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But he was very much at a loss when the little boyasked him how he managed. His pride did not allowhim to be ignorant of anything in another child'spresence, and it was quite droll to see him withhis hands in his breeches' pockets, his legs wideapart, his face upturned and his whole attitudethat of a man who is in no hurry to reply. Atlast, he answered, with a shrug of the shoulders.
Upon my word, I can't remember. It's so long ago.They say it's lovely, the earth and the livepeople. Remarked the child.
Yes, it's not bad, said Tiltle. There are birdsand cakes and toys. Some have them all, but thosewho have none can look at the others.
This reflection shows us the whole character ofour little friend. He was proud and inclined to berather high and mighty,
but he was never envious and his generous naturemade up to him for his poverty by allowing him toenjoy the good fortune of others.
Other blue children opened great big books. Thetwo children talked a good deal more, but it would
take too long to tell you all they said, becausewhat they said was sometimes only interesting tothemselves.
After a while Light, who was watching them from adistance, hurried up to them a little anxiously,
Tiltle was crying. Big tears came rolling down hischeeks and falling on his smart coat.
She understood that he was talking of hisgrandmother and that he could not keep back
his tears at the thought of the love which he hadlost. He was turning away his head,
to hide his feelings, but the inquisitive childkept asking him questions.
Do the grannies die? What does that mean, dying?They go away one evening and do not come back.
Has yours gone? Yes, said Tiltle. She was verykind to me.
And, at these words, the poor little fellow beganto cry again. The blue child had never seen
any one cry. He lived in a world where grief didnot exist. His surprise was great, and he exclaimed.
What's the matter with your eyes? Are they makingpearls? To him those tears were wonderful things.
No, it's not pearls, said Tiltle, sheepishly. Whatis it then? But our poor friend would not
admit what he looked upon as a weakness. He rubbedhis eyes awkwardly and put everything
down to the dazzling blue of the palace. The puzzled child insisted. What's that falling down?
Nothing, it's a little water, said Tiltleimpatiently, hoping to cut short the explanation.
But that was out of the question. The child wasvery obstinate, touched Tiltle's cheeks with his
finger and asked, in a tone of curiosity. Does itcome from the eyes? Yes, sometimes,
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when one cries. What does that mean, crying? askedthe child. I have not been crying,
said Tiltle proudly. It's the fault of that blue.But, if I had cried, it would be the same thing.
Do you often cry on earth? Not little boys, butlittle girls do. Don't you cry here?
No, I don't know how. Well, you will learn. Atthat moment, a great breath of wind made him turn
his head and he saw, at a few steps away from him,a large piece of machinery which he had
not noticed at first, as he was taken up with hisinterest in the little child. It was a grand and
magnificent thing, but I cannot tell you its name,because the inventions of the kingdom of
the future will not be christened by man untilthey reach the earth. I can only say that Tiltle,
when he looked at it, thought that the enormous azure wings that whizzed so swiftly before his
eyes were like the windmills in his part of theworld and that, if he ever found the blue bird,
its wings would certainly be no more delicate, dainty or dazzling. Full of admiration,
he asked his new acquaintance what they were.Those? said the child. That's for the invention
which I shall make on earth. And, seeing Tiltlestare with wide-open eyes, he added.
When I am on earth, I shall have to invent thething that gives happiness. Would you like to see
it? It is over there, between those two columns. Tiltle turned round to look, but all the children
at once rushed at him, shouting. No, no, come andsee mine. No, mine is much finer.
Mine is a wonderful invention. Mine is made ofsugar. His is no good. I'm bringing a light
which nobody knows of. And, so saying, the lastchild lit himself up entirely with the most
extraordinary flame. Amid these joyous exclamations, the live children were dragged
towards the blue workshops, where each of thelittle inventors set his machine going.
