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How do you know my name? Asked Tylel. It's notsurprising, said the blue child, considering thatI shall be your brother.
This time, the live children were absolutelyamazed. What an extraordinary meeting. They mustcertainly tell mummy as soon as they got back. Howastonished they would be at home.
While they were making these reflections, thechild went on to explain.
I am coming to you next year, on Palm Sunday, hesaid. And he put a thousand questions to his bigbrother. Was it comfortable at home? Was the foodgood? Was daddy very severe? And mummy?
Oh, mummy is so kind, said the little ones. Andthey asked him questions in their turn. What washe going to do on earth? What was he bringing?
I am bringing three illnesses, said the littlebrother. Scarlatina, whooping cough and measles.
Oh, that's all, is it? cried Tylel. He shook hishead, with evident disappointment, while the othercontinued.
After that, I shall leave you? It will hardly beworthwhile coming, said Tylel, feeling rather vexed.
We can't pick and choose, said the little brother,pettishly.
They would perhaps have quarrelled, withoutwaiting till they were on earth, if they had notsuddenly been parted by a swarm of blue childrenwho were hurrying to meet somebody.
At the same time, there was a great noise, as ifthousands of invisible doors were being opened atthe end of the galleries.
What's the matter? asked Tylel.
It's time, said one of the blue children. He'sgoing to open the doors.
And the excitement increased on every side. Thechildren left their machines and their labors,those who were asleep woke up, and every eye waseagerly and anxiously turned to the great opaldoors at the back, while every mouth repeated thesame name.
The word, Time! Time! was heard all around, andthe great mysterious noise kept on. Tylel wasdying to know what it meant.
At last, he caught a little child by the skirt ofhis dress and asked him.
Let me be, said the child, very uneasily. I'm in ahurry, it may be my turn today. It is the dawnrising. This is the hour when the children who areto be born today go down to earth. You shall see.Time is drawing the bolts.
Who is Time? asked Tylel.
An old man who comes to call those who are going,said another child. He is not so bad, but he won'tlisten or hear.
Beg as they may, if it's not their turn, he pushesback all those who try to go. Let me be. It may bemy turn now.
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Light now hastened towards our little friends in agreat state of alarm.
I was looking for you, she said. Come quick, itwill never do for Time to discover you.
As she spoke these words, she threw her gold cloakaround the children and dragged them to a cornerof the hall, where they could see everything,without being seen.
Tylel was very glad to be so well protected. Henow knew that he who was about to appear possessedso great and tremendous a power that no humanstrength was capable of resisting him.
He was at the same time a deity and an ogre, hebestowed life and he devoured it, he sped throughthe world so fast that you had no time to see him,he ate and ate, without stopping, he took whateverhe touched.
In Tylel's family, he had already taken grandadand granny, the little brothers, the littlesisters and the old blackbird. He did not mindwhat he took, joys and sorrows, winters andsummers, all was fish that came to his net.
Knowing this, our friend was astonished to seeeverybody in the kingdom of the future running sofast to meet him.
I suppose he doesn't eat anything here, hethought.
There he was. The great doors turned slowly ontheir hinges. There was a distant music, it wasthe sounds of the earth. A red and green lightpenetrated into the hall, and time appeared on thethreshold.
He was a tall and very thin old man, so old thathis wrinkled face was all gray, like dust. Hiswhite beard came down to his knees. In one hand,he carried an enormous scythe, in the other, anhourglass. Behind him, some way out, on a sea thecolor of the dawn, was a magnificent gold galleywith white sails.
Are they ready whose hour has struck? Ask time. Atthe sound of that voice, solemn and deep as abronze gong, thousands of bright children'svoices, like little silver bells, answered.
Here we are. Here we are. Here we are.
And, in a moment, the blue children were crowdinground the tall old man, who pushed them all backand, in a gruff voice, said.
One at a time. Once again, there are many more ofyou than are wanted. You can't deceive me.
Brandishing his scythe in one hand and holding outhis cloak with the other, he barred the way to therash children who tried to slip by him. Not one ofthem escaped the horrid old man's watchful eye.
