The Swan Thief -Chapter 1 Greedy Tod

It was a beautiful early spring day. A swan soared high threw the cheery blue sky to fly home, flapping it's graceful wings the sun bathed in golden light. But this swan was no ordinary swan, it was really a immortal deity that had the magical power to grant wishes, and had taken the form of a swan to go swimming earlier in the glistening spring.

Suddenly out of nowhere a boy below shot a arrow at it. Thankfully the arrow missed it's heart but pierced it's left wing. The swan fell spiraling down nearby the boy. The boy ran towards it and loomed over the injured swan, and then took out a knife.

"Wait!" The swan begged. "Please don't kill me and I'll grant you a wish." The boy was very surprised and said that the swan was only saying that because it didn't want to die.

"No really" it said, "wish something". The boy mumbled that he wished he had new fine cloths, for his were old, dirty, and worn and ripped at parts. And within 5 seconds the cloths glittered with golden magic sparkles and changed before the boys vary eyes into the finest cloths he had ever seen. The boy was shocked.

"Please!" The swan cried in pain, "Take this arrow out & mend me and I'll grant you one more wish". It was bleeding bad. The boy quickly took the swan's arrow and snapped it in two before pulling them out. The swan was vary brave not to screech in pain. "Quick boy! address my wounds! Now now!" The boy quickly picked up the swan and tucked it under his arms, and then ran as fast as he could to get bandages and ointment. He set it on a wooden table outside and then retrieved the supplies from his parents small almost shack-like cabin. Within a minute the swans wing was bandaged.

The swan sighed in relief. Although it was immortal in that it would never die, it was still susceptible to injuries. It stood up and folded in it's wings. It wouldn't be able to change out of a swan until it's injury was fully healed.

"O.K. boy, thank you". The swan was not mad because many people hunted ducks for food, and although hunting or shooting at swans was illegal, the skinny boy had probably mistaken him for a common duck while in the air. "What is it you wish for?" The boy said his name was Tod and he wished to have a castle to live in. The swan was a little surprised at this but not really because the boy and his family appeared to live in a state of poverty. He decided he would grant Tod's wish and then be on his own way, and never see him again, for although the boy would be vary happy at first, this particular wish would not give him long lasting happiness, for only the boy could create that. The swan rose up and stretched out his wings about to grant this wish when-

"Wait."

"What?"

"I haven't described it to you yet." The swan sat down again. The boy illustrated and delineated a long list of details of how he wanted his castle. "-And there should be a court yard in the front and a enclosed rose garden in the side with a fountain, but it shall have many of the most beautifulist of flowers not just roses, and there should be stables for 20 horses, and a room with cages so I may have lots of pigeons and beautiful birds like pheasants, and song birds that sing lovely, and a sun room for whatever use, and-) Tod went on and on, and the swan narrowed his eyes. This boy is more greedy then I thought. He had already given his word though and hated to break it. He listened and nodded occasionally. When the boy finally finished, in the end the castle was actually a palace that the boy and his family no matter how large couldn't possibly fill up or need.

"And this is all you ask for and shall never use and meet with me again?"

"Yes I promise" Tod shifted. The swan stretched it's long neck out and stared into Tod's eyes. Then sighed again as it lifted up it's huge wings and faced the breezing sky.

White light and sparkles flew out and turned away like beautiful dancing winds changing to pastel colors. The swirling sparkaling colors which was magic quickly formed a castle and everything the boy said, a little ways off to the right over a wide green hill. It took a few minutes before everything was done and the courtyards completed.

The swan waddled towards the edge of the table "You'll find the keys under the mat", but just as he was about to jump off and part ways with the greedy boy, Tod swooped him under his arms.

"Hey let go!" The bird was trapped and couldn't lift its pined wings away. "I granted your wish." He looked up. Tod was smiling like a happy maniac.

"First I must inspect my castle, to make sure everything is there and how I said, as proof you granted my wish". The boy ran with the swan.

"I already manifested your clothes! That should be proof enough!". There was nothing he could do however, and he began to worry. Him and greedy Tod went all threw the palace. It all met Tod's expectations. "Alright you have your proof now, I granted your wish. Let me go." The swan tried to nudged away again.

"Hold on." Tod walked into the bird room. "Remember that store room with the hidden door? I want you to fill it with gold. To the ceiling".

"No. Release me vile human." Tod squeezed harder. "Ahhhh!" The swan squinted and gasped at how much that hurt, especially with his pierced wing. "Grant this last wish and then I'll let you go, I swear". Vile thing. The swan granted this one last wish, and the store room filled to the brims, with the gold peaces.

He waited to be released but it never came. He began to panic! "You swore! rotten nimp!" LET GO OF ME! NOW!"

"Wait! Shut up!" He shook the swan until it stopped squirming. "I must have servants, enough to fill my whole castle and all my needs".

"No! you shall receive nothing else!" Tod slammed the swan into a boxy open bird kennel at the wall. And then clasp the battered swan again.

"Grant my wish now! Or I will pluck all of your feathers out. Tod plucked one in sinc as he spoke, his face threatening and sinister.

"Nooooo!" The swan howled in pain. "I'll grant it I'll grant it! Humans take time though, you will see them in a matter of days, I cant make them appear instantly. They will be looking for jobs, and you can hire them".

"Vary fine, vary fine". Tod shut the barred door. Oh no! The swan couldn't believe it's eyes. Tod stepped back and stared directly at it. "I never intended to let you go, as soon as I fixed you. I knew you were a, adorable lovable pretty ditty dear sweet damn SWAN when I shot you down." He began to walk towards the doorway and the swan trembled. "I even made this room specifically for you. Now you are mine, and will stay that way forever, and will grant my every wish or else I'll pluck out all your feathers and I'll kill you & eat you up. You are mine now, forever.

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