A Lion and a Lamb came first, and these two bowed to the Child, and then went and lay down together. Then came a Fox and a Goose; and then a Hawk and a Pigeon; and then a Wolf and another Lamb; then a Dog and a Cat; and then another Cat and a Mouse; and then another Fox and a Stork; and a Hare and a Tortoise; and a Pike and a Trout; and a Sparrow and a Worm; and many, many others, till all the glade was full of living things all at peace with one another.
They all sat round the glade in pairs, and they all looked at the Wondrous Child.
May whispered again to Sibold:
"I think if he is an Angel we ought to be very respectful to him."
Sibold nodded, slowing that he agreed with her; so she cuddled up the Baby closer and said:
"Please, Mister Ba, do not they all look nice and pretty sitting around like that?"
The Beautiful Child smiled sweetly as he answered:
"Beautiful and sweet they look."
May said again:
"I wish they would always be like that, and never fight nor disagree at all, dear Ba. Oh! I beg your pardon. I mean, Mister Ba."
The Child asked her:
"Why do you beg my pardon?"
"Because I called you Ba, instead of Mister Ba."
The Boy asked again:
"Why should you call me Mister Ba?"
May did not like to say, "Because you are an Angel," as she would like to have said, so she cuddled the Child closer and whispered into his little pink ear:
"You know."
The Child put his little arms round her neck and kissed her, and said, very low and very sweetly, words that all her life long she never forgot:
"I do know. Be always loving and sweet, dear child, and even the Angels will know your thoughts and will listen to your words."
May felt very happy. She looked at Sibold, who bent over and kissed her, and called her "sweet little sister;" and all the animals in pairs, and all the terrible ones on guard, said all together like a cheer:
"Right!"
Then they stopped and made all together each of the noises in turn that any of them used to show they were happy. First they all purred, and then they all crowed, and then cackled, and squeaked, and flapped their wings and wagged their tails.
"Oh, how pretty!" said May again, "look, dear Ba!" She was just going to say Mister when the Child held up its finger, so she only said "Ba."
The Child smiled and said:
"Right, you must call me only Ba."
Again all the animals said together like a shout:
"Right, you must say only Ba," and then they all went through the same ways of showing their joy as before.
May said to the Child - and somehow her voice seemed very, very loud although she did not mean it, but only to whisper.
"Oh, dear Ba, I do so wish they would always continue happy and at peace like this. Is there no way of doing it?"
The Beautiful Child opened its mouth to speak, and all the living things put up their claws, or their wings, or their fins to their cars, to listen attentively.
He spake, and his words seemed full of sound but very soft, like the echo of distant thunder coming over far waters on the wings of music.
"Know, dear children, and know ye all that list - there shall be peace on earth between all living things when the children of men are for one hour in perfect love and harmony with each other. Strive, oh! strive, each and all of you, that it may be so."
As he spoke there came over all a solemn hush, and they were very still.
Then the Wondrous Child seemed to float out of May's arms and to move down toward the sea. All the living things instantly hurried to make a great double line between which he passed.
May and Sibold followed him hand in hand. He waited for them at the marge of the sea and then kissed them both.
Whilst he was kissing them, the boat came close to shore; the anchor climbed on board; the white sails ran aloft, and a fresh breeze began to blow towards home.
The Wondrous Child moved on to the prow, and there rested. Sibold and May went on board, and took their old place; and after kissing their hands to all the living things - who were by this time dancing all together in the glade - they kept their eyes fixed on the Beautiful Boy.
As they sat hand in hand, the boat moved along gently, but very swiftly. The shore, with its many beautiful places, seemed gliding into a dim mist as they swept along.
Presently they saw their own creek, and the great Willow towering over all the other trees on shore.
The boat came to land. The Wondrous Child, floating in the air, moved onward towards the Willow Bower.
Sibold and May followed.
He entered the Bower; they came close after.
As the leafy curtain fell behind them, the figure of the Wondrous Child got dimmer and dimmer; till at last, looking at them lovingly, and waving his tiny hands, as if blessing them, he seemed to melt away into the air.
Sibold and May sat for a long time, hand in hand, thinking. Then both feeling sleepy, they put their arms round each other, and lay down to rest.
In this position they again fell asleep, with the Poppies all around them.