David and the Phoenix (Full Audiobook) - Chapter 09

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter nine of David in the Phoenix. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Greg Weeks. David in the Phoenix by Edward
ormand Droyd. Chapter nine, in which David and the Phoenix

(00:22):
call on a fawn and a lovely afternoon, comes to
a strange end. The phoenix was dead, tired, and no
wonder All in one week it had escaped from Griffin's,
raced with a witch, made round trip flights to the
Pacific Isles in Ireland, been caught in a snare, got
burned by a short circuit, and been knocked down by

(00:44):
an exploding cigar. Even a bird as strong as the
phoenix canet do all these things without needing a rest.
So the traveling part of David's education was stopped for
a while to let the phoenix recover. The days went
by pleasantly on the ledge. Summer was at a height.
The sun fell on them with just the right amount
of warmth. As they lolled in the grass. The air

(01:06):
was filled with a lazy murmuring. Listen the murmuring seemed
to say, don't talk, don't think, close your eyes and listen.
Below them, the whole valley danced and wavered in the
heat waves, so that it seemed to be under water.
There were long, lazy conversations that began nowhere and ended nowhere,

(01:27):
the wonderful kind in which you say whatever comes to
your head, without fear of being misunderstood, because what you
say has little importance in a way. The phoenix told
of the times and adventures it had had, of the
forgotten corners of the world, where life went on as
it had from the beginning, and of friends who lived there,

(01:47):
Of trolls who mined metal from the earth and made
from it wondrous machines which whirred and clattered and clanked
and did absolutely nothing. The best kind of machine after all,
my boy, since they injure no one, and there is
nothing to worry about when they break down. Of unicorns,
excellent chaps, but so frightfully melancholy, which shone white in

(02:11):
the sun and tossed their ivory horns like rapiers of
a dragon, who, having no treasure to guard, got together
a pathetic heap of colored pebbles in its cave, and
really he came to believe in time that they were
absolutely priceless, and went about with a worried frown of
responsibility on his brow. David, in turn, told the phoenix

(02:31):
about the games he used to play when he lived
in the flat country, and all about school and mother
and Dad and Aunt Amy and Becky. He could not
help laughing now and then over the scientist's defeat. But
whenever this came up, the phoenix would shake its head
with a kind of sad wisdom. My boy, there are
certain things such as head colds and forgetting where you

(02:54):
have left your keys, which are inevitable, And I am
afraid that the scientist is too. Oh, phoenix. You don't
think he'll come back, do you, Yes, my boy, I do.
I can see the whole train of events. He will
recover from his fright. He will be curious about the
whale and will return to investigate it. Once here, he

(03:15):
will remember us, and we shall have to take him
into account once more. Oh do you think it'll happen soon?
Oh no, my boy, nothing to worry about for the
time being, but we must remember that it will happen
some day. Yes, I guess you're right, I think he's hateful.
I cannot disagree with you there, my boy. Of course,

(03:35):
I have no doubt that in general, the advancement of
science is all to the good. Knowledge is power. But
on days like this, I sometimes wonder, does it not
seem to you that the highest aim in life at
the moment is to enjoy the sunlight and allow others
to do the same, you write, Phoenix, But then you

(03:55):
always are I was just thinking the same thing. It's funny.
I mean, well, you know, why can't people leave other
people alone and and well, just enjoy themselves and lie
in the sun and listen to the wind. That is
the way of the world, my boy, getting and spending
and all that sort of thing. But come, why should

(04:18):
we worry over the follies of the rest of the world.
A day like this was made for living, not thinking.
Begone dull care, and they would forget the scientist and
watch a pair of butterflies chase each other instead. But
one day the phoenix suddenly stood up with a startled
expression on its face. My dear chap, it exclaimed, I

(04:39):
have just remembered tomorrow. What about tomorrow? Why, my boy, tomorrow?
Another century rounds its mark to be brief. Tomorrow is
my birthday, my five hundredth birthday. Well, congratulations, Phoenix, Thank you,
my boy, five hundred destiny. Have I mentioned before, my boy,

(05:00):
that I have a magnificent destiny? No, what is it, Phoenix?
I well, it is strange, my boy, but I do
not know but that it is magnificent. No one can doubt.
Do I have one too? Of course, my boy, we
all do. David was glad of that. He did not
know exactly what a destiny was, however, and he tried

(05:22):
to think of how one would look. But the only
picture which came to his mind was that of a small,
mousy creature, his destiny, looking up in admiration to a
splendid thing of flame and gold, dazzling to the eyes,
the phoenix's mysterious destiny. He said, we'll have to do
something special tomorrow to celebrate Phoenix. The phoenix looked thoughtful.

