What would you steal?

I think a lot would depend on what you already had. At 11 I think you might take toys, dolls or treats. Candy and other special things. Not like rice or food staples but something else.

````````````````````````````````
Does not read and follow label directions.

I'd take something pretty and shiny that happened to catch my eye. This would alarm the townspeople because shiny things might be very valuable (jewelry, statues, etc.) but the child wouldn't really be aware of how much it was worth. It just looked like a nice toy.

I think I'd steal a book. Because 1) it had a cool tooled-leather binding and gold leaf, and 2) there's a history of Irish people valuing literature/language/writing. I couldn't *read* it, but I'd know it was important to the literate (mostly priestly and/or aristocratic) folk.

Of course, in the 16th century, a book was probably worth several months pay for the average person, so I'd be in deep, deep trouble if I got caught.

An 11-year-old could easily be mature enough (or hungry enough) to recognize food staples and try to steal them...depending on personality, what tasks she (pronoun for convenience) does in the family group, etc....or to recognize small salable items that could be slipped into pockets.

What else...pretty clothes, warm clothes, random pieces of cloth to improvise clothes or blankets or to stuff into shoes. (Missing dishrags could be fun. Or missing shawls/blankets.) Shoes...I could see either frivolous impractical shoes (and insisting on wearing them later, to the detriment of her feet) or nice sturdy shoes, maybe too big so's to grow into them. A musical instrument, pipes or a lap harp or some such, maybe with the notion of playing along to the songs and gaining status in the group that way. A smoking pipe (did those exist in this setting?) with the notion of trying to be/appear grown-up. A basket or pouch to carry personal treasures in. Firewood/fuel/coals, if that's one of her chores - easier to nick from a household store than to go out gathering.

I would also steal a book. The mystery and mystical possibilities of the contents would be very alluring to the imagination of an illiterate 11 year-old. I think that we all know here that books are magic.

-chocobo

I would probably steal food, candy or something I thought looked pretty. Or if I was a really tough boy i might see if I could grab a dagger or crossbow (Did they have those then?) or something. Generally stuff that wouldn't be terribly missed or noticeable.

NaNo '06 - "Nyxian Exile" - Winner!
NaNo '07 - "Live Wire" - Winner!

It would depend on how hungry I was, really.

{Wherever you go, there you are...}

I don't know if mirrors are anachronistic but if they aren't a handsized mirror would definitely be pretty cool.

Money. Cold hard cash. Currency.
Also, I'd rob their church.

2003 Vindicta, 2004 Clown Down, 2005 Lavender Latté, 2006 Ulysses not found, 2007 The Spike Garden

Well in the case of a girl, I would suggest jewellery for sure. I think the shine of the jewels and metal would prove very enticing, especially to an 11 year old who will possibly have heard tales of the aristocracy and the travellers probably wouldn't have any or much in the way of such valuables, so it would be a real novelty.

You could even have them stealing animals, as they could be useful i.e chickens, to lay eggs and for meat.

The picture of a beatifull girl I fell in love with and she doesn't even know that I exist. So I had a piece of her with me everywhere I travel.

"I feel lost to-night without my smiles. I rose a moment ago to look for it in my
mirror. I like to believe that she has it now."
J. M. Barrie

My first choice I'd be stealin' a cloak with a shiny brooch. If that cannot be found then somethin' warm or shiny.

"Looking for another adventure already?"

2006 - Faire Gypsy, Faire Game - winner
2007 - Immortal Jeopardy -

A present for his mom who works so hard, but doesn't have anything nice - a bracelet or ring, or maybe a cooking pot she wants.

I think an eleven year old might steal a treat of some sort, like candy or something rare. My bet is that the kid would already have toys, people throughout time have made toys for their children if they couldn't afford them ^_^

But with the Travellers, there really isn't much evidence that crime rates go up when they enter an area.... it seems from records that a lot of it is rumor making everyday theft seem more frequent (check out the wikipedia articles).

Depends how intellegent/hungry/poor they were- if they wanted money, maybe sliver cutlery which would be easier to get to than jewellery. Or books- people value them. Possible a bible if it's set in the 16th century? Personally I'd steal spoons or something, but maybe toys/food.

2005 (NaNo)- Underground- Won!
2006 (NaNo)- Delusions- Won!
2007 (SF) - Dead Dandelions- Won! (But lost after HD crash.)
2007 (NaNo)- If Wishes Were Fishes- Won! (Nearly lost in HD crash)

I would crawl through the window of a big house and steal bread and a warm place to sleep for the night. Maybe I would take some soap too, because I am tired of passerbys calling me "that dirty child."

Well, if I were illiterate I'd probably just steal some fruit, bread, maybe some meat, candy, and of course some toys. I don't really know what kind of toys they had back then though. I think soap would good too, but I don't know if they had soap yet back then, I know they didn't during the civil war, so yeah I don't think they did have soap.

Then I would steal some tallow and lye to wash my clothes.

Some sort of food, maybe. Something that tastes good.

Or something small that I could hide, like a pretty bracelet or ring.

A pretty ribbon. Easy to hide and keep for long periods of time. If there is a matching ribbon left behind, maybe it's a way to prove a connection to the person who it was stolen from later on. (?)

Nancy

Anything not "nailed down" that I could fit in my pockets!

It depends on the child and how they react to their situation. They could be selfish, stealing toys and pretty things for their own use. They could also take these things to sell, based on how expensive they looked. They could be sweet, stealing things to gift to family members and friends. And, of course, ALWAYS food. Probably, I would go through the open-air market (I guess if they had one) and knick things from vendors who had their backs turned or who were otherwise engaged, stuffing some in my pockets for family (younger or ill siblings mostly), and some in my mouth along the way.

Well first of all during that time period I don't know if I'd consider an eleven-year-old a child. In those times, it would be more like a teenager. I would think he would be interested in weapons. If it was a girl, probably fancy clothing, makeup, perfumes, etc. Then again, if they're poorer, they'd probably be interested in food. I would also expect either to want to steal better foods. Non-staples like meat. Don't forget that the upper classes at that time dined almost exclusively on meat and scorned anything else, which was left for the peasants.

Cash, for sure. Shiny things because they were pretty. Small musical instruments like tin whistles. Cloting, if it was nicer than mine. I'm not sure eleven is old enough to be thinking far enough ahead to steal things that could be sold later. Folks with strong oral tradition might scorn the written word, so I'm not sure I'd be stealing books.

Ororo

Agatha Christie has given more pleasure in bed than any other woman--Nancy Banks Smith

Thank you all for your help! I actually got a couple of new ideas of where to take my novel. Now if only I could find my notebook ...
Best of luck everyone!

"Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." - Gene Fowler

Having been schooled in the ways of my people who lean toward being con artists and thieves, at age 11 I'd know the value of certain items and would steal things that could be sold in villages further down the road. So what I stole would depend on the wealth or poverty of the area. I might steal tools that could be sold to workers or farmers. Or perhaps trinkets that would appeal to gentlemen and ladies with a bit of money. Family bonds, loyalty and survival would have been ingrained in me since birth, so items for the clan would always be at the top of my list.