The young Christ sighed, but with the love of all love in His heart. "So
shall it be till the day of days," He said aloud; "even so shall the
hearts of men dwell among shadows and glories, in the West of passing
things: even so shall that which is immortal turn to the East and watch
for the coming of Joy through the Gates of Life."

At the sound of His voice He heard a sudden noise as of many birds, and
turned and looked beyond the low upland where He stood. A pool of pure
water lay in the hollow, fed by a ceaseless wellspring, and round it and
over it circled birds whose breasts were grey as pearl and whose necks
shone purple and grass-green and rose. The noise was of their wings, for
though the birds were beautiful they were voiceless and dumb as flowers.

At the edge of the pool stood two figures, whom He knew to be of the
angelic world because of their beauty, but who had on them the illusion of
mortality so that the child did not know them. But He saw that one was
beautiful as Night, and one beautiful as Morning.

He drew near.

"I have lived seven years," He said, "and I wish to send peace to the far
ends of the world."

"Tell your secret to the birds," said one.

"Tell your secret to the birds," said the
other.

So Jesus called to the birds.