The Curry Family led a good life. Their farm was neither large, nor was the family wealthy. Their life was simple but they were happy and content. Everybody had to take his share of duties to keep things running and so had the youngest son, too.
The chores for little Jed started when he was old enough to walk steadily. He helped his mother in the kitchen, fed grain to the chickens and picked up the eggs every morning.
It was only a few days before the harvest could be reaped when a large swarm of crows appeared to steal what they hadn't sowed. The summer had been dry and hot and the grain stood way less good than expected. So, it became Jed's duty to scare away the birds and protect the small harvest. Usually, he handled that by running around, yelling and waving his arms, sometimes supported by a long stick in his hand. It was boring and exhausting, but it worked.
His ma smiled at him whenever she watched him and was delighted that her boy not only did a very good job, but was righteous tired in the evening, too. He was the joy of her life and she loved him with all of her heart, but he was lively, too, and tended to get in trouble, even more when he spent time with his cousin, living at the farm next to the Currys' place.
The boys were about the same age and best friends since the first day they met. Hannibal was more of a brother to Jed than Sam, who was almost a young man and way too old to care much about his youngest sibling. Elsa Curry was glad that her boy had such a good friend in his cousin, but she was glad when he was too busy for cod-acting, too.
Her husband was a strict and devout man – as befitting a preacher and clergyman – and wasn't too indulgent with the behavior of his offspring. It was up to her to balance the quickly raised tempers and restore the domestic peace. So, she was just grateful, and enjoyed the busy but peaceful time of the year.
One of those days Jed's cousin kept him company. Hannibal had talked his father into releasing him from his own duties for a few days by the excuse he would help the younger one defending the valuable harvest.
Hieronymus Heyes had been impressed – and honestly surprised – that his son volunteered for tiring work that didn't pay for him, and agreed.
Now Han sat on the parched ground and cursed himself. It hadn't taken long to realize that Jed's duties were as boring as his own. To run around like crazy in the blazing heat wasn't his cup of tea, anyway. Well, it was a bit different, when there was something exciting and adventurous in for him, but this here was plain ridiculous!
The lazy boy preferred to talk to his cousin, watch the clouds and throw a stone now and then towards the birds, which scared them in the air for a while.
It took some time until Jed noticed what Han did. He stopped and watched him.
"What?" Han asked his cousin.
"What ya' doin'?"
"Chasing the birds."
"That way?"
"Why not?"
Jed strode closer and studied the stones on the ground. He pursed his lips and Han could see the thoughts working in his mind. Deliberately the blond boy chose a stone and weighed it thoughtfully in his hand. Then he turned around, measured the distance and threw it at the nearest crow. The stone dropped on the ground close to the bird, which fled croakily scolding.
Han's jaw dropped.
"Hey, Jed! That was da... pretty close!" he marveled at him.
He tried to do the same but couldn't aim as well as his cousin.
Now, they took on target practice and it turned out, that Jed was as capable as his two years older cousin.
But the youngster learned pretty fast and over the afternoon he became more accurate and hit almost every bird he aimed at. Han watched him astonished. They laughed a lot and made it a challenge, but how hard he ever tried, Jed was simply better. Their game ended in sorrow when his throw hit really hard for the first time.
The bird, already launching, dropped hard on the ground and didn't move anymore.
The boys stopped their practice immediately, walked over to the lifeless bird and examined it - one of them curious, the other one contrite.
"What is it?" Jed asked his cousin.
The dark-haired boy nudged the animal with his toe.
"It's dead, I guess..."
"Dead?" the younger one asked, startled.
"Yeah, must have been too hard a throw, Jed."
"But I didn't want to kill it!"
"Guess, that makes no difference anymore."
They fell silent and stared at the dead bird for a while.
"What now?" Jed asked.
"I don't know." Han nudged it again. "Say, you ever wanted to know what crow tastes like?"
"What!?"
"Here's your chance! We can roast it and try how it tastes!"
Jed grimaced with disgust.
"I don't even wanna think of that!"
"C'mon, don't be a drag! Give it a try!"
