The Golden Duck - Storybook Contest

There is a Polish legend of a young boy, an indentured servant working as a tailor's helper, who one day ventured into sewers below Warsaw after a srtange tale of a golden duck who could, as people told, grant the one to find it incredible riches. The boy wandered through sewers and found a pond where a golden-feathered duck was swimming. The bird spoke to the boy and, as it was speaking, the boy found himself holding a sack of golden coins. The duck promised him much more under one condition: he had to spend all this money until midnight, and for nothing but his own pleasures and whims. The boy happily accepted and quickly ran to the most expensive shops, buying the best clothes. Then, he ate and drank until he was full; then, he went to the theatre, bought a horse and galloped through the city for fun - and yet it was getting dark and the coins were so valuable that the boy had actually spent just a fraction of them. Wondering what else he can do, the boy was wandering through the streets, when he found a crippled veteran soldier begging for money. The boy couldn't bear to look at his misery and gave him a golden coin and, at this very moment, all the gold except for that one coin disappeared and the boy found himself feeling hungry and wearing his old rags once more. Still, when he saw the coin in beggar's hands, he understood he did what he should have done. He returned to his work with renewed resolve and, years after, he became a famous and affluent master tailor. Yet, he never forgot to share his wealth with those who needed it, and never again did he venture to search for the golden duck again, nor did he ever share the location of the pond with anyone.