The Gift of Giving

     It was my older brother Iko, the green Wocky. Sometimes, he was just so immature! At a moment like this, it did me no good!

     "Iko, stop fooling around! This is important! Didn't I hear you say that you wanted a snow paint brush?" I called to my brother in annoyance.

     He responded by hitting me with another snowball and saying, "Saku, why can't you ever learn to have fun?"

     I groaned in response and continued searching the snow for any sign of our adored paint brush.

     Iko and I had buried a blue paintbrush in the snow of Happy Valley in hopes of it transforming into a snow paint brush. Since Iko didn't show an interest in finding the paint brush, I guess I would use it myself! Besides, he always dreamed of becoming a fire pet.

     After about a half hour of walking bare pawed in the snow I stumbled upon something! I had found a snow paint brush! Excitement and joy spread through my frozen Gelert fur. I quickly called out to Iko.

     Iko came running to me, and he was trying to say something through his panting, "I…found…our…paint…brush!"

     "Iko, that's impossible, our paintbrush is right here!" I said pointing to the snow brush that I had just uncovered.

     Iko thought for a moment, then said, "Well I guess some one lost that one. It's the real thing! Ours didn't transform, it's still blue."

     "Well, what should we do then?" I asked my jealous looking brother.

     "What do you mean, Saku? Keep it of course! Finders keepers, losers stink!" Iko laughed.

     I looked at him angrily as I went to pick up my treasure. Iko could be very selfish sometimes. Even if I did plan to keep it, why would I give it to him?

     "Iko, we can't just take it! Someone lost it, and they might come looking for it!" I explained.

     "Well maybe someone threw it out! Besides, every Neopet you ask is going to say that the paint brush is theirs!" Iko snapped.

     "Grrr…Iko, we're going home and the paint brush is staying right where I found it, under the snow," I growled.

     By the time we reached our Neohome in Neopia central, it was getting dark outside, and Iko had already vowed to never speak to me again. Misty was glad to see us. She had prepared a tasty dinner! Cheeseburgers, tuna subs, and pizza slices covered the kitchen table.

     "So, did you find the paint brush?" Misty, our owner, asked.

     "We found two! A blue and snow paint brush. But Saku decided to leave it where she found it!" Iko explained in frustration, as he took another bite from his pizza.

     I took a sip of my Neocola as I said, "Someone lost it! I think it was the right thing to do."

     Misty smiled as she said, "Well, as long as you think that you did the right thing."

     After dinner I went up to my room and played with my Pink Faellie, Sakura. I could hear my brother and his Fire Drackonack, Zile plotting something against us. It wasn't my fault that I had stumbled upon a lost paint brush!

     A few moments later Misty came into Iko's room to say good night. She took the blue paint brush from him. When she came into my room to say goodnight, she left the brush near my beauty bed.

     "Aren't you going to put the brush into our shop?" I asked surprised.

     Misty shook her head as she said, "I know you have always wanted to be painted pink. Tomorrow before Iko wakes up we'll go to the trading post and try to find you a pink paint brush to trade."

     I thanked Misty and said good night. Then I lay in bed thinking about the next day. What was Iko going to say when he found out? I just couldn't sleep knowing that my brother was going to be left without a paint brush.

     I silently crept out of bed and took the blue paint brush. I went downstairs with my Faellie for a companion. We went outside into the dark night. After a couple of minutes we reached our shop. I put the blue paint brush on a shelf and scribbled an amount of Neopoints on the price tag.

     After about an hour a customer came in. She wore a long black cloak, with the hood pulled back, and beautiful violet hair. There was something magical about her. She was in a hurry to buy the brush. When I asked her why, shethey answered, "It's my pet's birthday tomorrow, and I lost their snow paint brush in Happy Valley! Now I need another one, but this is all I can afford."

     I smiled at the poor Neopian as I said, "Today I found a snow paint brush in happy valley!"

     "Really? Do you have it with you or did you sell it?" She asked in excitement.

     "No, I left it where I found it, near a huge grey rock, under a tree in a far side of Happy Valley. I can help you look for it!" I responded kindly.

     The anxious Neopian smiled and she said, "Thank you, kind pet! This means so much to me."

     We traveled back to snow valley. Everything seemed darker and scarier at night. It was also colder. I could hear the snow crunching beneath my paws. The beautiful snow slopes glinted in the light of Kreludor. We walked for a couple of minutes till I remembered the spot where I had left the snow paint brush, on the far side of the valley, near the mountain top sign, was a tree with a huge grey rock beside it. I knelt down and brushed the snow off with my paw.

     I gasped at the beautiful snow paint brush. It was still there! No one had come upon it. Relieved, I held it in my paws. I almost didn't want to let it go, but it was the right thing to do. I handed it to the Neopian. She was very pleased. Her Neopet would be so happy!

     When we got back to the warmth and light of my shop, the Neopian said to me, "You are a kind Neopian! Your honesty shall be rewarded!"

     I smiled at Sakura, and said, "Thank you!"

     Suddenly, there was a quick gust of wind, and glittery dust filled the air. Then there was silence, and everything was back to normal. I looked around, but the kind Neopian was gone. In place of the blue paint brush was a bag of Neopoints.

     We stayed at the shop for a few more minutes and played with the toys that were for sale. We then closed the shop and quietly strolled down the dirt paths that lead from the cluster of little shops near the soup kitchen.

     I was about to go back home, but me and Sakura decided to go throw a few Neopoints into the wishing well. We walked to the Neopian bazaar. At the very end was the little wishing well. I took a couple of Neopoints from my bag of coins and dropped them into the well, calling out, "Fire fire your pants on fire paint brush!" Sakura and I giggled at the name.

     After wishing for a fire paintbrush for Iko, we stopped by the chocolate factory. The shopkeeper was surprised to see customers at such a late hour, but none the less, let us buy a few treats.

     We sat down outside the factory and munched on the great tasting chocolate. We even remembered to leave some for Iko!

     Then, with the remaining Neopoints, Sakura and I went back to our Neohome. It was one of the proudest moments in my life. I had helped a Neopian in need, and done something kind for my brother as well!

     Early the next morning, my brother woke me up. Apparently he had broken his vow of silence to me. He and Zile were very pleased.

     Then I noticed that Iko had beautiful flames painted all over his body! This eyes and the inside of his ears were purple! I was shocked at this sight!

     "What happened?" I asked, surprised.

     Misty gave me a hug as she said, "That was a nice thing you did, getting Iko a fire paint brush."

     I was going to explain about the wishing well but decided to enjoy the moment as it was. Hugging my brother I remembered the words of the kind Neopian; "You are a kind Neopian! Your honesty shall be rewarded!" I knew that she was right…

The End