"No! If ya' so hot in trying it, try it ya'self!"
Suddenly Han looked way less enthusiastic. Silence spread again.
"We could leave it..." Jed reflected.
"And the coyotes? We'll bait them and lure them closer to the house?! No! No way that'll take a good turn for of us!" Han objected.
"Then I'll ask ma, what to do!"
"That's a good idea?" Han asked doubtfully.
"Why not? She always knows what to do."
"Well ... could be she ain't happy with your prey..."
"Prey!? I didn't want to kill it!"
"You sure it makes a difference...?"
"Sure, I'm sure!" Jed declared self-confidently. A wide smile lit up his face. "Maybe she's even proud! At least there's one of them less now!"
Han shrugged and laid his arm around the younger one's shoulders.
"I'm not that certain, but I guess, we'll never know if we don't ask her. C'mon, let's find out."
They picked up the body of the bird and walked back to the farmhouse where Jed's mom was occupied with preparations for supper. When she noticed them, a smile crossed her face that was mirrored in her sky-blue eyes.
"Now, boys, you're quite in time to help me..." she trailed off when she noticed the lifeless bird in her son's hands.
"What's that?" she asked seriously and pointed at the bird.
"See Mom, we caught one of those birds. It won't steal our harvest ever again!" her youngster told her with pride-swelled chest.
"Jedediah Curry, what have you done?" She took in a deep breath. "Don't tell me that poor animal had to die because it was hungry and stole some grain from us!"
"Well ... no ... I ... I ..." Jed trailed off.
He blushed and lowered his eyes.
"See, Aunt Elsy," Han chimed in, "He just wanted to scare it away!"
"It doesn't look scared to me, it looks dead!" she countered.
"Well, yeah. Jed's a way too good thrower and hit it too hard. He didn't want to do it any harm. He just has to learn to assess his strength."
"He has to learn much more, as it seems!" she replied.
She sighed and dried her hands on her apron. Then she walked over to the kitchen bench, sat down and invited the boys to sit down beside her.
"Listen boys, that animal was a creation of God, just like we are. He gave it life and it's not up to us to take a life without any good reason. You think, stealing some grain is a good enough reason?"
The boys shook their heads in unison.
"The bible says: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Do you want to reap what you sowed today, Jed?"
The boys shook their heads again. Han listened to her unusually silent and thoughtful.
"That's what I thought, too." Jed's mother said, and stroked gently over the boys' hair. "For now, it's too late, but promise me you'll think about it first if you're up to something like that again, will you?"
She glanced from one boy to the other. The boys returned her look and answered her with a serious nod.
"And now tell me, what did you expect me to do, that you brought your quarry to me."
"Well, it was ... dead now ..." Jed stammered, "and we didn't know what to do ... and ... we couldn't just let it laying there ..."
"So, you came for my advice? I'm glad you did," she said and smiled again. "Now, let's see ... you can dig a grave in the corner of the yard, over there were the sunflowers grow. You will bury the bird and pray for its soul. But I don't want to see such a trophy here again, is that clear? I promise you, you'll do that with all your victims you'll bring to me!"
"Yes, ma!"
"Yes, Aunt Elsy!" the boys answered simultaneously.
"Now, hurry and get your work done before supper ... and before your father finds out and wants to have a talk with you, too."
She rose and continued her work, shook slightly her head and smiled. The boys were such a lovely couple, pretty wild sometimes but good-hearted after all. A little more guidance here and there and they'd grow to become fine young men, every mother could be proud of. To be true, she already was.
Han and Jed buried the bird and prayed for it as promised, before they parted for their evening meal.
"See, Han, my ma helped us and she wasn't mad at all."
"You're right. But she wasn't proud of you either."
"Guess, there wasn't much to be proud of, huh?"
"No! No, Jed, you're really a great thrower! You just need more practice!" Han beamed a smile at his cousin and patted his shoulder. "You never know what it's good for one day! Listen, we'll practice in the orchard next time, nobody has to know and nobody will care ..."
They exchanged a mischievous grin and wished each other a good night, looking forward to a new day and new challenges.