David and the Phoenix Read online

  3: _In Which It Is Decided that David Should Have an Education, and anExperiment Is Made_

  Next day it took less than an hour to reach the ledge, and David wassure that he could shorten the time even more when he was familiarwith the goat trail.

  The Phoenix was not in sight when he arrived, and for an instant Davidwas stricken with fright. Had the bird gone in spite of its promise?But no--he heard a reassuring noise. It came from the thicket, and itsounded very much like a snore.

  David smiled to himself and shouted, "Hello, Phoenix!"

  There was a thrashing sound in the thicket, and the Phoenix appeared,looking very rumpled and yawning behind its wing.

  "Greetings, my boy!" it cried. "A splendid morning!" Then the Phoenixcaught sight of the paper bag in David's hand, and swallowed in asuggestive way.

  David thrust the bag of cookies behind his back. "Now, Phoenix," hesaid firmly, "you have to promise me you won't go away to SouthAmerica. You said last night that it could be arranged, so let'sarrange it right now. Until we do, not one."

  The Phoenix drew itself up indignantly. "My very dear fellow," itsaid, "you wound me. You cut me to the quick. I will not be bribed.I--" It stopped and swallowed again. "Oh, well," it continued, moremildly, "one does not fight fate, does one? I suppose under thesecircumstances, I must accept."

  "It's settled, then!" David cried joyfully.

  So they sat down on the grass together, and for a long time nothingwas heard but sounds of munching.

  "My boy," said the Phoenix at last, brushing the crumbs from itschest, "I take a modest pride in my way with words, but nothing in thelanguage can do these--ah--baked poems justice. Words fail me."

  "I'm glad you like them," David said politely.

  "And now, my boy," continued the Phoenix, as it settled backcomfortably, "I have been thinking. Yesterday you showed anintelligent interest in my problems and asked intelligent questions.You did not scoff, as others might have done. You have very rarequalities."

  David flushed, and mumbled denials.

  "Do not be so modest, my boy! I speak the truth. It came to me thatsuch a mind as yours, having these qualities, should be furthercultivated and refined. And I should be avoiding my clear-cut duty ifI did not take this task in hand myself. Of course, I suppose someattempt to educate you has already been made, has it not?"

  "Well, I go to school, if that's what you mean. Not now, though,because it's summer vacation."

  "And what do they teach you there?"

  "Oh, reading and writing and arithmetic, and things like that."

  "Aha!" said the Phoenix triumphantly. "Just as I suspected--aclassical education. Understand me--I have nothing against aclassical education as such. I realize that mathematics, Greek, andLatin are excellent for the discipline of the mind. But in the broadview, a classical education is not a true education. Life is real,life is earnest. One must face it with a _practical_ education. Theproblems of Life, my dear fellow!--classical education completelyignores them! For example, how do you tell a true Unicorn from a falseone?"

  "I--I don't know."

  "I thought not. Where do you find the Philosopher's Stone?"

  "I don't know."

  "Well, then, I shall ask a simple one. What is the first rule ofdefense when attacked by a Chimera?"

  David squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm afraid I don't know that, either,"he said in a small voice.

  "There you are!" cried the Phoenix. "You do not have a true, practicaleducation--you are not ready for Life. I, my boy, am going to takeyour education in hand."

  "Oh," said David. "Do you mean--are you going to give me--lessons?"Through his mind flashed a picture of the Phoenix (with spectacles onits beak and a ruler in its wing) writing out sentences on ablackboard. The thought gave him a sinking feeling. After all, it wassummer--and summer was supposed to be vacation time.

  "And what an education it will be!" the Phoenix went on, ignoring hisquestion. "Absolutely without equal! The full benefit of my vastknowledge, plus a number of trips to--"

  "Oh, _traveling_!" said David, suddenly feeling much better. "That'sdifferent. Oh, Phoenix, that'll be wonderful! Where will we go?"

  "Everywhere, my boy!" said the Phoenix, with an airy wave of its wing."To all corners of the earth. We shall visit my friends andacquaintances."

  "Oh, do you have--"

  "Of course, my boy! I am nothing if not a good mixer. My acquaintances(to mention but a few) include Fauns, Dragons, Unicorns, Trolls,Gryffins, Gryffons, Gryffens--"

  "Excuse me," David interrupted. "What were those last three, please?"

  "Gryffins," explained the Phoenix, "are the small, reddish, friendlyones. Gryffons are the quick-tempered proud ones. Gryffens--ah, well,the most anyone can say for them is that they are harmless. They arevery stupid."

  "I see," said David doubtfully. "What do they look like?"

  "Each looks like the others, my boy, except that some are bigger andsome are smaller. But to continue: Sea Monsters, Leprechauns, Rocs,Gnomes, Elves, Basilisks, Nymphs--ah--and many others. All are of theBetter Sort, since, as I have many times truly observed, one is knownby the company one keeps. And your education will cost you nothing. Ofcourse it _would_ be agreeable if you could supply me with cookiesfrom time to time."

  "As many as you want, Phoenix. Will we go to Africa?"

  "Naturally, my boy. Your education will include--"

  "And Egypt? And China? And Arabia?"

