The little mouse, Tic Tac, is afraid of a big black bird standing in his pathway as he heads home from gathering grain. He is so frightened he tells his younger siblings a wild tale about being chased by this bird and escaping with his life. His father assures him that crows don't eat mice. So Tic Tac resumes his gathering duties. The next day, unexpectedly, the bird is still there right where it was before. The bird introduces himself as Quince. Quince explains how he was frightened by a cat and while escaping, was caught by a ribbon tied to his ankle. Since Tic Tac is also afraid of cats, he finds common ground with the raven, overcomes his fear and makes a friend when he frees Quince. An enjoyable read-to-me bedtime story for parents and their little ones about friendship and overcoming fear. Full color with 18 illustrations and an excerpt of another of Luthie West's children's picture books at the end.