A grin spread over Rhino-xi’s face before twisting to the look of a wolf, ready to rip out someone’s throat. The squat administrator turned the sand timer over and barely had time to get out of the way before Rhino-xi launched himself straight towards Sparrow. Rhino-xi might have been big and strong, but Sparrow was fast and small, he sidestepped Rhino-xi and ran to the other edge of the chalk line, stopping just before he left the marked area. Rhino-xi shook his head and his face turned even redder.

‘Come here, you coward,’ he yelled and ran straight for Sparrow again. This time, Sparrow went between Rhino-xi’s legs. Then as he was getting off the ground, Sparrow kicked the bigger boy in the butt.

The kick didn’t hurt Rhino-xi much, but it tipped him off balance. His foot nearly crossed the white chalk line.

‘Rhino-xi,’ the administrators called, ‘Are you letting this peasent beat you?’ Steam was blowing out of Rhino-xi’s ears. He got to his feet. And this time, he didn’t charge. He stomped slowly forward and pushed Sparrow back until he was caught in a corner.

There was no way space for Sparrow to run. He gulped and raised his puny fists. With a laugh Rhino-xi raised his fist and punched Sparrow in the chest.

Sparrow’s breath felt like it had been ripped out of his chest by 100 hurricanes. He collapsed forward not far from where Rhino-xi’s feet were. Rhino-xi kicked him in the head. Sparrow’s nose grazed along the ground. Blood poured out of his nostrils. He was feeling dizzy. Everything he saw was doubled up. Rhino-xi raised two hands and the crowd cheered. All except for Sparrow’s grandma.

‘You big coward,’ she yelled out above the crowd. Slowly, everyone around her became silent.

‘How dare you pick on someone so small? My grandson will one day be greater than you, greater than any of you.’

Rhino-xi just laughed, ‘You deluded old hag. Don’t you know your place? Go back to the fields. Go and scrape your pig muck and take this little piece of scrap with you.’

As he said this Rhino-xi turned and gestured toward his feet, but when he looked down at the ground, Sparrow was gone.

Rhino-xi spun quickly to find Sparrow standing on the other side of the square.

‘How dare you?’ Sparrow yelled, his small voice cracking. ‘How dare you insult my grandma like this, she has given me everything. And now I am going to give that everything to you.’

Before Rhino-xi could begin to laugh Sparrow was on him. The small boy jumped up and wrapped an arm around the bigger boy’s neck. Sparrow landed five punches on his opponent’s fat nose.

The stitches on Rino-xi’s nose burst open and tears filled the older boy’s eyes. He threw his hands up, struggling to see around him. Sparrow dropped low, acting like one of the warriors from one of his grandma’s stories. He kicked Rhino-xi’s knee, when that one crumbled, he kicked at the other one, until Rhino-xi was on his knees before him. Sparrow went to do a third kick but Rhino-xi caught Sparrow’s foot with his hand. He twisted the younger boy’s foot and Sparrow went spinning to the ground.

Sparrow got to his feet quickly and sprinted for the other side of the square as Rhino-xi charged after him. Sparrow looked back and saw the mass of Rhino-xi. Sparrow gulped. The white chalk line, the thin white line was approaching. All he had to do was cross it, and he would save his life. But at the same time, he could see his grandma’s face, determined, smiling, cheering him from the sidelines. Sparrow gulped and slowed slightly, Rhino-xi increased his speed, his hand was out stretched, about to catch Sparrow, when Sparrow fell to the ground and curled into a tight ball.

Rhino-xi, three times the size of the small boy, was unable to stop so fast. He tripped over Sparrow’s body and fell, hitting his nose against the ground.

He got up, lifted his fist and prepared to charge Sparrow when the administrators stood in front of him.

‘Why are you stopping the fight?’ Rhino-xi said. He pointed to where the sand timer was still trickling grains of sand. ‘There is still time.’

The large administrator pointed Rhino-xi’s feet. He was the wrong side of the white chalk line.

‘But you.’ he said, ‘You have stepped out of bounds.’

Sparrow climbed to his feet. his head was spinning and his heart rate was that of a hummingbird. But then his granny was beside him, giving him a big hug, and then gently whispering, ‘You did well Sparrow. You did so well.’

Sparrow winced as his vision blurred then focussed, ‘I don’t understand. Grandma. Why didn’t the golden turnip work? Why didn’t I gain magic powers?’

The old woman ran her wrinkled fingers through his bloodied hair, ‘Oh,’ Grandma smiled. ‘There was never a golden turnip. That one was just a normal turnip that I left for a while until it grew yellow and rotting. I knew you didn’t have enough confidence to face that big brute. Even though I knew that inside of you, inside your heart, you had what it would take.’

She smiled extra-wide as Sparrow’s face turned yellow, ‘That’s why I gave you the fake golden turnip because I wanted you to have the same confidence in yourself, that I had in you.’ She patted him on the back as Sparrow made throwing up noises on the ground beside her.

‘ROTTEN TURNIP!!?!’ he said, not far away a couple of girls made faces and giggled.

Three shadows fell on Grandma and Sparrow.

‘So,’ the short, squat, administrator said, You won boy. We are now offering you entrance to the Swan Academy.’

The squat man looked from the grinning old Grandma to the beaten small boy. ‘But I have to warn you,’ he said, talking to Sparrow directly, ‘If you join us. You are going to get beaten like this, perhaps even worse. People here won’t like you, you’re an outsider, you’re a peasant. They are not going to accept you, and they are going to make life difficult for you. This is my free advice to you, boy. You go home. You go back to your village and you live the rest of your life picking turnips. You have no business here. It’s such a prestigious academy.’

He held out two gold coins. More than Sparrow’s family would make in 10 years.

‘If you will leave you may take these,’ the administrator said.

Grandma watched in horror as Sparrow held out two shaking hands to the administrator.

With an indulgent smile, the squat man dropped the two golden coins into Sparrow’s hand.

‘There…’ The administrator said, ‘…now you have been more than compensated for your travels. You may go.’

Sparrow’s grandma began to cry. Yes, they were rich, richer than they’d ever been before. But her young grandson had just broken her heart.

That is until Sparrow tossed the two golden coins back to the tall administrator who flailed for them.

‘Take your stupid golden coins,’ Sparrow said, ‘I am staying. I am going to make my grandma proud.’

And then he nodded his head, and walked into the school. His grandma gave a grin of delight and followed after her young grandson.

The three administrators stood with their jaws hanging low. How could a peasant family afford to turn down such an offer?! How could they have let a peasant among their ranks?

Sparrow stopped with his grandma in front of the gate.

‘I am proud of you,’ she said, ‘Those golden coins were a fortune. I am proud that you put yourself above money. Remember, Sparrow,’ she said. ‘Your heart is always going to take you further than gold will.’ She stared at the giant grin on his face, ‘Hey!’ She prodded his cheek, ‘Are you even listening to me?!’

Sparrow nodded, ‘Of course I am Grandma. Of course I am… But I figured since the administrators had been so rude to us. Why should I have to choose between money and schooling? Why shouldn’t I get to choose both?’

He held out a hand showing two golden coins, his grandma’s jaw dropped.

‘How? What? I saw you throwing the two golden coins back to the men.’

Sparrow shook his head. ‘Not golden coins Grandma. Golden turnip.’