  "Yes. Your education will--"

  "Oh, Phoenix, Phoenix!" David jumped up and began to caper, while thePhoenix beamed. But suddenly he stopped.

  "How are we going to travel, Phoenix?"

  "I have wings, my boy."

  "Yes, but I don't."

  "Do not be so dense, my dear fellow. I shall carry you on my back, ofcourse."

  "Oh," said David weakly, "on your--on your back. Are you surethat--isn't there some other--I mean, can you do it?"

  The Phoenix drew itself up to its full height. "I am hurt--yes, deeplyhurt--by your lack of faith. My magnificent build should make itevident that I am an exceedingly powerful flyer. In the heyday of myyouth I could fly around the world in five hours. But come along. Ishall give you proof positive."

  David reluctantly followed the Phoenix to a spot on the edge of theshelf where there was a gap in the bushes. He glanced over the brink.The sheer face of the scarp fell away beneath them, plunging down tothe tiny trees and rocks below. He stepped back quickly with ashudder.

  "Let's--let's do it tomorrow," he quavered.

  "Nonsense," said the Phoenix firmly. "No time like the present. Now,then, up on my back."

  "H-h-how am I going to sit?"

  "On my back. Quite so--now, your arms around my neck--your legs_behind_ my wings, please--there we are. Ready?"

  "No," said David faintly.

  "Splendid! The proof is to be demonstrated, the--to be brief, we areoff!"

  The great wings were outstretched. David gulped, clutched thePhoenix's neck tightly, and shut his eyes. He felt a hoppingsensation, then a long, sickening downward swoop that seemed to leavehis stomach far behind. A tremendous rush of air snatched at hisshirt. He opened his eyes and choked with fright. The ground below wasrushing up to meet them, swaying and revolving. Something was terriblywrong. The Phoenix was breathing in hoarse gasps; its wings werepounding the air frantically. Now they had turned back. The scarploomed before them, solid and blank. Above them--high above them--wasthe ledge. It looked as though they would not get back to it.

  Up ... up ... up.... They crawled through the air. The wings flappedwildly, faster and faster. They were gaining--slipping back--gainingagain. The Phoenix sobbed as it stretched its neck in the last effort.Fifty feet ... twenty feet ... ten.... With a tremendous surge of itswings, the Phoenix managed to get one claw over the edge and to seizethe branch of a bush in its beak. David's legs slipped from the bird'sback. He dangled over the abyss from the outstretched neck, andprayed. The bush saved them. They scrabbled up over t
he edge, totteredthere for an instant, and dropped on the grass.

  For a long time they lay gasping and trembling.

  At last the Phoenix weakly raised its head. "Puff--well, my boy--puffpuff--whew!--very narrow squeak. I--puff--"

  David could not answer. The earth reeled under him and would not stopno matter how tightly he clutched the grass.

  "Puff--I repeat, I am--puff--an exceedingly powerful flyer. There arefew birds--none, I daresay--who--puff--could have done even thismuch. The truth of the matter is that you are a lot--puff--heavierthan you look. I hope you are not being overfed at home?"

  "I--I don't know," said David, wondering whether or not he was goingto be sick.

  "Well, my course is clear," said the Phoenix firmly. "I must practice.Setting-up exercises, roadwork, and what not. Rigorous diet. Lots ofsleep. Regular hours. Courage, my dear fellow! We shall do it yet!"

  * * * * *

  And so for the following week the Phoenix practiced.

  Every morning David climbed up to the ledge, bringing sandwiches forhimself, cookies for the Phoenix, and a wet towel. Then, while he keptcount, the Phoenix did setting-up exercises. After this, the birdwould jog trot up and down the ledge and practice jumping. Then therewould be a fifteen-minute rest and refreshment period. And when thatwas over, the Phoenix would launch itself into the air. This was thepart David liked best. It was a magnificent sight. The Phoenix dashedback and forth at top speed, wheeled in circles, shot straight up likea rocket--plunged, hovered, looped--rolled, soared, fluttered. Now andthen it would swoop back to the ledge beside David and wipe the sweatfrom its brow.

  "I trust you see signs of progress, my boy?"

  David would wrap the wet towel around the Phoenix's neck. "You'redoing better and better, Phoenix. I especially like that part whereyou twist over on your back and loop and plunge, all at the sametime."

  "I do perform that rather well, don't I? It is not easy. But just thething for acquiring (ouch!) muscle tone. Are there any more cookies?Ah, there are. Delicious! As I was saying, let this be a lesson toyou, my boy. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

  The Phoenix would take wing again. And David would settle back againsta rock and watch. Sometimes he thought of the education he was to get.Sometimes he thought how nice it would be if _he_ could fly. Andsometimes he did not think at all, but just sat with his eyes halfshut, feeling the sunlight on his face and listening to the rustle ofthe wind in the thicket.

  At the end of the week the Phoenix, after a brilliant display ofacrobatics, landed on the ledge, clasped its wings behind its back,and looked solemnly at David.

  "Well, my boy," it said, "I believe your education can beginforthwith. Are you ready?"