74 Fairy Tales

you come from? Please don’t go away till
you have told me lots of things. How is
it that you can speak so nicely? Are you
hungry? I’ve got a bit of bread still in
my pocket. And where shall I find the
ogre?”

“That is what only the others know,” said

 

the bird. “You have been good to my
people, and so we will do what we can, and
when you want help one of us will be
near.”

And when the bird flew away it was as if
a flash of jewels passed through the bare
trees, and all the other birds shot after it,