kind and
thoughtful--made them live as they were accustomed to on earth. So as
not to injure their health by altering their habits, she had set up
their little beds in a part of the temple where the darkness would
seem like night to them.

They went through any number of rooms to reach their bedroom. They had
first to pass all the lights known to Man and then those which Man did
not yet know.

There were great sumptuous apartments in splendid marble, lit up by
rays so white and strong that the children were quite dazzled.

"That is the Light of the Rich," said Light to Tyltyl. "You see how
dangerous it is. People run the risk of going blind when they live too
much in its rays, which leave no room for soft and kindly shade."

And she hurried them on so that they might rest their eyes in the
gentle Light of the Poor. Here, the Children suddenly felt as if they
were in their parents' cottage, where everything was so humble and
peaceful. The faint light was very pure and clear, but always
flickering and ready to go out at the least breath.

Next they came to the beautiful Light of the Poets, which they liked
immensely, for it had all the colours of the rainbow; and, when you
passed through it, you saw lovely pictures, lovely flowers and lovely
toys which you were unable to take hold of. Laughing merrily, the
children ran after birds and butterflies, but everything faded away as
soon as it was touched.

"Well, I never!" said Tyltyl, as he came panting back to Light. "This
beats everything! I can't understand it!"

"You will understand later," she replied, "and, if you understand it
properly, you will be among the very few human beings who know the
Blue Bird when they see him."

After leaving the region of the Poets, our friends reached the Light
of the Learned, which lies on the borders of the known and the unknown
lights:

"Let's get on," said Tyltyl. "This is boring."

To tell the truth, he was a little bit frightened, for they were in a
long row of cold and forbidding arches, which were streaked at every
moment by dazzling lightning-flashes; and, at each flash, you saw
out-of-the-way things that had no name as yet.

After these arches, they came to the Lights Unknown to Man; and
Tyltyl, in spite of the sleep that pressed upon his eyelids, could not
help admiring the hall with its violet columns and the gallery with
its red rays. And the violet of the columns was such a dark violet and
the red of the rays s