The Wannabe Thief’s Jewel

Milo Brambletip lifted one foot and held it in the air.

The stone floor outside King Dorian’s treasure hall felt cool beneath his wool sock. His other foot rested on a soft patch of moss between two paving stones. He stretched his arms wide, tipped his nose forward, and whispered, “Quiet as a sleepy mouse.”

Then his belt buckle tapped the wall.

Milo froze.

A pair of sparrows chirped in the garden nearby. Water trickled in the little fountain. No one shouted. No one even looked his way.

He let out a small breath and lowered his foot.

The treasure hall stood at the end of the palace’s warm, sunny passage. Its tall doors were painted blue and covered with golden stars. A round window above them spilled a bright patch of light onto the floor. The air smelled of beeswax, old wood, and the cinnamon buns cooling in the kitchen down the hall.

Milo brushed crumbs from his brown coat. He had eaten one bun for courage and saved another for later. The second bun made a lump in his pocket.

“Tonight,” he whispered, “I become a real thief.”

He looked at the blue doors.

He did not feel quite like a real thief yet. Real thieves, Milo thought, probably did not wear socks with holes in both heels. They probably did not get crumbs on their noses. They also probably did not practice tiptoeing beside a fountain while their belt buckle made tiny tapping sounds.

Still, Milo had a plan.

Inside the treasure hall was King Dorian’s treasure bundle. It held bright coins, smooth beads, silver buttons, and one special jewel. The jewel was said to shine like a drop of morning sky. Milo had seen it once during the king’s spring parade, when the bundle had been carried across the palace yard.

He had not stopped thinking about it since.

Milo did not want to frighten anyone or make a mess. He only wanted to lift the jewel, hold it up to the light, and prove that he could steal one small thing without tumbling over.

He took another step.

This time he placed his heel down first. Then his toes. Softly. Slowly.

“Good,” he murmured.

A warm breeze slipped through the window and fluttered the edge of his coat. Milo caught it before it brushed the wall. He smiled. His plan was working.

At the far end of the passage, Guard Pella sat on a wooden stool beside the treasure hall doors. She was reading a little book with a green cover. A brass ring of keys hung from her belt.

Milo had noticed the keys at once.

They were not ordinary keys. Each one had a tiny bell attached to it. When Guard Pella moved, the bells gave a gentle jingle.

Milo waited until she turned a page.

Jingle.

He waited until she bent her head.

Jingle-jingle.

Milo watched the keys sway. He counted the sounds in his mind. The bells were loud enough to hear, but soft enough to sound like raindrops on a roof.

Guard Pella glanced up.

Milo pressed himself against the wall and held his breath. A sunbeam warmed his cheek. Dust tickled his nose.

Guard Pella looked toward the fountain instead. Then she went back to her book.

Milo smiled again.

He had found the best moment.

One step.

Two steps.

Three - His left shoe slid across a fallen leaf.

Scritch.

Milo grabbed the edge of a tall vase. The vase wobbled. He grabbed it with both hands and pulled it steady.

The flowers inside bounced.

One yellow daisy leaned too far to the side.

Milo carefully straightened it.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

Across the passage, Guard Pella turned another page.

Milo waited. The daisy stopped shaking. The vase stood still. He took a careful breath.

He was beginning to understand something. Sneaking was not only about moving quietly. It was about noticing what might make a sound before it made one.

He looked down at his shoes. One had a loose lace.

Milo tucked the lace inside his shoe.

He looked at his belt. The buckle was still crooked.

He wrapped a strip of cloth around it.

He looked at the bun in his pocket.

The bun was making a round, floury bump in his coat.

Milo took it out and placed it behind the flower vase.

“There,” he said. “You can wait.”

Now he felt ready.

Guard Pella leaned back on her stool. Her book made a soft flap as she turned another page. The bells at her belt jingled once.

Milo moved.

He crossed the last bit of passage and slipped behind a wide stone pillar. From there, he could see the treasure hall doors. One door stood open just a little. A thin line of golden light shone through the gap.

Milo’s fingers tingled.

He had made it to the entrance.

The treasure hall smelled like cedar boxes and polished metal. Sunlight poured through high windows and rested on rows of covered tables. Beyond the doorway, treasures gleamed under cloths. A silver crown peeked from one corner. A stack of coins shone like little moons.

At the center of the room sat the treasure bundle.

It was wrapped in deep purple cloth and tied with a gold cord. The knot rested on top like a small golden flower.

Milo saw a blue flash beneath the cloth.

The jewel.

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