The Blue Bird for Children

eparation was at hand. Light had been very sad lately; she had counted the days in sorrow, wit

y. Bread had eaten so much that he was now not able to walk: Milk, devoted as ever, dragged him along in a Bath chair. Fire's nasty temper had made him quarrel with everybody and he had become very lonely and unhappy in consequence. Water, who had no will of her own, had ended by yielding to Sugar's sweet entreaties: they were now married; and Su

ll the wonders that surrounded them in my peaceful temple; they were either quarrelling with one another or over-eating themselves until they fel

an emerald collar round its neck, with a note fastened to the clasp. The dove was

hat the yea

ed her wand and everythi

r in it. The first rays of the dawn were gilding the tree-tops. Tyltyl and Mytyl, whom Light was f

yl. "Don't you know that w

d: he remembered nothing. Th

s a house which we left one eve

nds with glee, Tyltyl ran to the door. "We must be near

she said: Mummy and Daddy were still asle

the door will not open

r?" asked

aration," Light

in great distress.

is past. The Fairy will come bac

ck, the one of the Future flew away, the Night's are dead, those in the Graveyard were not blue

hough you did not find the Blue Bird, you deserved to do s

the same thing as finding it; but she was not allowed to say this, for it was a beautiful mystery, which Tyltyl had to solve

e cage at Tyltyl's feet a

f all, I crave

have mine!"

" cried

ongues of our ow

that his end was at hand, kept kissing

rd above the din. Light had to interfere and c

g form.... Your eyes are about to close to the invisible life of Things; but I shall be always there, in the bread-pan, on th

about me?" shout

r is passing.... Be quick and s

dren, one after the other, and kissed them

. He's bur

He's scorche

ake it well," said Water, go

e Fire h

he said, "you

," said Water. "I am ki

hose you drow

pretended

lways be there. When you sit down in the evening, beside the

erfall of tears came gushing from her eyes,

.... You will find me also in the ewer, th

is feet. He uttered a few words of sorrow, in an affected voice and the

!" crie

llipop! Caramel

rsued by t

r with bites,

, except the two child

e and Tyl? gone t

oth-ache. She uttered terrible groans and was closely pursued by the Dog, who overwhelmed her with bites, blows and kicks. The others rushed in between them to separate them, but the two enemies

ying, "you've had some and yo

ement, it could be seen that his tongue turned quite white:

ed poor Tyl?. "Are we to par

t he was incapable of

h you know of is at hand.... We a

an to utter real howls of despair and fling himself upon

od.... You will keep me with you and I shall learn to read and write and play dominoes!... An

ent, dear Tyl? had a last magnificent idea: running up to the Cat, he offered, with smiles that looked like grins, to kiss her. T

the only one that h

t on a min

"I love you both as

was a

"let me, in my turn, gi

ed them for the last time in her luminous might. Then she gave them eac

!... Daddy won't mind.... We will tell Mummy how ki

aid Light. "Over there to the

yltyl. "I won't

er forgot. Long after, when they were a grandfather and grandmother in their turn, T

ight's tou

her beginning nor end. If you keep this thought in your heart and let it grow up with you,

iends began to sob,

.... But I watch over him to the end of his days.... Never forget that I am speaking to you in every spreading moonbeam, in

struck eight o'clock. Light stopped for a moment and

ye!... The hour is s

nd, through their tears, the children saw nothing but a thin ray of light dying a