The Blue Bird for Children Read online

  CHAPTER I

  THE WOODCUTTER'S COTTAGE

  Once upon a time, a woodcutter and his wife lived in their cottage onthe edge of a large and ancient forest. They had two dear littlechildren who met with a most wonderful adventure.

  But, before telling you all about it, I must describe the children toyou and let you know something of their character; for, if they hadnot been so sweet and brave and plucky, the curious story which youare about to hear would never have happened at all.

  Tyltyl--that was our hero's name--was ten years old; and Mytyl, hislittle sister, was only six.

  Tyltyl was a fine, tall little fellow, stout and well-set-up, withcurly black hair which was often in a tangle, for he was fond of aromp. He was a great favorite because of his smiling and good-temperedface and the bright look in his eyes; but, best of all, he had theways of a bold and fearless little man, which showed the noblequalities of his heart. When, early in the morning, he trotted alongthe forest-road by the side of his daddy, Tyl the woodcutter, for allhis shabby clothes he looked so proud and gallant that every beautifulthing on the earth and in the sky seemed to lie in wait for him tosmile upon him as he passed.

  His little sister was very different, but looked ever so sweet andpretty in her long frock, which Mummy Tyl kept neatly patched for her.She was as fair as her brother was dark; and her large timid eyes wereblue as the forget-me-nots in the fields. Anything was enough tofrighten her and she would cry at the least thing; but her littlechild soul already held the highest womanly qualities: she was lovingand gentle and so fondly devoted to her brother that, rather thanabandon him, she did not hesitate to undertake a long and dangerousjourney in his company.

  What happened and how our little hero and heroine went off into theworld one night in search of happiness: that is the subject of mystory.

  Daddy Tyl's cottage was the poorest of the countryside; and it seemedeven more wretched because it stood opposite a splendid hall in whichrich children lived. From the windows of the cottage you could seewhat went on inside the Hall when the dining-room and drawing-roomswere lit up in the evening. And, in the daytime, you saw the littlechildren playing on the terraces, in the gardens and in the hot-houseswhich people came all the way from town to visit because they werealways filled with the rarest flowers.

  Now, one evening which was not like other evenings, for it wasChristmas Eve, Mummy Tyl put her little ones to bed and kissed themeven more lovingly than usual. She felt a little sad because, owing tothe stormy weather, Daddy Tyl was not able to go to work in theforest; and so she had no money to buy presents with which to fillTyltyl and Mytyl's stockings. The Children soon fell asleep,everything was still and silent and not a sound was heard but thepurring of the cat, the snoring of the dog and the ticking of thegreat grandfather's clock. But suddenly a light as bright as day creptthrough the shutters, the lamp upon the table lit again of itself andthe two Children awoke, yawned, rubbed their eyes, stretched out theirarms in bed and Tyltyl, in a cautious voice called:

  "Mytyl?"

  "Yes, Tyltyl?" was the answer.

  "Are you asleep?"

  "Are you?"

  "No," said Tyltyl. "How can I be asleep, when I'm talking to you?"

  "I say, is this Christmas Day?" asked his sister.

  "Not yet; not till to-morrow. But Father Christmas won't bring usanything this year."

  "Why not?"

  "I heard Mummy say that she couldn't go to town to tell him. But hewill come next year."

  "Is next year far off?"

  "A good long while," said the boy. "But he will come to the richchildren to-night."

  "Really?"

  "Hullo!" cried Tyltyl of a sudden. "Mummy's forgotten to put out thelamp!... I've an idea!"

  "What?"

  "Let's get up."

  "But we mustn't," said Mytyl, who always remembered.

  "Why, there's no one about!... Do you see the shutters?"

  "Oh, how bright they are!..."

  "It's the lights of the party," said Tyltyl.

  "What party?"

  "The rich children opposite. It's the Christmas-tree. Let's open theshutters...."

  "Can we?" asked Mytyl, timidly.

  "Of course we can; there's no one to stop us.... Do you hear themusic?... Let us get up."

  The two Children jumped out of bed, ran to the window, climbed on thestool in front of it and threw back the shutters. A bright lightfilled the room; and the Children looked out eagerly:

  "We can see everything!" said Tyltyl.

  "I can't," said poor little Mytyl, who could hardly find room on thestool.

  "It's snowing!" said Tyltyl. "There are two carriages, with six horseseach!"

