THE JOURNEY BEGINS — Where birds sing

Helio suggested she rest. They still had a long way to go.

Skyblue lay down and spotted some fairies busy repairing a dry patch of grass. She went over to watch them, played with them for a while, then lay down again. No one was counting how long it had been since she had done something important.

When Helio called, she rose, eager to go on.

She did not know how long they had been flying when the songs of many birds began to reach her. There were so many that, at first, she could not distinguish one melody from another. She thought of her neighbors and how they would have complained about such a racket.

To her, though, those songs brought peace.

Helio began to descend. Skyblue followed, curious to see the place where birds were allowed to sing like that.