I was getting closer, but not quite close enough, so I moved more dirt. I took off my shirt and used it as a carrying bag, filling it with soil and dumping the soil on top of the pile.
It was precarious. The soil was loose in places. As I climbed it, pieces gave way under my feet and I had to scramble to keep from falling. The crow seemed to have some sense in its head. It kept away from me and watched as I worked.
You could pitch in, I said to it. Just going to sit back and relax and let me do the work, huh? Then reap the rewards?
The crow tilted its head at me and cawed several times. I took that to mean I should get back to work, so I did.
It took probably an hour of labor I was unaccustomed to before I was able to stand on the top of a pile sufficiently stable enough to allow me to
