POOLISE: BIRDS OF PARADISE ~ 23 
never enter again. For those who once leave Paradise 
can never more return to it. Therefore be wise and 
stay, for if you go you will repent, but then it will be 
too late.” Andall the birds around said, “Stay,” and 
then they raised their voices, which were lovelier than 
you can imagine, in a song of joy—of joy that they 
were in Paradise and not on earth. And the Birds of 
Paradise sang too, their voices were as sweet as any, 
but they had envy and discontent in their hearts. 
‘Our singing cannot be surpassed, it is true,” thought 
they, “‘ but it is equalled by that of every other bird. 
We sing in a chorus merely. It would not be so 
on earth. We should be ‘prima donnas’ there.” 
(Your mother will tell you what a prima donna is as 
well as what doing homage means.) 
So, when the song was over, they flew to the 
Phenix, who was the most important and powerful 
bird of all the birds that were in Paradise. »I have 
told you that all the birds there were equal, and 
so they were, only, you see, the Phenix was a little 
more equal than the others. One cannot be a Phenix 
for nothing. Now it was only the Phenix who could 
open the gate of Paradise, and let any bird in or out 
of it. He was not obliged to let them in, and there 
were very few birds (who were not there already) 
that he ever did let in. Many and many a bird 
fluttered and fluttered outside the door, that had to 