  "There are twelve little boys getting out!" said Mytyl, who was doingher best to peep out of the window.

  "Don't be silly!... They're little girls...."

  "They've got knickerbockers on...."

  "Do be quiet!... And look!..."

  "What are those gold things there, hanging from the branches?"

  "Why, toys, to be sure!" said Tyltyl. "Swords, guns, soldiers,cannons...."

  "And what's that, all round the table?"

  "Cakes and fruit and cream-tarts."

  "Oh, how pretty the children are!" cried Mytyl, clapping her hands.

  "And how they're laughing and laughing!" answered Tyltyl.

  "And the little ones dancing!..."

  "Yes, yes; let's dance too!" shouted Tyltyl.

  And the two Children began to stamp their feet for joy on the stool:

  "Oh, what fun!" said Mytyl.

  "They're getting the cakes!" cried Tyltyl. "They can touch them!...They're eating, they're eating, they're eating!... Oh, how lovely, howlovely!..."

  Mytyl began to count imaginary cakes:

  "I have twelve!..."

  "And I four times twelve!" said Tyltyl. "But I'll give you some...."

  And our little friends, dancing, laughing and shrieking with delight,rejoiced so prettily in the other children's happiness that theyforgot their own poverty and want. They were soon to have theirreward. Suddenly, there came a loud knocking at the door. The startledChildren ceased their romp and dared not move a limb. Then the bigwooden latch lifted of itself, with a loud creak; the door openedslowly; and in crept a little old woman, dressed all in green, with ared hood over her head. She was hump-backed and lame and had only oneeye; her nose and chin almost touched; and she walked leaning on astick. She was surely a fairy.

  She hobbled up to the Children and asked, in a snuffling voice:

  "Have you the grass here that sings or the bird that is blue?"

  "We have some grass," replied Tyltyl, trembling all over his body,"but it can't sing...."

  "Tyltyl has a bird," said Mytyl.

  "But I can't give it away, because it's mine," the little fellowadded, quickly.

  Now wasn't that a capital reason?

  The Fairy put on her big, round glasses and looked at the bird:

  "He's not blue enough," she exclaimed. "I must absolutely have theBlue Bird. It's for my little girl, who is very ill.... Do you knowwhat the Blue Bird stands for? No? I thought you didn't; and, as youare good children, I will tell you."

  The Fairy raised her crooked finger to her long, pointed nose, andwhispered, in a mysterious tone:

  "The Blue Bird stands for happiness; and I want you to understandthat my little girl must be happy in order to get well. That is why Inow command you to go out into the world and find the Blue Bird forher. You will have to start at once.... Do you know who I am?"

  The Children exchanged puzzled glances. The fact was that they hadnever seen a fairy before; and they felt a little scared in herpresence. However, Tyltyl soon said politely:

  "You are rather like our neighbor, Madame Berlingot...."

  She herself helped Mytyl]

  Tyltyl thought that, in saying this, he was paying the Fairy acompliment; for Madame Berlingot's shop, which was next door to theircottage, was a very pleasant pl
ace. It was stocked with sweets,marbles, chocolate cigars and sugar dolls and hens; and, at fair-time,there were big gingerbread dolls covered all over with gilt paper.Goody Berlingot had a nose that was quite as ugly as the Fairy's; shewas old also; and, like the Fairy, she walked doubled up in two; butshe was very kind and she had a dear little girl who used to play onSundays with the woodcutter's Children. Unfortunately, the poor littlepretty, fair-haired thing was always suffering from some unknowncomplaint, which often kept her in bed. When this happened, sheused to beg and pray for Tyltyl's dove to play with; but Tyltyl wasso fond of the bird that he would not give it to her. All this,thought the little boy, was very like that which the Fairy told him;and that was why he called her Berlingot.

  Much to his surprise, the Fairy turned crimson with rage. It was ahobby of hers to be like nobody, because she was a fairy and able tochange her appearance, from one moment to the next, as she pleased.That evening, she happened to be ugly and old and hump-backed; she hadlost one of her eyes; and two lean wisps of grey hair hung over hershoulders.

  "What do I look like?" she asked Tyltyl. "Am I pretty or ugly? Old oryoung?"

