Griffin Egg

One sunny day, a girl named Maria walked down the path. Her wavy, golden hair streaming down her back, she was walking home from school. Maria was reading a book on birds. She loved, loved, loved, loved, loved birds.

At the end of the sidewalk, Maria turned and saw an extremely large bird egg lying on the road. Curious, she pocketed it. Maria was in the habit of raising young birds if they were lost. She walked in her front door and sat down at the table to do her homework. That night, she covered the egg with a blanket and made sure it was warm. Then she fell asleep.

It was the same for a week or so, but on the 12th day the egg began to show tiny cracks. Maria watched it very carefully, until one day… “Crack!” went the egg, and a small, golden head poked out.

The baby bird had hatched, but it was like no bird Maria had ever seen. It was tannish-gold and had a white head, a very sharp beak, and very strong looking wings. Maria flipped hurriedly through her bird book, but there was nothing that looked remotely like this little creature. How would she know what to feed it? How would she know when it was mature enough to be set free? Maria decided to look in the library tomorrow for anything she could use to take care of this little creature. In the meantime she worked to restrain it from her silver watch and gold necklace.

The trip to the library was unsuccessful. She searched the entire bird section, but it failed her for the first time in her life. She finally decided to feed it on grain and other bird food until she could found out what it ate. This little creature, whatever it was, was growing like a weed. Within a month, it was the size of a toddler’s bike and was going to be as big as a baby elephant. Maria was beginning to grow fond of the odd bird, whatever his size, and named him Goldenwing.

When his wings looked strong enough, Maria began to try to show him how to fly. She pointed at the sky and walked over and moved his wings, but he didn’t seem to get the message. It was a frustrating process, since she herself could not do it, but eventually he got the hang of it.

Maria was beginning to think that this was not a bird at all, but something else. Then, one evening, she found it. Sitting in a chair at the library, reading a book about mythical creatures, she found a picture above a caption that looked just like Goldenwing. The caption said “Griffons”. She read about how they hoarded treasure (explaining the jewelry that had mysteriously disappeared since Goldenwing’s arrival), how they nested in treetops (the road she’d found Goldenwing’s egg on had been right across from the woods), and their large size. They apparently ate meat, but a diet of grain didn’t seem to have stunted Goldenwing’s growth, and their wings developed quickly.

She would never forget that night. She woke up to check on Goldenwing and told him everything she’d found out. Then he spread his wings, but did not take off. He seemed to be waiting for something. Maria stood, watching. He made a beckoning motion with his head, and slowly, Maria understood that he wanted her to climb on. She did so, and went for the most wonderful ride of her life. Lakes and forests, plains and mountains went whizzing by beneath her until finally the griffin swooped back and landed in her own back yard. She went to sleep, then, happy and content.

The next morning, however, her mother stopped her coming down the stairs and said “That griffin thing of yours is taking up too much space. Some of my best jewelry has disappeared, and soon he will eat us out of house and home. He will have to go.” Maria’s spirits sank. “No, mom, he can’t go! Goldenwing’s my pet!” Her mother’s expression did not change.

Maria dashed out the back door. “Goldenwing!” she cried, and ran to the huge griffin, now the size of small tractor. She was cut short, however, when the school bus pulled up outside, and she had to go. That afternoon, when she returned, she did her homework quickly so she could go back outside with Goldenwing. Her mother was a very stubborn woman, and her mind would not be changed when she returned that night. Goldenwing would probably have to go back to the forest the next evening.

She was correct. As she sadly walked him down to the edge of the forest as the sun sank over the horizon, the griffin seemed to know where they were going. When they got there he stopped, and gave her a look she would never forget. Those deep, deep, eyes looking into hers, Maria knew that she was doing the right thing. This creature, however much she would miss it, belonged in the wild. Goldenwing, giving one last backward glance, spread his wings and flew off over the horizon. Forever. He was back where he belonged.

The Last Tale to Tell: Epilogue

After what she did, Calicotail receives no end of applause and thanks from anxious villagers, and is asked to give karate lessons. She accepts and spends a time teaching eager children to defend themselves. Finally, she decides to retire and goes to the woods where she knows she can find shelter with her friends.

