ill-behaved as ever; and you'll break your plate...."

Tyltyl took no notice of the remark, stood up on his stool, caught
hold of the tureen and dragged it towards him and upset it; and the
hot soup trickled all over the table and down upon everybody's lap.
The children yelled and screamed with pain. Granny was quite scared;
and Grandad was furious. He dealt our friend Tyltyl a tremendous box
on the ear.

Tyltyl was staggered for a moment; and then he put his hand to his
cheek with a look of rapture and exclaimed:

"Grandad, how good, how jolly! It was just like the slaps you used to
give me when you were alive!... I must give you a kiss for it!..."

Everybody laughed.

"There's more where that came from, if you like them!" said Grandad,
grumpily.

But he was touched, all the same, and turned to wipe a tear from his
eyes.

"Goodness!" cried Tyltyl, starting up. "There's half-past eight
striking!... Mytyl, we've only just got time!..."

Granny in vain implored them to stay a few minutes longer.

"No, we can't possibly," said Tyltyl firmly; "I promised Light!"

And he hurried to take up the precious cage.

"Good-bye, Grandad.... Good-bye, Granny.... Good-bye, brothers and
sisters, Pierrot, Robert, Pauline, Madeleine, Riquette and you, too,
Kiki.... We can't stay.... Don't cry, Granny; we will come back
often!"

Poor old Grandad was very much upset and complained lustily:

"Gracious me, how tiresome the Living are, with all their fuss and
excitement!"

Tyltyl tried to console him and again promised to come back very
often.

"Come back every day!" said Granny. "It is our only pleasure; and it's
such a treat for us when your thoughts pay us a visit!"

"Good-bye! Good-bye!" cried the brothers and sisters in chorus. "Come
back very soon! Bring us some barley sugar!"

There were more kisses; all waved their handkerchiefs; all shouted a
last good-bye. But the figures began to fade away; the little voices
could no longer be heard; the two Children were once more wrapped in
mist; and the old forest covered them with its great dark mantle.

"I'm so frightened!" whimpered Mytyl. "Give me your hand, little
brother! I'm so frightened!"

Tyltyl was shaking too, but it was his duty to try and comfort and
console his sister:

"Hush!" he said. "Remember that we are bringing back the Blue Bird!"

As he spoke, a thin ray of light pierced the gloom; and the little boy
hurried towards it. He was holding his cage