  Her reason for asking these questions was to try the kindness of thelittle boy. He turned away his head and dared not say what he thoughtof her looks. Then she cried:

  "I am the Fairy Berylune!"

  "Oh, that's all right!" answered Tyltyl, who, by this time, wasshaking in every limb.

  This satisfied the Fairy; and, as the Children were still in theirnight-shirts, she told them to get dressed. She herself helped Mytyland, while she did so, asked:

  "Where are your Father and Mother?"

  "In there," said Tyltyl, pointing to the door on the right. "They'reasleep."

  "And your Grandad and Granny?"

  "They're dead...."

  "And your little brothers and sisters.... Have you any?..."

  "Oh, yes, three little brothers!" said Tyltyl.

  "And four little sisters," added Mytyl.

  "Where are they?" asked the Fairy.

  "They are dead, too," answered Tyltyl.

  "Would you like to see them again?"

  "Oh, yes!... At once!... Show them to us!..."

  "I haven't them in my pocket," said the Fairy. "But this is verylucky; you will see them when you go through the Land of Memory. It'son the way to the Blue Bird, just on the left, past the thirdturning.... What were you doing when I knocked?"

  "We were playing at eating cakes," said Tyltyl.

  "Have you any cakes?... Where are they?..."

  "In the house of the rich children.... Come and look, it's so lovely!"

  And Tyltyl dragged the Fairy to the window.

  "But it's the others who are eating them!" said she.

  "Yes, but we can see them eat," said Tyltyl.

  "Aren't you cross with them?"

  "What for?"

  "For eating all the cakes. I think it's very wrong of them not to giveyou any."

  "Not at all; they're rich!... I say, isn't it beautiful over there?"

  "It's just the same here, only you can't see...."

  "Yes, I can," said Tyltyl. "I have very good eyes. I can see the timeon the church clock; and Daddy can't!"

  The Fairy suddenly grew angry:

  "I tell you that you can't see!" she said.

  And she grew angrier and angrier. As though it mattered about seeingthe time on the church clock!

  Of course, the little boy was not blind; but, as he was kind-heartedand deserved to be happy, she wanted to teach him to see what is goodand beautiful in all things. It was not an easy task, for she wellknew that most people live and die without enjoying the happiness thatlies all around them. Still, as she was a fairy, she was all-powerful;and so she decided to give him a little hat adorned with a magicdiamond that would possess the extraordinary property of alwaysshowing him the truth, which would help him to see the inside ofThings and thus teach him that each of them has a life and anexistence of its own, created to match and gladden ours.

  The Fairy took the little hat from a great bag hanging by her side. Itwas green and had a white cockade, with the big diamond shining in themiddle of it. Tyltyl was beside himself with delight. The Fairyexplained to him how the diamond worked. By pressing the top, you sawthe soul of Things; if you gave it a little turn to the right, youdiscovered the Past; and, when you turned it to the left, you beheldthe Future.

  Tyltyl beamed all over his face and danced for joy; and then he atonce became afraid of losing the little hat:

  "Daddy will take it from me!" he cried.

  "No," said the Fairy, "for no one can see it as long as it's on yourhead.... Will you try it?"

  "Yes, yes!" cried the Children, clapping their hands.

  The hat was no sooner on the little boy's head than a magic changecame over everything. The old Fairy turned into a young and beautifulprincess, dressed all in silk and covered with sparkling jewels; thewalls of the cottage became transparent and gleamed like preciousstones; the humble deal furniture shone like marble. The two childrenran from right to left clapping their hands and shouting withdelight.

  "Oh, how lovely, how lovely!" exclaimed Tyltyl.

  And Mytyl, like the vain little thing she was, stood spell-boundbefore the beauty of the fair princess' dress.

  But further and much greater surprises were in store for them. Had notthe Fairy said that the Things and the Animals would come to life,talk and behave like everybody else? Lo and behold, suddenly the doorof the grandfather's clock opened, the silence was filled with thesweetest music and twelve little daintily-dressed and laughing dancersbegan to skip and spin all around the Children.

  "They are the Hours of your life," said the Fairy.

  "May I dance with them?" asked Tyltyl, gazing with admiration at thosepretty creatures, who seemed to skim over the floor like birds.

