EXPECT my egg to hatch?'

'Not us,' Cyril said.

'And if we had,' said Anthea, who had come in in her nightie when
she heard the silvery voice of the Phoenix, 'we could never, never
have expected it to hatch anything so splendid as you.'

The bird smiled. Perhaps you've never seen a bird smile?

'You see,' said Anthea, wrapping herself in the boys' counterpane,
for the morning was chill, 'we've had things happen to us before;'
and she told the story of the Psammead, or sand-fairy.

'Ah yes,' said the Phoenix; 'Psammeads were rare, even in my time.
I remember I used to be called the Psammead of the Desert. I was
always having compliments paid me; I can't think why.'

'Can YOU give wishes, then?' asked Jane, who had now come in too.

'Oh, dear me, no,' said the Phoenix, contemptuously, 'at least--but
I hear footsteps approaching. I hasten to conceal myself.' And it
did.

I think I said that this day was Saturday. It was also cook's
birthday, and mother had allowed her and Eliza to go to the Crystal
Palace with a party of friends, so Jane and Anthea of course had to
help to make beds and to wash up the breakfast cups, and little
things like that. Robert and Cyril intended to spend the morning
in conversation with the Phoenix, but the bird had its own ideas