A golden yolk in the sapphire sky stretches its rays towards winter prairies. Ice glazes the branches of leafless trees that stick out their brown limbs like scarecrows, melting snow trickling down the wooden shards of bark. Sparrows chatter. 

Standing next to a barn with peeling brown paint, the chicken coop awakes. A rooster struts out of his straw nest and pecks dry patches of ground for crinkly grubs. But as flies swarm and spiral around his body, he flutters his ruby-red wings in annoyance, emerald tail feathers swaying. All the while, a gang of crows gather atop a bare tree, their beady onyx eyes fixated on the feathered inferior below. 

“Which came first? The chicken or the egg?” The largest crow caws, followed by a chorus of raucous snickering. 

Staring at the chattering birds, the rooster shakes his coral-pink wattle and walks off to a rusty pan filled with partially frozen water. After one big gulp, he shudders at the coldness. 

CLUCK! A hen with silky cinnamon feathers and a hazelnut beak strides toward the rooster, her face glowing from the morning dawn. She bats her eyelashes and flashes the rooster a knowing look. He cocks his head, his blond chest inflated with pleasant surprise. 

The rooster knows. 

Following the hen into their nest, he discovers an egg. Sitting on the coarse straw nest, the silky smooth curves of the almond-tinged shell bathe in the morning sunlight, glowing like amber. 

The rooster glances at his wife– she flaps her wings and strolls a few steps. “Hey, I’m off for food. Protect the egg. Promise?” She clucks and walks out. 

Nodding, the rooster paces around and plops onto the nest. Feeling the smooth shell against his belly, he dreams of a tiny chicken, a fluffy, beautiful, golden ball of energy. 

High-pitched whining penetrates the fence as a mud-coated beige chihuahua squeezes underneath. He prances around the chicken coop, spinning his thin tail like a dagger. Finally, he lifts a leg and relieves himself in the perfect spot – right inside the chicken’s water bowl. Air rots. 

Wooden fence gate swinging open, a boy marches in. Wiping off the boogers from his eyes, he shuffles towards the coop, boots splashing waves of slushy mud. One hand grasping the handle of a brown wicker-woven basket while the other shading the morning sun from his squinting eyes, the boy bends down and peeks into the nest, mahogany eyes lighting up. Fluttering his wings and squawking, the rooster jumps up and pecks at the boy’s boot. 

But it’s no use.

He watches in horror as the boy’s grimy fingers grasp the dotted, velvety shell, pluck the egg out of its warm home, and chuck it into his mold-crusted basket. Eyes bulging and chest puffing, the rooster attempts to fly and peck the enemy’s eyes. Shoving the rooster away, the boy strolls towards the fence gate, kicks it open, and walks out. Following his master, the chihuahua turns back and stares at the rooster with protruding eyes. 

In a desperate dash, the rooster charges towards the dog, only to be slammed by the closing fence door. Feathers float and twirl onto his cross-eyed face. 

Humming and swinging the basket, the boy skips on a gravel path, his slobbering dog racing laps around him. Elongating his neck, the rooster stares at the evil duo. 

Right in front of the house, the boy trips on the doorstep and faceplants on the welcome-mat. He howls in pain; the basket soars and crashes into the wall; the egg flies out; the rooster’s eyes bulge out even more – then a crack; a honey gold yolk seeps out from the broken shell and sinks into the dirt like a sunset. The chihuahua starts slurping the yolk. 

“AHHHHHH!” the rooster screams. 

Startled by the agonizing shriek, one crow perches on the fence, ruffling his coal-black feathers. “What do you think now: the chicken or the egg? Oof, the chicken just lost the egg,” he mocks. Other crows smirk. 

Head down, the rooster collapses into his empty nest, a tear sagging down his face. His wife quietly walks in and gently plops next to him, wings nudging his shoulder. 

“It’s okay, there is always another day – and another egg.”