The Real Thief - The Adventures of Mouse Abe - International Award Winning Novel

Author: William Steig (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Gaven is the head guard of the royal treasury, a honest, kind-hearted, and beloved goose. Look, he is wearing a red guard uniform with gold trim, his shiny gold buttons gleaming, standing majestically at the entrance of the royal treasury. Under the sun, his guard uniform and the long spear in his hand shine brilliantly. Every day, whether it's a holiday or not, tourists come to the entrance of the royal treasury out of curiosity. They admire the grandeur of the treasury building and the strength of the walls, while also marveling at Gaven's imposing presence. Gaven proudly raises his head and puffs out his chest, accepting the tourists' "click, click" camera flashes. Hey, he looks so majestic! However, the sunlight is too strong, scorching the ground hot. Gaven has to lift one leg from time to time to "stand on one leg like a rooster" to avoid burning his "feet" (webbed feet) in the heat. People come and go, but sometimes there's only Gaven there, so he can't help but feel his work is a bit monotonous and dull. When he feels lonely, he misses his carefree past life: playing leisurely in the pond, sleeping in the grass, planting beans and cabbage near home—how peaceful and harmonious it was. Gaven was once a renowned architect, and he loved his work. Every day, he planned to build towering structures. He also had a dream: to build a magnificent palace in the shape of a goose egg for the king, making this building famous worldwide! But, he was unexpectedly selected by the king and appointed as the head guard of the royal treasury. Although his position and rank were quite high, the work was too monotonous, and he often felt it wasn't fulfilling enough. There was no choice, after all, he was specifically chosen by the king. He was upright in character, incorruptible, responsible, and well-known far and wide. It was also because of this that the king chose him from thousands of people. The king was a strong bear, so he was prone to being impatient, with a temper that fluctuated between good and bad. When he was in a good mood, he was exceptionally kind. Who would dare to refuse the king's appointment? Besides, it was such a great honor! Gaven deeply admired the king and longed to serve him all his life, so he accepted the position of head guard without hesitation. To maintain consistency, the king also selected three clever and capable geese—Hewey, Gavewey, and Wimmer—to lead under Gaven, with the four geese taking turns on duty at the entrance of the royal treasury. However, the keys to the royal treasury—the only two keys—were kept by both the king and Gaven. Gaven was very serious and responsible about his work, so he specially formulated a set of on-duty regulations, ensuring the work of the royal treasury guard team was well-organized. Usually, two geese stood on duty, and when it was time to switch shifts, they would "quack, quack" twice before officially exchanging posts. Every day, before leaving work, Gaven would personally open the treasury door, go inside to inspect, and carefully count everything to ensure that all the gold, silver, and jewels remained exactly where they were, not even a single feather missing. After the inspection, he could only thenly lock the door. Besides jewels and medals, the treasury also stored a large amount of gold coins, which were the royal tax revenue, mainly used for public facilities and construction projects in the kingdom. The king would occasionally visit the treasury, sometimes bringing valuable items to store inside, or taking away things like precious jewels, large medals, or round medals. The king also developed a habit: whenever something bothered him and kept him awake at night, even if it was something as small as a sesame seed, he would come to the treasury, open the door, and count the gold coins one by one. Because only counting gold coins could calm his mind, after finishing, he could finally sleep soundly. Every time the king came to the treasury, he would tell Gaven what valuable items he had added or taken away. As for any changes in the gold and treasures in the treasury, Gaven would meticulously record them each time to ensure no mistakes occurred. P1-4