(05:44):
I think we had better do whatever we are going
to do today, it said. Well, we can do something
today and tomorrow, then, said David. After all, a birthday
only comes once a year, and it seems a shame
to spend only one day on it, especially when it's
a five hundredth birthday tomorrow, said the phoenix. Doubtfully. I

(06:05):
have a strange feeling, my boy. For once I find
myself unable to explain most odd, most odd five hundredth birthday.
Ah well, it went on more cheerfully. I shall undoubtedly
remember later. The pressing question is what shall we do now?
David got up, thought for a while, and suddenly flung

(06:26):
his arms wide. Oh, Phoenix, he cried, It's such a
beautiful day. I wish it could go on forever. Couldn't
we go somewhere, somewhere where we Oh, I don't know.
I can't explain anywhere, you say, phoenix. The phoenix looked
at him for a long time. I think I understand,
my boy. Yes, how about one of the forgotten places

(06:47):
I told you about? Should you like to meet a fawn?
It was a green valley, completely enclosed by the barren
mountains which towered above it. At one end, a waterfall
hung on the face of a cliff, A misty thread
pouring into a rainbow arched pool. A brook serpentined through
fields and groves of trees. There were flocks of sheep

(07:10):
and goats in the fields here, and there were strange
ruins of marble and red granite, columns, peristals, benches carved
with lions heads, and pedestals. They landed in a little glade,
and David got down in silent wonderment. The very stillness
of the air was enchanted, the grass dappled with sun

(07:30):
and shadow, wore a mantle of flowers. Clouds of butterflies
sprang up at their approach and swirled about them. To
their right stood two broken columns, half hidden, beneath a
wild tangle of vine and clusters of purple grapes. Beyond
was the forest, dark and cool and silent, with shafts
of sunlight in it, like golden spears pinning the forest

(07:52):
floor to earth. There was no breeze, and as David
stood there, scarcely daring to breathe, they heard the sound
sound of shepherd pipes coming from the edge of the wood.
It was a minor tune, but somehow lilting too, with
the rippling of water in it, and the laughter of
birds flying high, and the whisper of reeds as they
bent together by the edge of streams, and the gaiety

(08:14):
of crickets by night, and the pouring of summer rain.
The piping died away, and the phoenix beckoned to the
spell bound David. Together they walked across the glade, leaving
behind them a wake of swirling butterflies. An immense oak
stood at the edge of the forest. At its foot,
on a bed of moss set the fawn. He was

(08:35):
the same size as David from the waist down. He
was covered with shaggy hair like a goat's, and instead
of feet, he had cloven hoofs. The hair on his
head was black and curly and tumbled around small pointed
ears and a pair of short horns. His eyes were
slanted slightly upward, and he had a pointed chin and
a snub nose. The fawn waved his pipes saucily at

(08:58):
the phoenix and gave a rice Hullo Phoenix back again,
to honor us with your wit and wisdom. What gems
of advice have you got for us now, my dear fawn,
said the phoenix stiffly. I have brought my friend David,
who is acquiring an education. We The fawn smiled at David.
Want to race? He said? Sure, said David, where to

(09:23):
one moment humped the phoenix. What we down to that
pedestal and back, said the fawn. All right, wait till
I tie my shoe. The phoenix hrumped again. This is
all very well in its place, but we should ready,
said the fawn. One, two, three go. They dashed for

(09:43):
the stone marker. It was an even race until they
reached the pedestal, But there David tried to turn without
slowing down, slipped on the grass and went sprawling on
his hands and knees. The fawn knew better. He sprang
at the pedestal with both hoose, bounced from it like
a spring, and began to race back to the oak.
But then he too fell, tripping over a vine, and

(10:06):
David shot past him and touched the oak one jump
ahead of him, shouting first. They sat down on the moss, panting.
The fawn said, you can really run. I'm sorry you fell. Well,
you fell too, so that makes us even, said David.
They looked at each other and for some reason burst
out laughing. They rolled around on the moss and laughed

