G/T Stories

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She could feel that the time to lay her egg was coming. She left the branch and soared forward, searching for perfect nest.

Soon, a wide and well-built nest caught cuckoo harpy attention. She landed on it and examined it. Looking at the white eggs with multiple brown spots, she guessed it was a nest of white wagtails harpies. Perfect hosts for her egg.

She moved eggs a little, to make room for hers. She then sat down and quickly laid the egg. After that, she took her leave, never to be seen in there again.

***

Abo and Zeaw were getting back to their nest, holding some twigs in their hands. Eggs were about to hatch soon, they needed to expand their nest, so that everyone will have enough room.

They soon reached it and began to expand their nest, when Abo said:

- Huh? Why are there four eggs? I thought you laid only three.

- I did lay three eggs - Zeaw replied and looked at them. The three eggs were normal and fourth, although had the same pattern, was visibly bigger. Even bigger than harpies.

White wagtails harpies looked at each other. They both knew very well what that meant. A cuckoo harpy laid her egg in their nest.

Abo got furious. He wasn't working so hard on this nest for it to become a home for a parasite!

- We need to get rid of it before it hatches! - he growled. Zeaw hugged gigantic egg protectively.

- Wait! It's not its fault that its mother left it here! It didn't choose to be hatched a cuckoo! - she said.

- Don't you get it?! Once it hatches, it'll get rid of our eggs! Haven't you heard the stories?! - male asked.

- I have. But it's not fair, hatchling can't pay for their parent demeanor. I'm going to raise it - she claimed. Abo snorted.

- You can't be serious. Don't you know how much it'll be eating? How much room it'll take? Heck, we'll be lucky if it doesn't crush our eggs the first second after it hatches! - he said.

- How about this: I'll be in the nest, keeping an eye on the cuckoo and you'll be hunting for it - she suggested.

- Nope, nope, nope! I'm not taking care of it and that's final! - male shouted.

His mate made puppy eyes - his only weakness. He couldn't say "no" to those eyes. He sighed heavily.

- Fine, we can keep it. But don't expect me to call that... that... that waif my son or daughter! - he said.

- Oh, thank you honey! I promise you, one more child won't make a difference - she replied.

It would be true, if the hatchling was a white wagtail harpy, not a cuckoo. They were soon to see for themselves.

Cuckoo harpy was the first to be hatched. It barely got out of the egg, it began to chirp for food.

Abo was flying back and forth with treats for cuckoo, but it was never enough. Hatchling was practically hungry all the time, white wagtail harpy had only few hours to rest when it was sleeping.

Hatchling turned out to be a boy, Zeaw named him Cowook. Hatchling was well-behaved, he didn't try to throw other eggs out of the nest.

His chirping quickly turned to cuckooing, it was driving Abo crazy. Soon, Cowook also started to talk, calling Zeaw "mama" and Abo "papa", much to male white wagtail harpy dismay.

Everytime when Abo's mate left to find food for herself, he would twist Cowook's arm to the point boy whimpered from pain and told him:

- I'm not your papa and never will be. If I hear you saying that, it'll end worse, got it?