YA, Short stories, Fantasy; one was about a man who could change into a crow/raven and he had triplets, one of which was a runt.

[Clara]

So... this book was full of short stories. Here are the ones I remember.
1: This one was about a man who could change into a crow/raven and he had triplets, one of which was a runt. It was full of humor, such as instead of using diapers, holding the baby out the window so that it didn't get diaper rash. The man struggles with himself because he was raised with getting rid of weak ones and his oldest triplet is a 'runt', eventually he comes to love and appreciate his daughter for how she is.
2: The details are foggy, but it had people in a train that was accosted by shadow nightmare like creatures.

[0possum]

The first one sounds like it was written by Tamora Pierce. They both may be in this collection of short stories: Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales. If not, perhaps they are in another part of her Trickster series.

[Clara]

Hmmm, thank you for the help, but I checked it out and it doesn't quite fit the bill.
thank you though.

[SBC]

I know you've already checked out and vetoed the Tortall collection, but the first story you describe definitely sounds like the story called "Nawat" by Tamora Pierce - it's about a crow shifter dealing with being the father of newborn triplet half-crow babies. The eldest daughter is described as a little person who can't shapeshift. Nawat has to choose between his eldest daughter's life and his crow practice of culling. It was first published in Tortall and Other Lands (2012) but if you haven't read that, maybe it was republished in another collection as well? I can't find what collection that might be though!

[Amanda]

I'd like to third for "Nawat" as the crow story. There's definitely a scene where he holds the babies out of the window. Once someone important (an ambassador, I think?) was walking under the window at the time. He and his wife find a compromise by using giant urns or something like that.

[Clara]

SBC wrote: "I know you've already checked out and vetoed the Tortall collection, but the first story you describe definitely sounds like the story called "Nawat" by Tamora Pierce - it's about a crow shifter de..."
Wow, the story that you just described sounds exactly it.
So obviously that story was included in the collection.

[SBC]

The only problem is I did a good hunt on the internet and couldn't find any mention of that story being published anywhere other than in Tortall and Other Lands!

Is there any chance it could have been photocopied and compiled with other short stories into a collection for you to read for school or a course? I studied literature throughout high school and university and we were often given photocopied booklets like that, with stories picked out from multiple published collections. "Nawat" would probably make a good story to discuss with a class.

About the train story, I don't know if this is it but your description brought to mind a Garth Nix story, "Hope Chest", published in Firebirds: An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction but I can't remember much about it so I'm not too sure if it would fit.

Oh, and can we rule out that you're not thinking of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when the Dementors attack the train? ;)

[Clara]

Thanks so much for your help.
Yes we can rule it out. My main concern was finding the Nawat story, I don't remember much of the others, but I do know several of them terrified 10 year old me.
Yes we can rule that out. :)