Guinea hen

The fox has a sworn enemy.

The Guinea hens patrol the neighborhood. Their uniforms of white dotted feathers declare their authority. The beady eyes in their vulture-like heads turn here and there.

When alarmed, they explode into a chase. Their chatter sounds like “come-back, come-back,” but they most certainly want the opposite. (If they want you to come back, fate is not in your favor.)

For some reason, the fox doesn’t eat them. Maybe they aren’t tasty, or they talk too much. Either way, the fox hides in his home when he hears the Guinea hens. The Guinea hens pay no attention because they are afraid of nothing. They eat ticks, rodents, and snakes. They scream at my dog until he is no longer chasing them, and they surround him in the siege and nip his heels. They gobble up the cicadas that sing until “sweet dreams” is said.