(10:26):
until tears came, while the phoenix fidgeted in reproachful silence.
When they had calmed down a little, the fawn said,
can you dance? No, said David. I wish I could,
though the educational value of dancing is practically nil. The
phoenix began severely. I advise, sure, you can dance, said

(10:47):
the fawn. Listen. He brought the pipes to his lips
and began to play, and much to his surprise and delight,
David found himself dancing as though he had never done
anything else in his life. The one wonderful thing was
that he did not have to think about what he
was doing. The music was doing it all for him.
He saw that even the phoenix was shuffling round in

(11:08):
time to the piping, and looking very embarrassed about it too. There,
said the fawn when they had finished. You can dance,
and very well. Even old phoenix can dance. Suddenly he
jumped up and cried, let's go, come on, and started
to run. David followed, not knowing where they were going
and not caring. The phoenix came after them, half running

(11:30):
and half flying to keep up. They raced across the glade,
through a stand of trees and out into the meadow.
Beyond there, they came to a bank of daisies and
threw themselves into the middle of it and began to
pelt each other with blossoms. The phoenix finally caught up
in the spirit of it collected a huge bunch. While
they were wrestling, flew suddenly over them and drowned them

(11:53):
beneath a deluge of flowers. Near By was the stream
they splashed in. The shallows skipped pebbles over the surface,
and dug a harbor with two dikes in the sandy
part of the shore. The fawn showed David how to
build little boats of reeds, and the phoenix made them
sail by blowing up a wind with its wings. They

(12:13):
had a tree climbing contest, which David won because his
feet were better than hoofs for standing on branches, but
the fawn won the jumping contest because of the tremendous
spring in his legs. They came out even in the handstand.
Summer salt and skin the cat contest, and the phoenix
won when they played skip rope with a piece of

(12:35):
vine because it could hover in the air with its
wings while the vine swished over and under. They had
fun with the sheep and goats too. The fawn made
the animals dance and caper to a tune from his
pipes and showed David how to ride on the rams.
He crept up very quietly from behind, jumped suddenly on
their backs, got a quick grip around their necks, and

(12:58):
away in a rush. It was almost as good as flying,
except that you got jolted off sooner or later. Then
watch out. It took some quick dodging to escape the
horns of the angry rams. They left the goats alone
because of their sharper horns and the wicked look in
their eyes. I know where some pictures are, said the

(13:18):
fawn come on, and he led them to a kind
of glade ringed with shattered columns. The ground there was
covered with moss and drifts of leaves. They each got
a stick to clear away the debris and uncovered a
beautiful mosaic pavement. It was made of bits of colored
stone and tile, which were arranged to make pictures. There
were scenes of youths treading out wine, minstrels with lyres,

(13:42):
gods with curly hair, and a beast which was half
man and half horse. There were maidens dancing to flute
and drums, hunters battling with boars and lions, warriors clashing
with sword and shield and spear. There were series of
pictures telling stories of wonders and adventures in far distant lands, voyages, wars, conquests.

(14:05):
The fawn proudly pointed out a picture of other fawns
dancing with nymphs. The phoenix gazed very thoughtfully at some
scenes of a bird building and sitting in a nest
of flames, But the last picture of this story had
been broken up by roots, so they could not see
how it ended. When they came to the end of
the valley where the rainbow arched over the pool, David

(14:28):
told them of the pot of gold, which is supposed
to be at the foot of rainbows. They looked for it,
but without success, because the rainbow disappeared whenever they got
too close to it. So David and the fawn contented
themselves with jumping into the pool and ducking each other
and making bubbly noises, while the phoenix, who could not swim,
stood on the shore and beamed at them. They picked

(14:50):
ferns from under the waterfall and made wreaths and garlands,
which they threw at the phoenix's head like quoits. The
fawn showed them certain place to shout from if you
wanted to hear an echo. The phoenix shouted A stitch
in time saves nine, and the echo dolorously answered, A

(15:11):
switch is fine for crime. Wet and tired from splashing
in the pool, they stretched out in the sun to dry.
A grape vine grew near them, and they gorged themselves
on the fruit, smearing their faces and hands with purple.
And David closed his eyes and thought, now I'm having
a dream, and so is the phoenix. We're all dreaming

