A short story about a thief and his stolen magic

[Leena Kaarina Pöysti]

A group of people stood watching after a little man walking through the city gate. They threw some gravel after this little man. Someone of people shouted: "Ormy; never come back!"
"I´ll not come back, but I will succeed and then nobody will give orders to me again." The little man , called Ormy, thought.
Ormy walked the road through fields till he came to forest. He was hungry and decided to go off the road to forest . He searched for berries and mushrooms. A little time later he saw a cottage between trees. He silently went to look in of the window. He saw a man there.
Ormy took two steps back and almost tread a cat. It meowed loudly.
A man came out from cottage and asked: "Is this you Blackie?" The man didn´t notice hiding Ormy. The cat ran to forest and the man from cottage ran after the cat.
Because there was nobody left , Ormy went in to cottage. He looked for something valuable to steel. There was shelves on the wall and stuff on the shelves. Ormy saw a skateboard and old oil lamp, and he quickly took them and then ran back to the road. He put the oil lamp to his backpack.
It was already afternoon. Ormy stepped on the skateboard and sighed: "I wish I´ll be in next town before sunset." Immediately the skateboard rose to air and begin to move forwards. This was really new to Ormy, but he liked it. Soon he came to edge of the forest.
He saw a town. He hided the skateboard to bushes. Then walked to town.The town seemed rich.
Next to gate was a bakery. Ormy went there and because saw not anybody he took a bread to his pack. When he turned to leave he ran into the baker.
"Oh, you must be a new here. Please take this bread to introduce us." The baker gave another bread to Ormy and then Ormy quickly leaved the town.
It was not dark yet when Ormy stepped on his skateboard and asked: " I want to look at this town from it´s highest place." The board obeyed and soon it was on a cone roof of a tower.
Ormy swayed and the skateboard flew down from the roof and away . He asked it to come back, but it didn`t.

Ormy congratulated himself for hasn´t fallen down on the street. But there was not ladders of any kind. He looked what was in his range of vision.
There was a big gathering in a park.
A pigeon flew to the roof . Ormy took his backpack and the bread from it. A slight touch to the oil lamp in the pack when he sighed: "I wish I had wings like you, little fellow. Only bigger." And his wish was carried out. He got wings.
Curiously Ormy flew towards the gathering. A woman stood speaking on a platform. Ormy wanted to hear, what it was about.
"Wings. Look! A man with wings. An angel." Somebody shouted and everybody turned to look at Ormy. They were amazed.
Ormy landed to a platform and was quite confused too.
"Are you here for votes? For election for town manager?" People asked.
"What is your promise to inhabitants?"

Ormy answered to them: "Prosperity and bread to everyone." Then he spread his wings . They shone in last light of sunset.
People left the park but somebody said to Ormy: "Don´t leave the town, I´ll vote for you."
Ormy thought; this oil lamp can give me anything. And he asked for a royal place and delicacys to eat and bed to sleep. Immediately he was there. A servant brought him luxurious dinner and everything was perfect. Ormy ate and then asked the oil lamp to take his wings away. He fell asleep.
On the morning something prickled Ormy. The softness of a luxury bed was not there. He opened his eyes and saw birds on the sky and a cloud above him. He felt an ant biting his chest. Ormy could not understand. He supposed to be on a royal bed. Or was the oil lamp only a dream?
"Where am I?" he asked and looked around. He left to look for town gate, because he was out in the field.
Nobody recognised Ormy without wings. Ormy walked past bakery and to the park. SOmebody was speaking about his good qualities, but a youth shouted: "The angel already is chosen, you have no chance."
Ormy was very pleased as he thought about the work as a town manager. He didn´t have any experience, but he could always count on to oil lamp. It was real, because everybody had seen an angel. He tried the oil lamp again and got something to eat. A a couple of hours was pleasant chat with town inhabitants. Thenagain someone ascended to the stage, and told:" This time winner is a stranger with wings. Is he here?"
Ormy quickly asked his wings back and then he flew on stage: "I thank and appreciate your trust in me. My name is Ormy, and I take this work in confidence."
He was told where he could start and he flew to the balcony of his office. His secretary was also ready to begin. The secretary what Ormy must do first. Ormy told him, he will order a great banquet for high society of neighbor towns and cities.
Ormy gave orders to share free bread to townspeople during the feast and he ordered the best quality of delicacys of many or every kind. He promised to pay abundantly for supplies.
When Ormy´s secretary wrote invitations, Ormy dictated: "Everyone will be picked up by a luxury car." The secratery said; " We don´t have luxury cars, we only have nice old carts."
"Leave it to me," Ormy insisted.
The next nights he slept in his new house.
Everybody were talking about the banquet. Many were preparing for it.
When promiesed luxury cars drove through the town gate, everybody were watching.
Celebrations were great. Fantastic music and dance and impressive other artists and entertainments. The best food and best wines and drinks. Everybody had fun in the banquet. Unfortunately Ormy was too tired and because he drank too much wine he fell asleep. His wings disappeared.
Visitors were happy and they left back home in those same luxury cars.
The next morning was beautiful and sunny. Ormy waited for congratulations for the best banquet ever. So he was very confused for angry glances he got from evrybody. He went to his room. Secretary was waiting for him and said:" Visitors are furious. They left in those cars but suddenly realized; they sat in dirty uncomfortable carts with manure. Flies were hideous."
Soon Ormy´s office was full of people who wanted explanations. Ormy could´t really explain, and people told him at least pay indemnities. This time Ormy decided to pay frankly from town finances.
Then Ormy had to pay to all artists and bakers and chefs and servants of the banquet. While they were waiting their money, secretary told to Ormy: "We haven´t any money left." Ormy was surprised, because he had thought the town was rich. His secretawry told him, that also a previous town manager was extravagant.
Ormy could pay to the bakers. Others involved to banquet were left without payment. This is why they decided to leave this town once and for all.
Also connections from other cities made it clear, that they were so hurted, they will not co-operate with Ormy´s town again.
Only the poor people of Ormy´s town watched entrepreneurs closing their stores and businesses and taking their possessions away through the town gate.
Fortunately the baker stood next to his bakery door and announced: "Cheap bread available!"