oi) BEAUTIFUL. BIRDS 
So, after that these wonderful birds were always 
called ‘‘ Birds of Paradise.” That is one way of ex- 
plaining how they got their names, but the other 
way, and perhaps you will think it a J/it/e more 
probable, is this. 
Once the Birds of Paradise were really Birds of 
Paradise, for they lived there and were ever so much 
more beautiful than they are now, though perhaps, 
if you were to see them flying about in their native 
forests, you would hardly believe that possible. That 
is because you cannot imagine Aow beautiful read/ Birds 
of Paradise are, for these Birds of Paradise were not 
more beautiful than the other ones that lived there. 
All were as beautiful as each other though in different 
ways, and it was just that which made these Birds of 
Paradise discontented. ‘If we go down to earth,” 
said they, “‘the birds of all the world will do homage 
to us on account of our superior beauty, for there will 
be none to equal us. So we shall reign over them 
and be their King. Here we are only like all the 
others. None of them fly to the tree on which we 
are sitting to do us homage.” ‘‘ Do not be foolish,” 
said the tree (for in Paradise trees and all can speak). 
““The homage which you desire you would soon 
weary of, and the beauty which you enjoy here would, 
on earth, be only a pain to you, for it would re- 
mind you of the Paradise you had left but could 
