Free Strange Happenings by Avi Page B

"for all I know what you say may be true. But we have nothing left to give you."
    To which his mother added: "Your wants and demands have quite ruined us. If you desire more, you must get it elsewhere—and you must get it for yourself."
    At these words Simon picked up his rifle and left home without so much as a farewell. Though his mother and father wept to see him go, Simon did not even look back.
    Simon journeyed to a village near a great forest. This forest was famous for its wild animals, so Simon decided to become a hunter. He was sure that by selling what he killed, he could earn enough money for his wants and needs.
    All Simon's energies now turned to hunting. He was very good at it. It did not take long before the sound of him coming through the forest was enough to bring terror to all the creatures that lived there. They knew that Simon was an excellent shot, that he was greedy, and that he had no mercy.
    One day when Simon brought his slaughter to the marketplace, a merchant said, "Simon, you do very well with what you bring me. But let me give you some advice: As great as is the demand for furs and hides, what the rich really want these days are
feathers.
Not
ordinary
feathers, but gloriously colored ones. The kind you can only find in the deepest parts of the forest. A good shot like you should have no trouble with that. Bring me such feathers, and you shall become truly rich!"
    That was enough for Simon. Rifle in hand, he set off into the forest and began hunting birds. He shot hundreds of them, stripped them of their plumage, and left their carcasses to rot. As for the feathers, he sold them to the merchant.
    As the merchant had promised, Simon soon grew not only rich but also quite famous in that part of the world. He was not satisfied. Wanting everyone to look upon him with awe, he hunted even more.
    As Simon brought in more and more wonderful feathers, the demand for them actually grew. Not only were greater quantities in demand, but he was paid higher prices for the most unusual kinds.
    One day Simon's merchant friend said, "Simon, it is believed that in the most remote part of the forest lives the Queen-of-All-the-Birds. Her feathers—so the rumor goes—have the look, the feel of pure gold. She's known as the Golden Bird. Fetch me
her
feathers and you shall be the wealthiest of men. The entire world shall sit up and take notice of you."
    His head bursting with visions of wealth and glory, Simon set off in pursuit of the Golden Bird. Though he traveled where few hunters had been, the Golden Bird never passed before his eyes. Simon kept searching.
    One day he found himself in the most tangled part of the forest. As he stood looking about, his hunting bag full of feathers, he caught sight of what appeared to be like gold among the trees. Not sure at first that he was seeing correctly, he stealthily approached the glitter.
    It
was
a bird but a bird such as he had never seen before. Her beak was blue, sharp, and precise. Her feet were crimson. On her head a jet black crown. But in the rays of light that filtered down among the many-fingered branches, her golden wings sparkled brighter than the sun itself.
    The moment Simon saw this bird he was certain she was the Queen-of-All-the-Birds, the Golden Bird herself. Instantly his mind was filled with thoughts of the money and fame he was sure to get after he killed her and stripped her feathers.
    Rifle in hand, Simon inched forward. The bird did not seem to notice. She even fluttered down to a closer branch.
    Simon crept to within a few feet of the bird. Silently he lifted his rifle and took precise aim at her breast. Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, the bird turned to him and quite calmly said, "Why do you want to shoot me, Simon?"
    Simon, never taking the Golden Bird out of his gun sight, said, "Because I need your feathers."
    "You don't
need
them," the bird replied. "In any case, they are not yours to have."
    "The world is there for me to