It was a great blue whirl of discs and pulleys andstraps and flywheels and driving wheels and
cogwheels and all kinds of wheels, which sendevery sort of machine skimming over the ground
or shooting up to the ceiling. Other blue childrenunfolded maps and plans, or opened great
big books, or uncovered azure statues, or broughtenormous flowers and gigantic fruits that seemed
made of sapphires and turquoises. Our littlefriends stood with their mouths wide open and
their hands clasped together, they thoughtthemselves in paradise. Midal bent over to
look at a huge flower and laughed into its cup,which covered up her head like a hood of bluesilk.
A pretty child, with dark hair and thoughtfuleyes, held it by the stalk and said, proudly.
The flowers will all grow like that, when I am onearth.
When will that be? asked Tyldal. In fifty-threeyears, four months and nine days.
Next came two blue children bending under theweight of a pole from which was flung a bunch of
larger than a pear. A bunch of pears, cried Tyldal. No, they are grapes, said the child.
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They will all be like that when I am thirty, Ihave found the way. Tyldal would have loved to
taste them, but another child came along almosthidden under a basket which one of the tall
persons was helping him to carry. His fair-haired,rosy face smiled through the leaves that hung
over the wickerwork. Other blue children unfoldedmaps and plans, or brought enormous flowers.
Look, he said. Look at my apples. But those aremelons, said Tyldal.
No, no, said the child. They are my apples. Theywill all be alike when I am alive.
I have discovered the process. I should neverfinish if I were to try and describe to my
little readers all the wonderful and incrediblethings that appeared before our hero's eyes.
But, suddenly, a loud burst of laughter rangthrough the hall. A child had spoken of the
nine planets, and Tyldal, very much puzzled andperplexed, looked on every side. All the faces,
bright with laughter, were turned to some spotwhich Tyldal could not see,
every finger pointed in the same direction, butour friend looked in vain. They had spoken of a
king. He was looking for a throne with a tall,dignified personage on it, wielding a golden
scepter. Over there, over there, lower down,behind you, said a thousand little voicestogether.
But where is the king? Tyldal and Midal repeated,greatly interested. Then, suddenly,
a louder and more serious voice sounded above thesilvery murmur of the others.
Here I am, it said proudly. And, at the same time,Tyldal discovered a chubby baby which he had
not yet remarked, for it was the smallest and hadkept out of the way till then, sitting at the foot
of a column in an attitude of indifference,seemingly wrapped in contemplation. The little
king was the only one who had taken no notice ofthe live children. His beautiful, liquid eyes,
eyes as blue as the palace, were pursuing endlessdreams, his right hand supported his head,
which was already heavy with thought, his shorttunic showed his dimpled knees,
and a golden crown rested on his yellow locks.When he cried, Here I am! the baby rose from the
step on which he was sitting and tried to climb onto it at one stride, but he was still so
awkward that he lost his balance and fell upon hisnose. He at once picked himself up with so
much dignity that nobody dared make fun of him,and at this time, he scrambled up on all fours and
then, putting his legs wide apart, stowed an eyedTyldal from top to toe. You're not very big,
said Tyldal, doing his best to keep from laughing.I shall do great things when I am!
retorted the king, in a tone that admitted of noreply. And what will you do? asked Tyldal.
I shall found the general confederation of thesolar planets, said the king, in a very pompous
voice. Our friend was so much impressed that hecould not find a word to say, and the king
continued. All the planets will belong to it,except Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune, which are
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too ridiculously far away. Thereupon, he toddledoff the step again and resumed his first attitude,
showing that he had said all that he meant to say.Tyldal left him to his meditations,
he was eager to know as many more of the childrenas he could. He was introduced to the
discoverer of a new sun, to the inventor of a newjoy, to the hero who was to wipe out injustice
from the earth and to the wise-aker who was toconquer death. There were such lots and lots of
them that it would take days and days to name themall. Our friend was rather tired and was
beginning to feel bored, when his attention wassuddenly aroused by hearing a child's voice
calling him. Tyldal! Tyldal! How are you, Tyldal,how are you? A little blue child came running up
from the back of the hall, pushing his way throughthe crowd. He was fair and slim and
bright-eyed and had a great look of might all.
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