Trick's Gift

Before dawn and after dusk, I offer Trick the Barncat a bowl of cat food. In exchange, he roams the rafters, catching sparrows. He sneaks around the chicken houses snagging mice. He does his job so well, I seldom see a rodent. Though this morning, when I turned on the barn lights and went to the feed area, I paused. There before me was a half-eaten full-grown rabbit. I told him, "Good Kitty," and removed the cat food. He wouldn't be needing that this morning.