24 BEAUTIFUL BIRDS 
fly away again. But if a bird that was in Paradise 
wanted to go out of it, then the Phenix had to open 
the door and let it out, because if it had stayed it 
would have been discontented, and birds that are 
discontented cannot stay in Paradise. It would not 
be Paradise for long if they could. So when the 
Birds of Paradise said to the Phenix, ‘“‘ Let us out, for 
we are tired of being here, where all are equal, and 
wish to be kings and ‘ prima donnas’ on earth,” he had 
to do it, only he warned them as the tree had done, ~ 
that if they once left Paradise they could never come 
back to it again. ‘‘The door of Paradise,” said he, 
‘““may be passed through twice, but only entered 
once. When you pass through it the second time, 
it is to go out of it,and when you are once out of it, 
out of it you must remain. You can never come in 
again; you can only flutter at the gate.”’ 
‘We shall never do that,” said the proud Birds 
of Paradise. ‘‘ We shall stay down on earth and be 
kings and ‘prima donnas’ amongst the other birds.” 
So the Phenix let them out, and they flew down 
through the warm summer sky, looking like soft 
suns or trembling stars or colours out of the sunrise 
or sunset, they were so beautiful. 
Then the birds of earth flew around them and did 
them homage, and, when they sang, the nightingale 
stood silent and hid her head for shame, and would 
