The Peahen's Daughter

Many many years ago, when the world was still young, the World of Man and the World of Bird were connected by a golden bridge. Human mothers warned their children not to play too close to the bridge, because bird mothers, whose chicks had long since left the nest, might snatch a human child to raise as their own.

One day, a little human girl named Lýdie was playing near the bridge when she heard a voice.

"Little human child, come closer so that I may see you!"

Lýdie looked towards the bridge and saw a beautiful peahen, with shimmering blue-green feathers and golden eyes, dressed in a gown that was much finer than any Lýdie had ever seen in her short years. The peahen smiled warmly at the small child, and beckoned to her.

"There is nothing to fear! Come closer!"

Lýdie shyly approached the beautiful stranger, gazing wistfully at her beautiful clothes. The peahen, her eyes sparkling, knelt down.

"Do you like my gown, little girl?"

"Yes, I do." Lýdie murmured. She reached out a small hand to touch the silk of the peahen's skirt.

"Would you like a dress like this?"

Lýdie's eyes grew wide. "More than anything in the world!"

The peahen stood up and stretched out her wing. "Then come with me, human child. Live with me as my daughter and you shall wear the most beautiful clothes you can imagine. You will have servants to attend to your every wish. You will live a life of luxury."

Her honeyed words cast a spell over the small child, who eagerly accepted the peahen's wing and stepped onto the golden bridge.

The moment her foot touched the bridge, her memories started to fade. With each step, she found it harder and harder to remember who she was and what she was doing. By the time she arrived at the other side, the only thing that she could remember was her name.

Lýdie was raised by the peahen, who, true to her word, provided her with lavish clothing, a beautiful bedchamber, all the delicious food she could eat and any toy she wanted. She grew up in luxury, and, at the age of fifteen, was more beautiful than any human the peahen had ever seen.

She was, perhaps, too beautiful. She had attracted a number of suitors, all of whom were undesireable in the peahen's eyes. One, in particular, Rook, pursued Lýdie with an ardence that shocked her, and she was gravely disappointed to learn that Lýdie in turn had fallen in love with him.

The peahen knew that Lýdie was ripe for marriage, but that not just any suitor would be worthy of her beautiful daughter. The prospective husband needed wealth and a title to be worthy of Lýdie, and the peahen had the perfect bird in mind.

Macaw was the wealthiest bird in the kingdom - as a commander of the Bird King's armies, he was well-respected and wealthy, and now that his tour of duty was over, was in need of a wife. The peahen was sure that he would be smitten with Lýdie and congratulated her on a match well-made.

The peahen held a ball for Lýdie's sixteenth birthday, and invited Macaw as a guest of honor. The peahen's predictions were true - Macaw could not keep his beady eyes off of the beautiful human girl. He preened and puffed up his chest, but nothing he could do impressed Lýdie, whose thoughts were full of her dark-feathered lover.

Rook, meanwhile, had not been invited to the ball, but, diguising himself as a waiter, managed to slip into the party unnoticed by anyone...anyone except for Lýdie. As soon as she saw Rook, her face lit up with delight and she ran towards him.

Macaw, in rage, drew his sword and challenged Rook to a duel of honor. Rook agreed to the challenge, and the time for the duel was set at sunrise the next day.

However, the next morning, when the peahen entered Lýdie's room to wake her, she was horrified to find Lýdie's bed unslept in. On her pillow, a large black feather fluttered slightly in the gentle breeze from the open window.

The peahen and Macaw never saw Lýdie or Rook again.