The Fledgling
by Brigid Amos
Dog and Cat share the multilevel fire escape of their apartment building in mutual tolerance. Their peace is disturbed when they find Fledgling on their fire escape, calling to its mother in a wild bird language they do not understand. Cat wants to kill and eat Fledgling, but Dog’s human has taught that killing birds is bad behavior. Dog and Cat discuss Fledgling’s status as a wild animal in relationship to...
Dog and Cat share the multilevel fire escape of their apartment building in mutual tolerance. Their peace is disturbed when they find Fledgling on their fire escape, calling to its mother in a wild bird language they do not understand. Cat wants to kill and eat Fledgling, but Dog’s human has taught that killing birds is bad behavior. Dog and Cat discuss Fledgling’s status as a wild animal in relationship to their own status as domestic animals. Cat convinces Dog that Fledgling is calling out to others of its kind to occupy their fire escape and attack them. They decide that Fledgling must die in order to protect their fire escape from the coming invasion, but just as Cat is about to pounce, Dog realizes Fledgling’s true intention and saves the young bird’s life. This play explores the seductive nature of xenophobia and the power of empathy to combat it.
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