In a humble village, far from the bustle of towns and cities, there lived a poor man with his son. As the boy grew older, the father began to worry about his future.

“What trade shall I teach my son?” the man wondered aloud one evening. “It must be something that will feed him well and bring him success in life.”

After much consideration, the father decided that thievery, practiced with cunning and skill, might be a useful trade indeed. Though it was not an honest profession, in those hard times, it offered certain advantages that more conventional trades could not promise.

With this unconventional plan in mind, the father set out to find a master who could teach his son the art of theft. His search led him to a mysterious man who lived at the edge of a dark forest. This stranger was known by whispers and rumors to possess knowledge of not just ordinary theft, but magical thievery—the ability to take what one wanted through supernatural means.

When the poor man approached this potential master, the stranger’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“I will teach your boy,” said the master thief, his voice smooth as oil. “Bring him to me in a year’s time, and I shall make him skilled in arts few men know exist.”

But as the poor man turned to leave, the master added, “However, you must recognize him when that year has passed. If you cannot identify your own son from among my other apprentices, then he belongs to me forever.”

The father, confident in his ability to know his own flesh and blood, agreed readily to these terms. He returned home, explained the arrangement to his son, and when the appointed day arrived one year later, he brought the boy to the master thief’s dwelling at the forest’s edge.

The master welcomed them with a smile that never quite reached his eyes. He took the boy into his house, and the father returned home, marking the date on his calendar for the following year.

Under the master’s tutelage, the boy learned remarkable skills. He discovered how to transform himself into different animals—a dog with keen senses, a bird with swift wings, and a fish that could navigate the deepest waters. These were no mere disguises but complete transformations, achieved through the master’s arcane knowledge.

Meanwhile, the father counted the days until he could reclaim his son. When the appointed time arrived, he journeyed once more to the master thief’s home, his heart full of anticipation.

The master greeted him with that same unsettling smile. “Welcome, my friend. As we agreed, you must now identify your son from among my apprentices. If you succeed, he is yours to take home. If you fail, he remains in my service forever.”

With a wave of his hand, the master led the father into a courtyard where twelve young men stood in a line. They were all of similar height and build, dressed in identical clothes, their faces bearing such similarity that it seemed impossible to distinguish one from another.

The father’s heart sank. How could he possibly recognize his son among these identical youths? He walked slowly down the line, peering into each face, searching for some familiar feature, some glimmer of recognition. But each apprentice met his gaze with the same blank expression.

Just as despair began to overwhelm him, the father noticed something unusual. A small red ladybug had landed on the shoulder of one of the boys. As he watched, the boy gave the slightest nod, almost imperceptible, toward the insect.

In that moment, a flash of insight came to the poor man. Remembering the master’s reputation for magical transformations, he realized that his son might have learned such skills during his apprenticeship.

“I need more time,” the father announced. “Let me return tomorrow with my answer.”

The master thief agreed, though his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

The next day, the father returned to find twelve ducks swimming in a pond in the courtyard.

“Now,” said the master, “identify which duck is your son, and you may take him home.”

The father studied the ducks carefully. They all looked identical, swimming in circles, quacking occasionally. But then he noticed one duck that dipped its head three times in succession—a deliberate pattern, not a natural movement.

“That one,” declared the father, pointing to the duck. “That is my son.”

The master’s face darkened with anger, but he nodded. “Correct. But you must prove yourself once more.”

On the third day, the father was presented with twelve fish swimming in a clear pool. Again, they appeared identical, but the father watched patiently until he saw one fish that briefly swam against the current before rejoining the others.

“There is my son,” said the father confidently.

The master thief could no longer hide his frustration. “You are more clever than I expected,” he growled. “Take your boy and leave.”

But when the father and son turned to depart, the master suddenly transformed himself into a rooster and chased after them, crowing menacingly. In an instant, the boy became a fox and pounced upon the rooster, catching it in his jaws.

“Release me!” demanded the master thief.

“Not until you swear to renounce all claims to me and promise never to pursue us,” replied the son, still in fox form.

The master had no choice but to agree. The moment he did so, the boy released him and transformed back into his human form. Father and son hurried away from the forest, leaving the defeated master behind.

As they walked home, the son explained all that he had learned during his year of apprenticeship.

“Father,” he said, “I have indeed mastered the art of magical theft as you wished. But I have also learned something far more valuable—the difference between clever trickery and true wisdom. The master taught me how to take what isn’t mine, but you showed me how to reclaim what rightfully belongs to me through wit and perseverance.”

The father nodded thoughtfully. “Sometimes we must travel dark paths to find our way to the light,” he replied. “You have learned skills that few possess, my son. Use them wisely, not for theft as I once foolishly suggested, but to protect yourself and help others when ordinary means fail.”

And so they returned to their village, where the son used his extraordinary abilities to assist those in need—finding lost children by transforming into a bird to search from above, retrieving precious items dropped into deep waters by becoming a fish, and protecting the village from predators by taking the form of a fierce dog.

The poor man never again worried about his son’s future, for he had gained something far more valuable than a trade—he had acquired wisdom, cleverness, and a true understanding of right and wrong that would serve him well throughout his life.