Week 3 Story: The Unfortunate Pheasant

    One glorious morning, when the sun rose over the buildings and the crisp air left dew upon the tall grass, a pheasant named Fredrickson arose from his slumber and greeted the new day with a violent stretch, the kind that makes you shake uncontrollably... the best kind. Fredrickson was a happy pheasant, he lived in a cozy nest he made, perched upon the tallest tower in Troy. He was beloved by all the villagers there, everyone knew him by name and moved over when he walked past them. He would often go down to the town square where the villagers would congregate and wait for them to drop food, and in exchange Fredrickson would do a little dance. He had a signature dance move that all the villagers would dance along to, they had a grand time filled with laughter and joy. Fredrickson walked the streets as royalty and all who saw him knew of his birdy brilliance. He was a true celebrity.

"Pheasant" Source

    That afternoon, Fredrickson was told of a commotion past the walls of Troy. He was told that his town was in danger of being pillaged by the Greek army. So, he flew atop the grand gate at the front of the town and looked down to see an immense battle. He recalled tales of glorious soldiers and great gods but had never seen them before as he had always been sheltered within the walls. He became frightened at the thought of his life and town being torn away by these intruders so he set out to find a way to become a hero and save Troy. Fredrickson returned to his perch and fastened himself some armor made out of sticks and stone and he went to the town's blacksmith and asked for a sword and shield for battle. Fredrickson believed in his tiny bird heart that this moment was meant for him and that he would be the reason Troy stood another day. 

    Fredrickson flew back atop the gate, however, he was now weighed down by all the gear he brought with him. He took a few breaths and looked down to see the battle dying down and that two prominent figures stood alone in the field. These two men appeared greater than all the rest. He wished to get a closer look at the two men because their faces were blocked by the mighty helmets that sat upon their heads, so he spotted a tree that offered a good vantage point of the quarrel and began to fly towards it. Time seemed to slow down at this moment as little Fredrickson saw an object appear in his peripherals. It was the spear of the great god Achilles, and the beloved Fredrickson was struck in his side. The unfortunate pheasant was killed on impact. 

Authors Note: I wrote this story based on "Homer's Iliad." I thought of many different angles I could take from the literary masterpiece that is "Homer's Iliad" but ultimately I kept thinking about the spear that Achilles missed when he was battling Hector. I wanted to integrate something with a little humor which is why I chose the main character to be a pheasant and his name to be Fredrickson. I hope everyone enjoyed this odd spinoff to a great book.  

Bibliography: "Homer's Iliad" by Alfred J. Church