Gilman Guy 1x03 - Michel hates swans
It was a picturesque day at the Luxembourg Gardens. The flora was sun-dappled and vibrant. Michel ran ahead of his parents, who only had to quicken their gait slightly to keep up with his little legs. He loved coming to the gardens to explore, and his parents were thrilled whenever they could spend time outside with their son.
Michel spotted a blur of white ahead and stopped running. A band of swans beckoned in the distance, their bodies floating in a pond.
Michel's grandmother gave him a picture book of animals for his birthday last year, and while he loved all the different creatures, he always went back to the page with the swans. He found them beautiful and majestic, their white feathers pure as snow. He had never seen any swans in person before and, naturally, wanted to get a closer look. He continued running, but a little faster now, his parents losing ground.
At the pond's edge, closer than ever before to his favorite animal, Michel remembered the piece of baguette in his pants pocket. He was saving it for a snack, but of course! The swans would love it! He reached out, bread in hand.
The swans approached faster than Michel anticipated. They traveled as direct as a bullet toward his outreached hand. Up close, Michel thought the swans actually looked kind of scary, their orange and black faces almost alien. He kept his nerve, but his hand began to tremble.
Sensing weakness, the swans all struck at the same time, competing for the piece of bread. Of course, there was only enough bread for one swan. One of the slower swans bit down hard - not on bread, but on a human hand.
In the years that followed, Michel refused to go back to the gardens with his parents. His picture book gathered dust.
Michel spotted a blur of white ahead and stopped running. A band of swans beckoned in the distance, their bodies floating in a pond.
Michel's grandmother gave him a picture book of animals for his birthday last year, and while he loved all the different creatures, he always went back to the page with the swans. He found them beautiful and majestic, their white feathers pure as snow. He had never seen any swans in person before and, naturally, wanted to get a closer look. He continued running, but a little faster now, his parents losing ground.
At the pond's edge, closer than ever before to his favorite animal, Michel remembered the piece of baguette in his pants pocket. He was saving it for a snack, but of course! The swans would love it! He reached out, bread in hand.
The swans approached faster than Michel anticipated. They traveled as direct as a bullet toward his outreached hand. Up close, Michel thought the swans actually looked kind of scary, their orange and black faces almost alien. He kept his nerve, but his hand began to tremble.
Sensing weakness, the swans all struck at the same time, competing for the piece of bread. Of course, there was only enough bread for one swan. One of the slower swans bit down hard - not on bread, but on a human hand.
In the years that followed, Michel refused to go back to the gardens with his parents. His picture book gathered dust.