  But just then he burst into a wild fit of laughter! Who was that funnyfat fellow, all out of breath and covered with flour, who camestruggling out of the bread-pan and bowing to the children? It wasBread! Bread himself, taking advantage of the reign of liberty to gofor a little walk on earth! He looked like a stout, comical oldgentleman; his face was puffed out with dough; and his large hands, atthe end of his thick arms, were not able to meet, when he laid them onhis great, round stomach. He was dressed in a tight-fittingcrust-coloured suit, with stripes across the chest like those on thenice buttered rolls which we have for breakfast in the morning. On hishead--just think of it!--he wore an enormous bun, which made a funnysort of turban.

  He had hardly tumbled out of his pan, when other loaves just like him,but smaller, followed after and began to frisk about with the Hours,without giving a thought to the flour which they scattered over thosepretty ladies and which wrapped them in great white clouds.

  It was a queer and charming dance; and the Children were delighted.The Hours waltzed with the loaves; the plates, joining in the fun,hopped up and down on the dresser, at the risk of falling off andsmashing to pieces; the glasses in the cupboard clinked together, todrink the health of one and all. As to the forks, they chattered soloudly with the knives that you could not hear yourself speak for thenoise....

  There is no knowing what would have happened if the din had lastedmuch longer. Daddy and Mummy Tyl would certainly have waked up.Fortunately, when the romp was at its height, an enormous flame dartedout of the chimney and filled the room with a great red glow, asthough the house were on fire. Everybody bolted into the corners indismay, while Tyltyl and Mytyl, sobbing with fright, hid their headsunder the good Fairy's cloak.

  "Don't be afraid," she said. "It's only Fire, who has come to join inyour fun. He is a good sort, but you had better not touch him, for hehas a hot temper."

  Peeping anxiously through the beautiful gold lace that edged theFairy's cloak, the Children saw a tall, red fellow looking at them andlaughing at their fears. He was dressed in scarlet tights andspangles; from his shoulders hung silk scarves that were just likeflames when he waved them with
his long arms; and his hair stood up onhis head in straight, flaring locks. He started flinging out his armsand legs and jumping round the room like a madman.

  Tyltyl, though feeling a little easier, dared not yet leave hisrefuge. Then the Fairy Berylune had a capital idea: she pointed herwand at the tap; and at once there appeared a young girl who wept likea regular fountain. It was Water. She was very pretty, but she lookedextremely sad; and she sang so sweetly that it was like the ripplingof a spring. Her long hair, which fell to her feet, might have beenmade of sea-weed. She had nothing on but her bed-gown; but the waterthat streamed over her clothed her in shimmering colours. Shehesitated at first and gave a glance around her; then, catching sightof Fire still whirling about like a great madcap, she made an angryand indignant rush at him, spraying his face, splashing and wettinghim with all her might. Fire flew into a rage and began to smoke.Nevertheless, as he found himself suddenly thwarted by his old enemy,he thought it wiser to retire to a corner. Water also beat a retreat;and it seemed as though peace would be restored once more.

  The two Children, at last recovering from their alarm, were asking theFairy what was going to happen next, when a startling noise ofbreaking crockery made them look round towards the table. What asurprise! The milk-jug lay on the floor, smashed into a thousandfragments, and from the pieces rose a charming lady, who gave littlescreams of terror and clasped her hands and turned up her eyes with abeseeching glance.

  Tyltyl hastened to console her, for he at once knew that she was Milk;and, as he was very fond of her, he gave her a good kiss. She was asfresh and pretty as a little dairy-maid; and a delicious scent of haycame from her white frock all covered with cream.

  Meanwhile, Mytyl was watching the sugar-loaf, which also seemed to becoming to life. Packed in its blue paper wrapper, on a shelf near thedoor, it was swaying from left to right and from right to left withoutany result. But at last a long thin arm was seen to come out,followed by a peaked head, which split the paper, and by another armand two long legs that seemed never to end!... Oh, you should haveseen how funny Sugar looked: so funny, indeed, that the Children couldnot help laughing in his face! And yet they would have liked to becivil to him, for they heard the Fairy introducing him in these words:

  "This, Tyltyl, is the soul of Sugar. His pockets are crammed withsugar and each of his fingers is a sugar-stick."

  How wonderful to have a friend all made of sugar, off whom you canbite a piece whenever you feel inclined!

  "Bow, wow, wow!... Good-morning! Good-morning, my little god!... Atlast, at last we can talk!... Bark and wag my tail as I might, younever understood!... I love you! I love you!"

