The Real Thief

The charming story of a loyal and wrongly-accused goose, with delightful illustrations by the author

Gawain is a kind, honest goose. He loves King Basil very much, and while he does sometimes long for his pond and his prize cabbages, he carries out his duties as Chief guard of the Royal treasury with utmost diligence.

But then, one day, the treasure starts to disappear. As only Gawain and King Basil have the keys, and the king is beyond reproach, all eyes turn to the miserable goose. Much as Gawain protests, much as he professes his innocence, it is not to be: he is found guilty.

While Gawain languishes in self-imposed exile, the real thief realises that he has done an awful wrong. But does he have what it takes to confess? Can he clear the poor goose's name and restore harmony to a kingdom?

William Steig (1907-2003) was an American author and illustrator of award-winning books for children. His work started appearing in the New Yorker in 1930, and he continued to draw cartoons and illustrations for them for the next seven decades. His books include Shrek!, on which the films of the same name are based, Abel's Island and Domninic, both published by Pushkin Children's. He twice received the Newbery Honor, was awarded the Caldecott Medal, and was the US nominee for both of the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Awards, as a children's book illustrator in 1982 and a writer in 1988.