The Phoenix and the Carpet

nix,' said Jane. 'It's much be

ful, little kids

t doesn't seem able to take care of itself. It gets sold, and taken into t

s a little cross-some days are like that, usua

had gone off for good,' said Cyril; 'and I do

ng at,' said Robert.

ure it hasn't,' said Anthea. '

s, in mother's work-bag and father's portmanteau, but still th

cation song of seven thousand lines had been condensed by him i

e along, you good ol

f wings down the kitchen stairs, and th

een?' asked Anthea. 'I've

u did not look in the place where I was. Confes

ttle impatiently, for time was hastenin

, 'which I hallowed by my go

e W

the place

Jane. 'I looked there three t

olumn-enchanted, I should judge, for it felt warm to my golden t

l: 'it HAS rather a comforting feel, t

e they should go and what they should do. And naturally, every

ril remarked, 'let's

' Robert rejoined. 'Le

Golconda would be nice,' said

e, 'I don't agree with you.

raised a w

yourselves, I fear I shall

ll we go? You de

t a rest. Besides, you'll lose the use of your legs if you go everywhe

thout enthusiasm. 'Just look at the rain.

g, and heartless and selfis

obert, with

n knew I was here-he's very fond of shining on me because I look so bright and golden. He always

o away,"' said Anthea;

y the invocation prop

rain, g

ain ano

by wants

Ant

l way, I can quite understand the rain not taking any noti

rain, g

ain ano

nt the su

in, be ki

ant them to do things, and especially when it's going

at sun, the

re, and w

plendid sun

y!' said Cyri

said the more

y",' said the Phoenix, modestly

en they opened the window and shouted the seven lines as loud as they could, and the Phoenix said all

ted a moment an

its radiant wings and flapping out its golden feathers in such a flood of glorious sunshine as you sometimes have at sun

go out into the city, and you shall

temp

rpet that I have many

nd anything out from it,' s

es of information in this way. That papyrus on which you showed me my picture-I understand that it bears on it the name of t

fice,' said Robert. 'It's not r

oldly, 'you are wholly misinform

,' said Anthea; 'we might argue

did sunshine. The best way to the temple of the Phoenix seemed to be to take the tram, and on the top of it the children talk

te Circus. Of course, he was quite mistaken, as Robert told him at the time, and afterwards Robert did not forbear to remind his brother how he had said so. The streets there were small and stuffy and ugly, and crowded with printers' boys and binders' girls coming out from work; and these stared so hard at the pretty red coats and caps of the sisters that they wished they had gone some other way. And the printers and binders made very per

rew a lo

didn't know there were suc

partly you girls' fault, com

ix,' said Jane; and the bird said, 'Quite right, too'-and inca

gh the grim balustrade of the staircase beside the

l parrot what we lost. Thank you very muc

shadows of the stairs. They were much larger than Robert and Cyril, and one o

,' said Cyril, ste

can't give yer tuppence for yer trouble-but I've 'ad to spend my fortune advertising

friend, a little anxious

e, darkly, 'if they come a-trying to lay claims on my Poll parrot. Yo

ried Robert. 'I'l

three stair

one had ever heard from the Phoenix-and a flutte

rook my Poll parrot right in the fevver

ing up his brain to make it clever enough to think of some way of being even with those boys. Ant

, let us ha

long and leave us a

id Anthea, 'I shal

b. 'Say, Ike, you twist the bloomin' p

'don't hurt it. Oh, do

you, Urb, for to think of such a thing. Arf a

HAT?' ask

uid, thick 'un-h

d, besides, it's OUR

m,' said Cyril and th

, we can't do anythin

Phoenix-and Ike nearly d

talk, suthin'

oenix, 'sons of misfo

es!' s

rottle the joker-and I see at wunst '

es-and thou, Urbanus, dweller in the sordid city.

'ain't it been taught

acolytes and escape un

e Polly got pinched,' said Ike. 'Lor' l

h and get clear off with the sw

O,' sai

ho pinched the click off of the old bloke in

out of the young gell's

leave go of me. Bash him off, Urb; 'e

doorway. The children followed and the Phoenix settled on Robert, 'like a butterfly on a rose,' as Anthea sa

?' asked Robert, when the hurried flight through the narrow

myself to get warm about a little thing like that. The Fates, after all, have not been illibe

urous temper of the children, and the Phoenix h

and there, on each side of the door, was the image of the Phoeni

X FIRE

the bird. 'Fire? Fo

was beginning to feel shy, and t

eople's houses are burnt down the Phoenix give

rises from its ashes? Well have my

now,' said Anthea; 'but it'

ouses. Lead on; inquire for the High Priest. I will not break upon them too suddenly in all my glory. Noble

s a deed, you know,' Cyril explained. 'If they did the Phoenix wouldn't help them, because its a crime to set fire to things. Arse

ell,' said the P

ay,' said Cyril; and th

at you have a secret to unfold that concerns my wors

utiful bath with no water in it, and stately pillars supporting the roof. An unpleasing representation of the Phoenix in brown pottery disfigured one wall. The

