Part 18 (1/2)

”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 the”

”The plain fact is, my boy,” said the Phoenix doubtfully, ”the plain fact is--well, I do not know Odd! But so tells , no doubt And then, of course, I shall be very glad to have theht, cinnaet 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 --and then the surprise would be spoiled Well, until to 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 coe froh

Early next e boxes of stick cinnae box of ot a whole quart of strawberry ice crea 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 cinnae hite paper, tied it in a blue ribbon, and wrote on it ”To Feenix, Happy 500 Birthday, from David”

Then he took all the cookies fro into a large paper bag, and set out for the Phoenix's ledge

He was surprised to find the Phoenix working busily in the e 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 set it on the pile

”hello, Phoenix! Happy birthday!”

”Ah, there, ive runted the piece of wood to the top of the pile, and David said, ”What's this for, Phoenix?”

”This, es, 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, cocking 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 fifteenit up David kept his thoughts to hi, so everything ht

”By the way, my boy,” said the Phoenix casually, when they had finished, ”my prediction was correct I kneould be The inevitable has occurred”

”What are you talking about, Phoenix?”