nge End_ 138

10. _In Which a Five Hundredth Birthday Is Celebrated,
and the Phoenix Bows to Tradition_ 156

* * * * *

_For Shirley and Josh_

* * * * *

1: _In Which David Goes Mountain Climbing, and a Mysterious Voice Is
Overheard_

[Illustration]

All the way there David had saved this moment for himself, struggling
not to peek until the proper time came. When the car finally stopped,
the rest of them got out stiffly and went into the new house. But
David walked slowly into the back yard with his eyes fixed on the
ground. For a whole minute he stood there, not daring to look up. Then
he took a deep breath, clenched his hands tightly, and lifted his
head.

There it was!--as Dad had described it, but infinitely more grand. It
swept upward from the valley floor, beautifully shaped and soaring, so
tall that its misty blue peak could surely talk face to face with the
stars. To David, who had never seen a mountain before, the sight was
almost too much to bear. He felt so tight and shivery inside that he
didn't know whether he wanted to laugh, or cry, or both. And the
really wonderful thing about the mountain was the way it _looked_ at
him. He was certain that it was smiling at him, like an old friend who
had been waiting for years to see him again. And when he closed his
eyes, he seemed to hear a voice which whispered, "Come along, then,
and climb."

It would be so easy to go! The back yard was hedged in (with part of
the hedge growing right across the toes of the mountain), but there
was a hole in the privet large enough to crawl through. And just
beyond the hedge the mountainside awaited him, going up and up in one
smooth sweep until the green and tawny faded into hazy heights of
rock. It was waiting for him. "Come and climb," it whispered, "come
and climb."

But there was a great deal to do first. They were going to move into
the new house. The moving van was standing out in front, the car must
be unloaded. David would be needed to carry things. Regretfully, he
waved his hand at the peak and whispered, "It shouldn't take
long--I'll be back as soon as I can." Then he went around to the front
door to see what could be done about speeding things up.

[Illustration]

Inside, everything was in confusion. Dad was pushing chairs and
tables around in an aimless way. Mother was saying, "They'll all have
to