The children gathered round the table.
'The size of an eagle,' Cyril went on, 'its head finely crested with a beautiful plumage, its neck covered with feathers of a gold colour, and the rest of its body purple; only the tail white, and the eyes sparkling like stars.They say that it lives about five hundred years in the wilderness, and when advanced in age it builds itself a pile of sweet wood and aromatic gums, fires it with the wafting of its wings, and thus burns itself; and that from its ashes arises a worm, which in time grows up to be a Phoenix.Hence the Phoenicians gave--'
'Never mind what they gave,' said the Phoenix, ruffling its golden feathers.'They never gave much, anyway; they always were people who gave nothing for nothing.That book ought to be destroyed.
It's most inaccurate.The rest of my body was never purple, and as for my--tail--well, I simply ask you, IS it white?'
It turned round and gravely presented its golden tail to the children.
'No.it's not,' said everybody.
'No, and it never was,' said the Phoenix.'And that about the worm is just a vulgar insult.The Phoenix has an egg, like all respectable birds.It makes a pile--that part's all right--and it lays its egg, and it burns itself; and it goes to sleep and wakes up in its egg, and comes out and goes on living again, and so on for ever and ever.I can't tell you how weary I got of it--such a restless existence; no repose.'
'But how did your egg get HERE?' asked Anthea.
'Ah, that's my life-secret,' said the Phoenix.'I couldn't tell it to any one who wasn't really sympathetic.I've always been a misunderstood bird.You can tell that by what they say about the worm.I might tell YOU,' it went on, looking at Robert with eyes that were indeed starry.'You put me on the fire--' Robert looked uncomfortable.
'The rest of us made the fire of sweet-scented woods and gums, though,' said Cyril.
'And--and it was an accident my putting you on the fire,' said Robert, telling the truth with some difficulty, for he did not know how the Phoenix might take it.It took it in the most unexpected manner.
'Your candid avowal,' it said, 'removes my last scruple.I will tell you my story.'
'And you won't vanish, or anything sudden will you?, asked Anthea, anxiously.
'Why?' it asked, puffing out the golden feathers, 'do you wish me to stay here?'
'Oh YES,' said every one, with unmistakable sincerity.
'Why?' asked the Phoenix again, looking modestly at the table-cloth.
'Because,' said every one at once, and then stopped short; only Jane added after a pause, 'you are the most beautiful person we've ever seen.'
'You are a sensible child,' said the Phoenix, 'and I will NOTvanish or anything sudden.And I will tell you my tale.I had resided, as your book says, for many thousand years in the wilderness, which is a large, quiet place with very little really good society, and I was becoming weary of the monotony of my existence.But I acquired the habit of laying my egg and burning myself every five hundred years--and you know how difficult it is to break yourself of a habit.'
'Yes,' said Cyril; 'Jane used to bite her nails.'
'But I broke myself of it,' urged Jane, rather hurt, 'You know Idid.'
'Not till they put bitter aloes on them,' said Cyril.
