onstant wish to find him
filled his mind entirely. Then he would run to Light and entreat her:

"Tell me where he is!... You know everything: tell me where to find
him!"

But she replied, in a tone of mystery:

"I cannot tell you anything. You must find him for yourself." And,
kissing him, she added, "Cheer up; you are getting nearer to him at
each trial."

Now there came a day on which she said to him:

"I have received a message from the Fairy Berylune telling me that the
Blue Bird is probably hidden in the graveyard.... It appears that one
of the Dead in the graveyard is keeping him in his tomb...."

"What shall we do?" asked Tyltyl.

"It is very simple: at midnight you will turn the diamond and you
shall see the Dead come out of the ground."

At these words, Milk, Water, Bread and Sugar began to yell and scream
and chatter their teeth.

"Don't mind them," said Light to Tyltyl, in a whisper. "They are
afraid of the Dead."

"I'm not afraid of them!" said Fire, frisking about. "Time was when I
used to burn them; that was much more amusing than nowadays."

"Oh, I feel I am going to turn," wailed Milk.

"I'm not afraid," said the Dog, trembling in every limb, "but if you
run away.... I shall run away too ... and with the greatest
pleasure...."

The Cat sat pulling at her whiskers:

"I know what's what," she said, in her usual mysterious way.

"Be quiet," said Light. "The Fairy gave strict orders. You are all to
stay with me, at the gate of the graveyard; the Children are to go in
alone."

Tyltyl felt anything but pleased. He asked:

"Aren't you coming with us?"

"No," said Light. "The time for that has not arrived. Light cannot yet
enter among the Dead. Besides, there is nothing to fear. I shall not
be far away; and those who love me and whom I love always find me
again...."

She had not finished speaking, when everything around the Children
changed. The wonderful temple, the dazzling flowers, the splendid
gardens vanished to make way for a poor little country cemetery, which
lay in the soft moonlight. Near the Children were a number of graves,
grassy mounds, wooden crosses and tombstones. Tyltyl and Mytyl were
seized with terror and hugged each other:

"I am frightened!" said Mytyl.

"I am never frightened," stammered Tyltyl, who was shaking with fear,
but did not like to say so.

"I say," asked Mytyl, "are the Dead wicked?"

"Why, no," said Tyltyl, "they're not alive!..."

"Have you ev