The Last Tale to Tell: Chapter 8: The Battle

2 days later, Calicotail stands in the center of the town, waiting. She sincerely hopes that this plan works, because if it doesn’t her life could be in danger. Finally, the moment she had dreaded all morning came. As the village clocks struck eleven, a horde of the evil creatures stormed out into the village. They looked at her, and laughed. “Is this the best they can do?!” one yelled. Calicotail was terrified and offended, but she saw the glint of a deep, hazel eye in the brush, and knew she didn’t need to be afraid. The jaguar who had spoken pounced…and a large, orange and white blur streaked overhead and landed on top of him. The jaguar took one look at the thing on top of him-and screeched. His comrades too seemed to recognize this tiger, and when Calicotail gave the whistle for the others to join them, the fight was in the bag. Calicotail found that all the practice fights Striper had done with her really paid off. She dodged 12 punches, launched 4 surprise attacks, and leaped on top of 15 unfortunate animals until the whole lot of them went racing back to their boat, never to return.

The Last Tale to Tell: Chapter 7: Why, Oh Why

Why, oh why is it always me? Calicotail asks herself. Certainly she was smaller and more agile than any of them, but she wasn’t even that nimble. She had put up a fight, but in the end she had been forced to admit that she was more capable of this than any of them. After hours and hours, she finally had found a sort of camp, and had quivered at the edges trying to hear what the evil animals inside were saying. It was very scary, once she could have sworn one of them saw her, and this was not as easy as Striper and Gemfeather had anticipated. They didn’t seem to be talking of the date at all, but she finally caught it…they would attack in two days! She raced this information to the town, but another detail the others had overlooked was that the villagers were still in hiding. In a tree hollow, however, she entrusted this news to a red fox, and hoped he would spread the word. When she finally got back to the shore with the others, they were sound asleep, and in a moment, she was too.

The Last Tale to Tell: Chapter 6: The Plan

When Calicotail wakes up, she is lying on the shore surrounded by strange animals. When she looks closer, she sees that almost all of them are older versions of animals from her history book, including Striper, Emeraldtrunk, and Fiercepaw there must be at least 10. She nearly faints again, but a middle-age beluga shakes her shoulder. “We need to talk about our plan. I was never much of a warrior myself, but old Stripe here knows a few tricks.” Calicotail makes an attempt to sit up, but a peacock with bluish brown feathers stops her. “We need someone pretty small to go out and bring back information about when they’re going to attack. Then the same one needs to inform the villagers, and then earlier on the same day as the bad guys, we attack them.” Striper stands and says “The first part sounds okay, Gemfeather, but I think…” he whispers his plan to everyone, who nod. Calicotail feels strange. They are treating just like a member of their clan! “And,” Striper finishes, “the one to do the sneaking should be Calicotail!”

The Last Tale to Tell: Chapter 5: Striper

The ancient tiger slowly turns his head, and Calicotail sees a face recognizable from her history book, though much older, wiser. She stands there for a moment, wondering where to begin. She had not thought about this moment before; she had been too obsessed with finding Striper. She decides just to start at the beginning and tell him her name, and when she gets to the part where she’d had the idea and been chosen, Striper speaks, a bit more vigor in his voice than one would think of a tiger so old. “So you want me to come back and help the island again. Yes, I would love to get out there again. But I fear I may not be enough anymore. I will call my son and daughter in law. Fiercepaw! Emeraldtrunk!” In come an elephant and a tiger, almost as old as Striper. Calicotail gasps. She has admired these two for as long as she can remember, and when Emeraldtrunk, the elephant, turns her way, Calicotail faints with shock and delight.

The Last Tale to Tell: Chapter 4: Where?

As quietly and nimbly as she can, Calicotail slips into the forest. She has heard that the legendary Striper last lived in a cave deep in the heart of this forest, but she sees nothing. Silly me, she thinks, how could I expect it to be as easy as that? Still, unless he’d moved, he should live somewhere around here. She makes an attempt to climb a tree, and scans the wood for any sign of life. Still nothing. Calicotail realizes that there could be guards here in the forest, too, and she tries to be quieter, but this is hard to do. There are so many twigs on the ground, that every noise begins to freak her out and she takes to the treetops. She sincerely hopes that Striper is still in residence on the island, for the evil creatures will soon attack, she is sure of this. Finally, she thinks she may see the faint outline of a cave…then a thought comes to her. What if Striper was now way too old to be fighting again? With caution, Calicotail approaches the cave, and walks inside. Over in a dusty corner, curled in a ball, lies the most ancient looking tiger she has ever seen.