(15:33):
the same thing and living in the dream. And I wish, oh,
I wish none of us will ever wake up. But
he had just opened his eyes again when the fawn
leaped to his feet and cried listen and flicked his
pointed ears forward like a cat. David stood up and said,
in a puzzled voice, I don't hear anything. He noticed
that the phoenix had also got up and was listening

(15:55):
uncomfortably to whatever it was. Listen, Oh, listen, cried the fawn.
There was a joyous light in his eyes as he
leaned forward with his lips slightly parted, straining toward the
mysterious silence. Suddenly he shouted, uncoming, Uncoming, and dashed off
into the wood. Good heavens, muttered the phoenix, I had
forgotten about this. Let us go home, my boy. A strange,

(16:18):
uncontrollable trembling had seized David's legs. He still could hear nothing,
but some feeling, some hint of an unknown tremendous event,
hung quivering in the air about them, and sent little
electric thrills racing up and down his whole body. Oh, phoenix,
what is it? What is it? He whispered, I think
we had best be going, my boy, said the phoenix, anxiously.

(16:41):
Come along, phoenix, but he heard it now. It came
whispering toward them. The sound of pipes, caroling, pipes such
as the fawn had played, but greater as an organ
is greater than a flute. The wild sweet sound rose
and fell, swelled like a full choir, diminished into one
suppriseo voice that pierced David through and through, caressing and tugging, calling, come, come, run,

(17:07):
run phoenix. David cried, Oh, Phoenix, listen, listen, run run.
The pipes whispered. Let us go home, my boy, said
the phoenix, warningly, come come, cried the pipes. They could
be resisted no longer in a transport of joy. David shouted,
I'm coming and raced away toward the sound. There was

(17:30):
nothing in his mind now, nothing in the whole world,
but a desire to be near those pipes. He must
run like the winds, leap and shout, roll in the grass,
throw himself down flowered slopes, follow that magic music wherever
it should lead. He fled blindly through the wood, heedless
of the branches which whipped his face and the thorns

(17:53):
which tore at his legs. The pipes were calling more loudly, Now,
run run faster. Then the phoenix plunged to earth in
front of him, threw out both wings and shouted stop.
Let me go, phoenix, David cried, let me buy. I
want to run. I must run. He made a desperate

(18:15):
effort to push past the outstretched wings, but the phoenix
flung him to the ground, picked him up before he
could kick once, and threw him on its back. Then
they were flying at full speed, dodging through gaps in
the branches and between close set trunks, with leaves and
twigs slashing them from every side. They burst out of
the wood and sped over a meadow. David saw below

(18:38):
them a huge fawn like figure pacing majestically across the sword.
A flaming wreath encircled its brow, Garlands of flowers hung
from its arms and shoulders, and those enchanted pipes were
lifted to its lips. Around the cloven hoofs and trailing
out behind danced a multitude of creatures, lambs and kids, gamboling,

(19:02):
goats and rams tossing their horns, foxes, furry waves of squirrels,
rabbits kicking up their heels, fawns and nymphs, rollicking frogs
and crickets and serpents. Above them flew birds and butterflies
and beetles and bats in swirling clouds. Full voiced the
glorious pipes sang come, come, run, run, follow, leap and dance,

(19:27):
adore and obey run, oh, run heed me before all
passes follow, before it is too late, too late, too late,
And David, in a delirium of desire, shouted, I'm coming,
and jumped from the phoenix's back For an instant As
he fell through the air, he thought he would succeed

(19:48):
in joining the dancing throng, but the phoenix plunging after him,
falcon wise with folded wings, seized his collar in its
talons and snatched him up from the very arms of
the fawn, who had recognized him and called his name.
As he fell up toward the cloudless sky, they soared.
David cried, pleading, pommeling the phoenix with his fists. The

(20:13):
phoenix ignored his struggling and continued to climb with tremendous
wing strokes, up and up and up. The piping grew
fainter in the distance, its magic weakened, the enchanted dancers
diminished into specks. The valley fell away until it was
only a green splash nestled among the jagged peaks, and

(20:33):
David burst into tears, and then wondered why he was crying,
and tried to remember and could not. The trembling left
his body, and he dangled limply, his eyes closed. End
of Chapter nine