“Well,” said our hero, “as I’ve got the Blue Bird! … And cabbage-soup is a thing you don’t have every day! …”
They all hurried and carried the table outside and laid it with a nice white tablecloth and put a plate for each; and, lastly, Granny brought out the steaming soup-tureen in state. The lamp was lit and the grandparents and grandchildren sat down to supper, jostling and elbowing one another and laughing and shouting with pleasure. Then, for a time, nothing was heard but the sound of the wooden spoons noisily clattering against the soup-plates.
“How good it is! Oh, how good it is!” shouted Tyltyl, who was eating greedily. “I want some more! More! More! More!”
“Come, come, a little more quiet,” said Grandad. “You’re just as ill-behaved as ever; and you’ll break your plate. …”
Tyltyl took no notice of the remark, stood up on his stool, caught hold of the tureen and dragged it towards him and upset it; and the hot soup trickled all over the table and down upon everybody’s lap. The children yelled and screamed with pain. Granny was quite scared; and Grandad was furious. He dealt our friend Tyltyl a tremendous box on the ear.
Tyltyl was staggered for a moment; and then he put his hand to his cheek with a look of rapture and exclaimed:
“Grandad, how good, how jolly! It was just like the slaps you used to give me when you were alive! … I must give you a kiss for it! …”
Everybody laughed.
“There’s more where that came from, if you like them!” said Grandad, grumpily.
But he was touched, all the same, and turned to wipe a tear from his eyes.
“Goodness!” cried Tyltyl, starting up. “There’s half-past eight striking! … Mytyl, we’ve only just got time! …”
Granny in vain implored them to stay a few minutes longer.
“No, we can’t possibly,” said Tyltyl firmly; “I promised Light!”
And he hurried to take up the precious cage.
“Goodbye, Grandad. … Goodbye, Granny. … Goodbye, brothers and sisters, Pierrot, Robert, Pauline, Madeleine, Riquette and you, too, Kiki. … We can’t stay. … Don’t cry, Granny; we will come back often!”
Poor old Grandad was very much upset and complained lustily:
“Gracious me, how tiresome the Living are, with all their fuss and excitement!”
Tyltyl tried to console him and again promised to come back very often.
“Come back every day!” said Granny. “It is our only pleasure; and it’s such a treat for us when your thoughts pay us a visit!”
“Goodbye! Goodbye!” cried the brothers and sisters in chorus. “Come back very soon! Bring us some barley sugar!”
There were more kisses; all waved their handkerchiefs; all shouted a last goodbye. But the figures began to fade away; the little voices could no longer be heard; the two Children were once more wrapped in mist; and the old forest covered them with its great dark mantle.
“I’m so frightened!” whimpered Mytyl. “Give me your hand, little brother! I’m so frightened!”
Tyltyl was shaking too, but it was his duty to try and comfort and console his sister:
“Hush!” he said. “Remember that we are bringing back the Blue Bird!”
As he spoke, a thin ray of light pierced the gloom; and the little boy hurried towards it. He was holding his cage tight in his arms; and the first thing he did was to look at his bird. … Alas and alack, what a disappointment awaited him! The beautiful Blue Bird of the Land of Memory had turned quite black! Stare at it as hard as Tyltyl might, the bird was black! Oh, how well he knew the old blackbird that used to sing in its wicker prison, in the old days, at the door of the house! What had happened? How painful it was! And how cruel life seemed to him just then!
He had started on his journey with such zest and delight that he had not thought for a moment of the difficulties and dangers. Full of confidence, pluck and kindness, he had marched off, certain of finding the beautiful Blue Bird which would bring happiness to the Fairy’s little girl. And now all his hopes were shattered! For the first time, our poor friend understood the trials, the vexations and the obstacles that awaited him! Alas, was he attempting an impossible thing? Was the Fairy making fun of him? Would he ever find the Blue Bird? All his courage seemed to be leaving him. …
To add to his misfortunes, he could not find the straight road by which he had come. There was not a single white pansy on the ground; and he began to cry.
Luckily, our little friends were not to remain in trouble long. The Fairy had promised that Light would watch over them. The first trial was over; and, just as outside the old people’s house a little while ago, the mist now suddenly lifted. But, instead of disclosing a peaceful picture, a gentle, homely scene, it revealed a marvellous temple, with a blinding glare streaming from it.
On the threshold stood Light, fair and beautiful in her diamond-coloured dress. She smiled when Tyltyl told her of his first failure. She knew what the little ones were seeking; she knew everything. For Light surrounds all mortals with her love, though none of them is fond enough of her ever to receive her thoroughly and thus to learn all the secrets of Truth. Now, for the first time, thanks to the diamond which the Fairy had given to the boy, she was going to try and conquer a human soul:
“Do not be sad,” she said to the Children. “Are you not pleased to have seen your grandparents? Is that not enough happiness for one day? Are you not glad to have restored the old blackbird to life? Listen to him singing!”
For the old blackbird was singing with might and main; and his little yellow eyes sparkled with pleasure as he hopped about his big cage.
“As you look for the Blue Bird, dear Children, accustom yourselves to love the grey birds which you find on your way.”
She
