their hearts, and
they are obliged to die immediately. Others, who are too pert and
adventurous in running up and down the rainbows, slip, and fall; and
there are many who are so stupid and awkward, that they hurt the gold
pheasants when they are riding on them. Then those birds, though they
are good-tempered and kind-hearted, take this amiss, and they tear
those children's breasts open with their sharp beaks, so that they fall
down from the clouds bleeding. My mother is very very sorry when
children come to misfortune in those ways, although it is all their own
fault when they do. She would be only too happy if all the children in
the world could enjoy the pleasures of her court and kingdom. But,
although there are plenty who can fly strongly enough and far enough,
they are often either too forward, or too timid, and cause her only
sorrow and pain; and that is why she allows me to fly away from my
home, and take to nice children all sorts of delightful playthings, as
I have done to you."

"Ah," cried Christlieb, "I am sure I could never do anything to hurt
those beautiful birds! But to run up and down a rainbow, that I am
certain I never could. I shouldn't like that."

"Now that would be just what I should delight in," Felix said; "and
that is the very reason why I want to go and see your mother, the
queen. Couldn't you bring one of those rainbows here with you?"

"No," the Stranger Child said, "I could not do that. And I must tell
you that I have only been able to come to you by stealing away from
home. Once on a time, I was quite safe every where, just as if I were
at home, and my mother's beautiful kingdom seemed to extend all over
the world; but now that a bitter enemy of hers, whom she has banished
from her kingdom, is going raging about everywhere, I cannot be safe
from being watched, pursued, and molested."

"Well," Felix cried, jumping up, and shieing the thorn-stick which he
was cutting into the air, "I should like to come across the fellow who
would do anything to harm you! He would have to do with me in the first
place; and then I should send for father, and he would have him taken
up and put in the tower."

"Ah," the Stranger Child said, "powerless as my bitter enemy is to harm
me when I am at home, he is terribly dangerous when I am not there, and
neither sticks nor prisons can protect me from him!"

"What sort of a nasty creature is it, then," Christlieb inquired, "that
can do you so much harm?"