  Who can this extraordinary person be, who jostles everybody and fillsthe house with his noisy gaiety? We know him at once. It is Tylo, thegood Dog who tries his hardest to understand mankind, the good-naturedAnimal who goes with the Children to the forest, the faithful guardianwho protects the door, the staunch friend who is ever true and everloyal! Here he comes walking on his hind-paws, as on a pair of legstoo short for him, and beating the air with the two others, makinggestures like a clumsy little man. He has not changed: he still hashis smooth, mustard-coloured coat and his jolly bull-dog head, withthe black muzzle, but he is much bigger and then he talks! He talks asfast as he can, as though he wanted in one moment to avenge his wholerace, which has been doomed to silence for centuries. He talks ofeverything, now that he is at last able to explain himself; and it isa pretty sight to see him kissing his little master and mistress andcalling them "his little gods!" He sits up, he jumps about the room,knocking against the furniture, upsetting Mytyl with his big softpaws, lolling his tongue, wagging his tail and puffing and panting asthough he were out hunting. We at once see his simple, generousnature. Persuaded of his own importance, he fancies that he alone isindispensable in the new world of Things.

  After making all the fuss he wanted of the Children, he started goingthe round of the company, distributing the attentions which he thoughtthat none could do without. His joy, now set free, found vent withoutrestraint; and, because he was the most loving of creatures, he wouldalso have been the happiest, if, in becoming human, he had not,unfortunately, retained his little doggy failings. He was jealous! Hewas terribly jealous; and his heart felt a pang when he saw Tylette,the Cat, coming to life in her turn and being petted and kissed by theChildren, just as he had been! Oh, how he hated the Cat! To bear thesight of her beside him, to see her always sharing in the affection ofthe family: that was the great sacrifice which fate demanded of him.He accepted it, however, without a word, because it pleased his littlegods; and he went so far as to leave her alone. But he had had many acrime on his conscience because of her! Had he not, one evening, creptstealthily into Goody Berlingot's kitchen in order to throttle her oldtom-cat, who had never done him any harm? Had he not broken the backof the Persian cat at the Hall opposite? Did he not sometimes go totown on purpose to hunt cats and put an end to them, all to wreak hisspite? And now Tylette was going to talk, just like himself! Tylettewould be his equal in the new world that was opening before him!

  "Oh, there is no justice left on earth!" was his bitter thought."There is no justice left!"

  In the meantime, the Cat, who had begun by washing herself andpolishing her claws, calmly put out her paw to the little girl.

  She really was a very pretty cat; and, if our friend Tylo's jealousyhad not been such an ugly feeling, we might almost have overlooked itfor once! How could you fail to be attracted by Tylette's eyes, whichwere like topaz set in emeralds? How could you resist the pleasure ofstroking the wonderful black velvet back? How could you not love hergrace, her gentleness and the dignity of her poses?

  Smiling gently and speaking in well-chosen language, she said toMytyl:

  "Good-morning, miss!... How well you look this morning!..."

  And the Children patted her like anything.

  Tylo kept watching the Cat from the other end of the room:

  "Now that she's standing on her hind-legs like a man," he muttered,"she looks just like the Devil, with her pointed ears, her long tailand her dress as black as ink!" And he could not help growling betweenhis teeth. "She's also like the village chimney-sweep," he went on,"whom I loathe and detest and whom I shall never take for a real man,whatever my little gods may say.... It's lucky," he added, with asigh, "that I know more about a good many things than they do!"

  But suddenly, no longer able to master himself, he flew at the Cat andshouted, with a loud laugh that was more like a roar:

  "I'm going to frighten Tylette! Bow, wow, wow!"

  But the Cat, who was dignified even when still an animal, now thoughtherself called to the loftiest destinies. She considered that the timehad come to raise a tall barrier between herself and the Dog, who hadnever been more than an ill-bred person in her eyes; and, steppingback in disdain, she just said:

  "Sir, I don't know you."

  Tylo gave a bound under the insult, whereupon the Cat bristled up,twisting her whiskers under her little pink nose (for she was veryproud of those two pale blotches which gave a special touch to herdark beauty); and then, arching her back and sticking up her tail, shehissed out, "Fft! Fft!" and stood stock-still on the chest of drawers,like a dragon on the lid of a Chinese vase.

