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“I could tell you a story, if you like,” the girl said, a deep blush rising in her cheeks—but she did not cast her eyes down I didn’t iht her how to do that

The Firebird nudged her a little, pressing his warm head to her back “There’s time before dawn,” he said, proud as any father of his precocious girl “Tell the bad old devil a tale if you like”

She giggled, a sound that froenuine and dear “Very well! I shall tell you how I learned to dance…”

THE

FIRE-DANCER’S

TALE

BY THE TIME I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO DANCE, Ajanabh ell and truly dead I eary of the bell tower, but even in a city of artists, I was not brave enough—not quite yet—to go down into the streets without ht to do Even a dead city has ghosts, and I could hear thereat red grave

I only came out to watch Papa dance at the Carnival of the Dawn He was so beautiful, with his tail waving high and low, fluttering like a rain of stars I wanted to stand in his tail while he danced, sto his pluown I wanted to stand there and see all that firearound reat, roaring, snarling sound when it spins and leaps, did you know that? I hear it in my dreams

One day when I was roasting a mouse and a few dates for breakfast, Sleeve clattered up the stairs as she will so as she often does

“Lantern, you are raising this child to be as wild as a kitten lost in the jungle! You must let her find other lit

tle girls and learn what it is that girls like, what they eat, what they do when they are happy, what they do when they are sad! Would you have her be like e, even now”

“I don’t like other little girls,” I piped “They are silly and taller than me and they have no flahteous indignation

“See? She’s a wolf-girl”

“I’m a Firebird!” I insisted I suppose I feel a bit ridiculous about that, now, but you letdone just as you told me

“Lantern, let me take her down into the city If she is to live here, she irl cries very much, and you will never hear the end I shall take her to the calligrapher in the high shop, for that is the closest thing to a little girl I know—he has similar parts, at least—and ill find out what it is that is right and proper for a girl to do”