156 BEAUTIFUL BIRDS 
to do something decisive. ‘‘I will thaw those white 
robes of his,”’ he said; ‘‘my brightness shall burn 
them away, and there shall be no more snow in 
the world.” He was just a little larger than a 
humble-bee. 
So up this Humming-bird flew, right on to the 
top of Chimborazo, the great high mountain, where 
there was snow everywhere. ‘‘ Have you come to 
thaw me?” said the snow, as it fell around him. 
‘* That is ridiculous. We shall see which of us is best 
able to extinguish the other.” With that one snow- 
flake fell upon his head and two more upon his tail, 
just over those three patches that had been so mar- 
vellously bright. He tried to shake them off, but 
he could not. They stayed there, and instead of 
having been able to ‘thaw them, it was ‘hey who had 
put /zs brightness quite out. All those wonderful 
colours were gone now, and there was only the snow- 
white. ‘‘Fly back,” said the snow, “or I will quite 
cover you. You have lost that of which you were 
so proud, but you have me in exchange. Fly back, 
and be a wiser bird for the future.” So the Hum- 
ming-bird flew back, ashamed and crestfallen, and 
fearing to show himself. ‘‘ What will the others say . 
when they see me?” he thought. But when the 
other Humming-birds saw him, they all cried out, 
“Oh, look! What beautiful bird is this that has 
