le.
Given the power of speaking, they jabbered; knowing how to judge, they
condemned; able to feel, they complained. They had hearts which
increased their sense of fear, without adding to their happiness. As
to their brains, which could easily have arranged all the rest, they
made so little of them that they had already grown quite rusty; and,
if you could have opened their heads and looked at the works of their
life inside, you would have seen the poor brains, which were their
most precious possession, jumping about at every movement they made
and rattling in their empty skulls like dry peas in a pod.

Fortunately, Light, thanks to her wonderful insight, knew all about
their state of mind. She determined, therefore, to employ the Elements
and Things no more than she was obliged to:

"They are useful," she thought, "to feed the children and amuse them
on the way; but they must have no further share in the trials, because
they have neither courage nor conviction."

Meanwhile, the party walked on, the road widened out and became
resplendent; and, at the end, the Temple of Light stood on a crystal
height, shedding its beams around. The tired Children made the Dog
carry them pick-a-back by turns; and they were almost asleep when they
reached the shining steps.

CHAPTER V

THE KINGDOM OF THE FUTURE

Tyltyl and Mytyl woke up next morning, feeling very gay; with childish
carelessness, they had forgotten their disappointment. Tyltyl was very
proud of the compliments which Light had paid him: she seemed as happy
as though he had brought the Blue Bird with him:

She said, with a smile, as she stroked the lad's dark curls:

"I am quite satisfied. You are such a good, brave boy that you will soon
find what you are looking for."

Tyltyl did not understand the deep meaning of her words; but, for all
that, he was very glad to hear them. And, besides, Light had promised
him that to-day he would have nothing to fear in their new expedition.
On the contrary, he would meet millions and millions of little
children who would show him the most wonderful toys of which no one on
earth had the least idea. She also told him that he and his little
sister would travel alone with her this time and that all the others
would take a rest while they were gone.

That is why, at the moment when our chapter opens, they had all met in
the underground vaults of the temple. Light thought it as well to lock
up the Elements and Things. She