High Priest,' whi

rds them. He leaned forward on the counter, and the children thought he was going to say, 'What

at do Y

see the Hi

th you,' said

so decent in bla

orlds would I give the name). 'He'

eft there to look on and be looked on by all the gentlemen at the mahogany desks. Anthea and Jan

hat Mr Dot Dash Dot (I dare not rev

nd each one of the four knew at once that this was a man who had kiddies of his own and

amed the name which I will never

ary,' murmure

nice gentleman, who thought

glanced at the porter, who was lingering much nearer

gentleman

irs were of white marble, but I am not sure. On the corner-post of the stairs, at the top, was a beau

chairs, and even the tables, were covered with red

' he said; 'tell me e

the door?'

ked surprised, bu

Robert's got something inside his Norfolk-that's Robert, he's my young brother. Now don't be upset and have a fit or anything sir. Of course,

, I dare say the Board-' said the nice gentlem

aid Anthea, 'going b

one last wriggle that melted into a flutter, got out of its nest

ird!' he went on. 'I don't thin

e Phoenix, with pardonable pr

t to speak! Some sor

my temple to receive your homage. I am no parrot'-its beak curved scornfull

hat am I saying?' He turned pale, and passed his hand across his brow. 'My dears,' he said, 'the weather is unusually warm for the time of year, and I don't feel quit

,' said Cyril,

lly-All

ung. The por

e gentleman, 'you se

s,

eathed a sig

real,

the porter, sympathetically, and reached out his hand to the P

'how dare you seek

rter s

he said, 'I thoug

d-THE bird-

porter. 'I see that the first min

. 'Ask Mr Wilson and Mr Sterry to

hildren every one in the office took the Phoenix at its word, and after the first shock of surprise it seemed to be perfe

and shareholders-we might do that tomorrow, perhaps. Yes, the board-room would be best. I shouldn't like it to feel we h

did; all the men in the office were brought in by twos and threes, and the moment the Phoenix opened its beak it convinced the cleverest of them, a

X FIRE

NIX AT I

TO WEL

HE MANAGER A

hrough the half-closed door the children could hear the sound of many boots on stairs, the hum of e

e leather-covered table, looking ov

vincing manner I ha

tleman came in an

-the ceremony-will be in the board-room. Will the Honourable Phoenix walk-it is

om, if that be the unlovely name of my

ic lantern on 'Our Eastern Empire', or on 'The Way We Do in the Navy'. The doors were of carved wood, very beautiful, with a carved Phoenix above. Anthea noticed that the chairs in the front rows were of the kind that her mother so loved to ask

f the mantelpiece and stood there, looking more golden than ever. Then every one in the house and the office came in-from the cashier to the wome

nicest gentleman, 'w

ning its golden bea

Brown sugar, sealing-wax, and tobacco were placed on these, and something from a square bottle was poured over it all. Then a match w

again, 'on an occasion unparalleled in the

' said the Phoenix,

the honour to come among us. I think I may say, gentlemen, that we are not insensible to this honour

f saying 'Hear, hear,' but they feared

system of fire insurance. I know, and you know, gentlemen, that our aim has ever been to be worthy of that eminent bird whose

n they had died away the Phoeni

the pleasure it felt in finding

ur very hearty and cordial reception when I ask that an ode may be reci

tle nervously across the foam of white faces above the sea of black coat

g, as well as being Greek; and, besides, it's no use invoking me when here I

egan to sing, and one

ute se

iabi

ds of p

agains

ost fav

es rea

rates f

ura

nterrupted the Phoenix, 'and I th

hastily be

Phoenix, f

eat world ha

splendid th

ix, just to

said the bird. An

or private dw

d goods and

ese are bui

d tiled and

e,' said the Phoe

l the clerks and employees and m

d our insur

burnt-up stac

erse,' said

lings and thei

h-also with

s Phoenix,

e dealt with

s of your t

to go in

end, O goo

grace" and

's homes are

r have a

e done as a

and have ho

raise our v

s of the P

one and two

o him, for

r a very pleasant time. May you all prosper as you deserve to do, for I am sure a nicer, pleasanter

he wide stairs and filed into their accustomed places, and the two most important officials stood on the steps bowing till

d strangely for a moment, and then retreated to those sacred inner

if any one was looking at him. For each thought that he had fallen asleep for a few minutes, and had dreamed a very odd dream about the Phoenix

one went into the board-room again that day; and next day, before the office was opened, it was all cleaned and put nice and tidy by a lady whose business asking questions was not part of. That is why Cy

ode for itself. It thought the ones it had heard at its

y and for

as not its eq

till trying to cut down the last line to the proper l

makes poetry