"Ah! We have reached the kernel of the problem. And the answer, my boy, is this: cinnamon."
"Cinnamon?"
"Precisely. Also a box of matches--the kind that strike anywhere, you know."
"Well--all right. It doesn"t sound like much of a present, but if that"s what you really want.... What are you going to do with them, Phoenix? I mean, if you don"t mind my asking."
"The plain fact is, my boy," said the Phoenix doubtfully, "the plain fact is--well, I do not know. Odd! But something tells me I shall need them. Well, it will come to me in the morning, no doubt. And then, of course, I shall be very glad to have them on hand."
"All right, cinnamon and matches, then. And I"ll get some--no, I won"t tell you _that_. It"ll be a surprise."
"A surprise? Splendid, my boy! You could not, I suppose, drop me a small hint? No? But of course not--one hint and my powerful Intellect could guess everything--and then the surprise would be spoiled. Well, until tomorrow, then!"
[Ill.u.s.tration]
That evening David shut himself in his room and robbed his bank. It was a squat, cast-iron box, with "A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned" in raised letters on one side. The only way to open it was to smash it with a crowbar, but it could be emptied. It had to be tilted just so, with a knife blade in the slot to catch the coins and guide them out.
This is what David did, with a bread knife borrowed from the kitchen.
It was a slow, uncertain job, and one coin (he guessed it was a dime by the way it rattled) never did come out. But the rest, which included his change from Uncle Charles"s present, would be enough.
Early next morning he went to the store and bought three large boxes of stick cinnamon, two cans of powdered cinnamon, and a huge box of matches. For the surprise he got a whole quart of strawberry ice cream, with a piece of dry ice to keep it from melting. He wanted to buy a cake, too, and candles, but there was not enough money left.
Then he remembered that a new batch of cookies had been baked at home yesterday, which would have to do instead. He wrapped the cinnamon and matches up in a neat package with white paper, tied it in a blue ribbon, and wrote on it "To Feenix, Happy 500 Birthday, from David."
Then he took all the cookies from the jar, borrowed two plates and spoons, put everything into a large paper bag, and set out for the Phoenix"s ledge.
He was surprised to find the Phoenix working busily in the middle of a wide place on the ledge. Apparently the bird had been at it all night, for a huge pile of sticks and brush had been heaped up on the ground and shaped roughly like a nest. Right now the Phoenix was struggling with a small log, trying to get it on the pile.
"h.e.l.lo, Phoenix! Happy birthday!"
"Ah, there, my boy! Thank you very much. Could you kindly give me a hand with this log?"
They heaved and grunted the piece of wood to the top of the pile, and David said, "What"s this for, Phoenix?"
"This, my boy, is a pyre. A bit untidy around the edges, but nonetheless a pyre."
"Oh," said David. "What"s that?"
"Well--a _pyre_, you know--a sort of fire, as it were."
"Oh, _fire_. I thought you said--oh, yes. Fire. Isn"t it awfully _warm_ for a fire?"
"The weather _is_ unusually tropical," said the Phoenix, c.o.c.king one eye toward the sun. "This fire, however, is necessary--but I shall explain later. Meanwhile, if you will just aid me with this branch--"
And for the next fifteen minutes they worked over the heap, adding to it and shaping it up. David kept his thoughts to himself. He could see that the Phoenix knew what it was doing, so everything must be all right.
"By the way, my boy," said the Phoenix casually, when they had finished, "my prediction was correct. I knew it would be. The inevitable has occurred."
"What are you talking about, Phoenix?"
"The Scientist, my boy. He is in our midst once more."
David clutched a branch in the heap and said "Oh, Phoenix!" in a frightened voice.
"Now, my dear fellow, there is no cause for alarm. He is not nearby at present. I sent him back."
"Sent him back? How?"
"Nothing to it, my boy," said the Phoenix smugly. "He was up at the crack of dawn, toiling with typical stupidity in full sight on the slope below. He was making a blind of green branches to hide in while he spies on me. (Really, the childishness of his efforts! To think for a minute he could fool _me_ with such tricks!) Well, I waited until he had gone down the slope to cut more greenery, and when his back was turned, I slipped down to the blind and took his binoculars."
"But Phoenix, what did you want with his binoculars?"
"I did not want his binoculars, my boy, but _he_ did. His language when he discovered the loss was simply frightful--I could hear it all the way up here. Of course, he had to return to town for another pair."
"But he"ll be back!"
"Precisely, my boy. But he will have something to keep him busy when he returns. I took the liberty of destroying his blind. _That_ will hold him."
"But it won"t hold him long, Phoenix! We"ve got to think of something else. Now your whole birthday is spoiled!"
"On the contrary, my boy, it will hold him long enough. Now please do not ask me why; you must take my word for it, and I shall explain later. And my birthday is _not_ spoiled. I am looking forward with a great deal of pleasure to the surprise which you promised me. Come, let us enjoy it, whatever it is, and forget the Scientist."
"Well ... are you _sure_ about the Scientist?"
"Absolutely."
The Phoenix was so positive that David began to feel better. He picked up the paper bag and said: "Well, it isn"t much of a surprise, really--just a birthday party. And your present. But I think the present should come after the party, don"t you?"
"Quite so, my boy. But I shall leave the management of the whole affair in your capable hands."
"All right," said David. "Now, you"ll have to turn around, Phoenix, and not look while I"m getting it ready."
The Phoenix obediently turned around, clasping its wings behind its back, and tried hard not to peek. David set the party things out on the gra.s.s: ice cream in the middle, the cookies in a ring around it, plates on either side, and spoons beside the plates. He set the Phoenix"s present off to one side, where it could be reached when they had finished.
"All right, Phoenix, you can turn around now."
The Phoenix took a long look at everything, and said huskily: "My dear chap, this is quite the nicest moment of my life. How can I possibly thank you?"
They sat down in their places. David pa.s.sed the cookies and served the ice cream, and said that as far as he was concerned, this was the best birthday party he had ever been to. And the Phoenix said, "Quite so, my boy, but might I make so bold as to ask why?" And David answered, "Well, the reason is that usually during birthday parties you have to play stupid games, like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and b.u.t.ton-b.u.t.ton-who-has-the-b.u.t.ton, in spite of the fact that eating good things is the real reason for having a party, as everybody knows." And the Phoenix said, "Precisely, my boy, but people have somehow lost the main idea of the thing. When you come right down to it, ice cream is the basis of any sensible party, and everything else is a waste of time." And David said, "Yes, Phoenix, but don"t forget cake and cookies, and candy and nuts and things. They"re not as good as ice cream, but they"re not a complete waste of time, either." And the Phoenix said, "Of course not, my dear fellow, they are important too. And speaking of ice cream, have you noticed that, while chocolate is very good, and vanilla enjoys great popularity, still there is _nothing_ like strawberry?" And David said, "Yes, you"re right"--rather sadly, because the Phoenix was eating most of it.
At last the ice cream carton was empty and all the cookies were gone.
They both sighed regretfully and brushed away the crumbs. And the Phoenix looked hopefully at the present David had brought.
"Happy birthday, Phoenix," David said, and he handed the gift over with a little bow.
"Thank you, my boy, thank you." The Phoenix opened the package eagerly and gave a pleased cry. "_Just_ what I wanted, my dear chap!"
"I"m glad you like it," David said. "Do you know yet what it"s for?
Can you really use it for something?"