  Tyltyl and Mytyl screamed with laughter; but the quarrel wouldcertainly have had a bad ending if, at that moment, a great thing hadnot happened. At eleven o'clock in the evening, in the middle of thatwinter's night, a great light, the light of the noon-day sun, glowingand dazzling, burst into the cottage.

  "Hullo, there's daylight!" said the little boy, who no longer knewwhat to make of things. "What will Daddy say?"

  But, before the Fairy had time to set him right, Tyltyl understood;and, full of wonderment, he knelt before the latest vision thatbewitched his eyes.

  At the window, in the center of a great halo of sunshine, there roseslowly, like a tall golden sheaf, a maiden of surpassing loveliness!Gleaming veils covered her figure without hiding its beauty; h
er barearms, stretched in the attitude of giving, seemed transparent; and hergreat clear eyes wrapped all upon whom they fell in a fond embrace.

  "It's the Queen!" said Tyltyl.

  "It's a Fairy Princess!" cried Mytyl, kneeling beside her brother.

  "No, my Children," said the Fairy. "It is Light!"

  Smiling, Light stepped towards the two little ones. She, the Light ofHeaven, the strength and beauty of the Earth, was proud of the humblemission entrusted to her; she, never before held captive, living inspace and bestowing her bounty upon all alike, consented to beconfined, for a brief spell, within a human shape, so as to lead theChildren out into the world and teach them to know that other Light,the Light of the Mind, which we never see, but which helps us to seeall things that are.

  "It is Light!" exclaimed the Things and the Animals; and, as they allloved her, they began to dance around her with cries of pleasure.

  Tyltyl and Mytyl capered with joy. Never had they pictured so amusingand so pretty a party; and they shouted louder than all the rest.

  Then what was bound to happen came. Suddenly, three knocks were heardagainst the wall, loud enough to throw the house down! It was DaddyTyl, who had been waked up by the din and who was now threatening tocome and put a stop to it.

  "Turn the diamond!" cried the Fairy to Tyltyl.

  Our hero hastened to obey, but he had not the knack of it yet;besides, his hand shook at the thought that his father was coming. Infact, he was so awkward that he nearly broke the works.

  "Not so quick, not so quick!" said the Fairy. "Oh dear, you've turnedit too briskly: they will not have time to resume their places and weshall have a lot of bother!"

  There was a general stampede. The walls of the cottage lost theirsplendour. All ran hither and thither, to return to their propershape: Fire could not find his chimney; Water ran about looking forher tap; Sugar stood moaning in front of his torn wrapper; and Bread,the biggest of the loaves, was unable to squeeze into his pan, inwhich the other loaves had jumped higgledy-piggledy, taking up all theroom. As for the Dog, he had grown too large for the hole in hiskennel; and the Cat also could not get into her basket. The Hoursalone, who were accustomed always to run faster than Man wished, hadslipped back into the clock without delay.

  Light stood motionless and unruffled, vainly setting an example ofcalmness to the others, who were all weeping and wailing around theFairy:

  "What is going to happen?" they asked. "Is there any danger?"

  "Well," said the Fairy, "I am bound to tell you the truth: all thosewho accompany the two Children will die at the end of the journey."

  They began to cry like anything, all except the Dog, who was delightedat remaining human as long as possible and who had already taken hisstand next to Light, so as to be sure of going in front of his littlemaster and mistress.

  At that moment, there came a knocking even more dreadful than before.

  "There's Daddy again!" said Tyltyl. "He's getting up, this time; I canhear him walking...."

  "You see," said the Fairy, "you have no choice now; it is too late;you must all start with us.... But you, Fire, don't come near anybody;you, Dog, don't tease the Cat; you, Water, try not to run all over theplace; and you, Sugar, stop crying, unless you want to melt. Breadshall carry the cage in which to put the Blue Bird; and you shall allcome to my house, where I will dress the Animals and the Thingsproperly.... Let us go out this way!"

  As she spoke, she pointed her wand at the window, which lengthenedmagically downwards, like a door. They all went out on tip-toe, afterwhich the window resumed its usual shape. And so it came about that,on Christmas Night, in the clear light of the moon, while the bellsrang out lustily, proclaiming the birth of Jesus, Tyltyl and Mytylwent in search of the Blue Bird that was to bring them happiness.