DAWSON, Willow

Two ravens scouring a bare, wintry forest for food are disrupted by the sound of wolves pursuing a buffalo. The buffalo escapes after fatally injuring one wolf in the pack, ending the hunt. The wolves and ravens, both starving, work together when the birds alert the pack to a deer with an injured leg—easier prey. The ravens and the pack pursue the creature, then feast, "filling bellies and beaks," and share the bounty with their families sheltering from the cold in den and nest. The sun warms these final scenes, giving hope to the possibility of spring, and survival. The unusual relationship between wolves and ravens (also known as wolf-birds) is called mutualism, as an appended author's note explains. Each creature benefits from the abilities of the other