It's not your turn, he said to one. You're to beborn to-morrow. Nor yours either, you've got tenyears to wait. A thirteenth shepherd? There areonly twelve wanted, there is no need for more.More doctors? There are too many already, they aregrumbling about it on earth. And where are theengineers? They want an honest man, only one, as awonderful being.
Thereupon, a poor child, who had hung back, untilthen, came forward timidly, sucking his thumb. Helooked pale and sad and walked with totteringfootsteps, he was so wretched that even time feltthe moment's pity.
It's you, he exclaimed. You seem a very poorspecimen. And, in a moment, the blue children werecrowding round the tall old man. And, lifting hiseyes to the sky, with a look of discouragement, headded. You won't live long.
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And the movement went on. Each child, when denied,returned to his employment with a downcast air.When one of them was accepted, the others lookedat him with envy. Now and then, somethinghappened, as when the hero who was to fightagainst injustice refused to go. He clung to hisplayfellows, who called out to time. He doesn'twant to, sir.
No, I don't want to go, cried the little fellow,with all his might. I would rather not be born.
And quite right too! thought Tavel, who was fullof common sense and who knew what things are likeon earth. For people always get beatings whichthey have not deserved, and, when they have donewrong, you may be sure that the punishment willfall on one of their innocent friends.
I wouldn't care to be in his place, said ourfriend to himself. I would rather hunt for theblue bird, any day.
Meanwhile, the little seeker after justice wentaway sobbing, frightened out of his life by Mr.Time. The excitement was now at its height. Thechildren ran all over the hall, those who weregoing packed up their inventions, those who werestaying behind had a thousand requests to make.
Will you write to me? They say one can't. Oh, try,do try. Announce my idea. Goodbye, Jean. Goodbye,Pierre. Have you forgotten anything? Don't loseyour ideas. Try to tell us if it's nice.
Enough! enough, wore Time, in a huge voice,shaking his big keys and his terrible scythe,enough! The anchors weighed. Then the childrenclimbed into the gold galley, with the beautifulwhite silk sails. They waved their hands again tothe little friends whom they were leaving behindthem, but, on seeing the earth in the distance,they cried out gladly.
Earth! Earth! I can see it! How bright it is! Howbig it is! And, at the same time, as though comingfrom the abyss, a song rose, a distant song ofgladness and expectation. Light, who was listeningwith a smile, saw the look of astonishment on Tobel's face and bent over him. It is the song of themothers coming out to meet them, she said.
At that moment, Time, who had shut the doors, sawour friends and rushed at them angrily, shakinghis scythe at them.
Hurry, said Light! Hurry! Take the blue bird, Tytle, and go in front of me with Meinl.
She put into the boys' arms a bird which she heldhidden under her cloak and, all radiant, spreadingher dazzling veil with her two hands, she ran on,protecting her charges from the onslaught of Time.
In this way, they passed through several turquoiseand sapphire galleries. It was magnificentlybeautiful, but they were in the kingdom of thefuture, where Time was the great master, and theymust escape from his anger which they had braved.
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Meinl was terribly frightened and Tobel kept nervously turning round to Light.
Don't be afraid, she said. I am the only personwhom Time has respected since the world began.Only mind that you take care of the blue bird. He's gorgeous. He is quite, quite blue.
This thought enraptured the boy. He felt theprecious treasure fluttering in his arms, hishands dared not press the pretty creature's soft,warm wings, and his heart beat against its heart.
This time, he held the blue bird. Nothing couldtouch it, because it was given to him by Lightherself. What a triumph when he returned home!
He was so bewildered by his happiness that hehardly knew where he was going, his joy rang avictorious peal in his head that made him feel giddy, he was mad with pride, and this, worse luck,made him lose his coolness and his presence ofmind.
They were just about to cross the threshold of thepalace, when a gust of wind swept through theentrance hall lifting up Light's veil and at lastrevealing the two children to the eyes of Time,who was still pursuing them.
With a roar of rage, he darted his side at Tyldal,who cried out. Light warded off the blow, and thedoor of the palace closed behind them with a thud.They were saved.
But alas, Tyldal, taken by surprise, had openedhis arms and now, through his tears, saw the birdof the future soaring above their heads, minglingwith the azure sky its dream wings so blue, solight and so transparent that soon the boy couldmake out nothing more.
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