Nature, It is what it is (A battle of life or death)

I was siting on a warm summers evening on a tree stump at the edge of the wood 

Just resting a while 

It had been a very hot day 

It would be a hot sticky night

Sitting quietly I heard a rustling 

somewhere in the undergrowth

I searched with my eyes 

After a moment or two I noticed a hedgehog that had just began its nocturnal wanderings 

If it was aware of me it showed no fear and grubbed noisily in the undergrowth looking for some tasty morsals for evening break fast. 

The hedgehog froze momentarily then moved forward 

It seemed as if it had found something 

I shifted my position slowly standing 

It was then that I saw it 

The hedgehog in its search  for food had discovered an adder 

I watched fascinated as the hedgehog moved slowly in  

And then bit the snakes tail 

 The adder squirmed for a moment then turned 

and struck back 

But the hedghog had lowered its spines covering its face like a monks hood  

The risk to the hedgehog was  great 

One mistake

One bite from the adder on exposed face, snout or foot and the consequences could be fatal 

The headgehog would suffer a slow death

Or at the very least be very ill

But not this time 

The adder spiked itself on the hedgehogs spines 

It was as if it was dazed for a moment.

The adder withdrew quickly and began to move away tongue flickering tasting the air 

The hedgehog followed shuffling after the snake 

Biting it's tail again 

The adder turned its sinewy body and struck in retaliation  

But the hedgehog had lowered its spines again 

The adder spiked itself 

causing further injury 

Again the adder attempts to move away 

But its tormentor has not finished 

The hedgehog follows biting again 

The process continued 

The hedgehog biting then lowering its spines, defending

The adder is slower now it's head and eyes bleeding 

It's body covered with bites 

The hedgehog bites again this time nearer to the head 

The adder tries to turn painfully slowly

Its mouth is partly open 

Its tongue to the side 

One last twitch

It is still 

The adders battle is done 

The hedgehog begins to feed

Working from the tail ripping the skin open the hedgehog feasts on the exposed flesh beneath

I watch for a while longer 

The headgehog dines for a while  

Then moves away 

Disappearing into the undergrowth 

Looking for some other morsal

It leaves the half eaten adder

A meal for some other creature 

This is the way of nature 

 It is said nature is cruel 

I don't think so 

It is what it is 

This time the adder lost its battle providing a meal for the hedgehog 

But the adder had also been hunting earlier in the day 

Some unfortunate mouse or frog had been it's dinner

This is the reality of nature 

It is what it is