The Last Phoenix Read Online Free PDF Page A

“I go up in smoke, my ashes sit around for a while, then they catch light and I’m reborn as a brand-new, bright-eyed, and ever so slightly more slinky phoenix! Well, a girl can dream!” She threw back her beak and laughed raucously. “There was this one time I came back with the biggest, featheriest bottom you ever saw. Every time I flew up to my nest, it was like an eclipse of the sun!”
    She gave another noisy peal of laughter, but Milly looked alarmed. “Poor Fenella, burning up like that…doesn’t it hurt?”
    â€œNo, lovie, not a bit!” Fenella reassured her. “The whole magnificent process tickles more than anything. I do like a bit of heat…” She shivered, and looked hopefully at the children.
    â€œLet’s go inside,” urged Jess. “You can tell us more when we’re in the den.”
    â€œOoooh, thank you.” Fenella looked delighted. “Just lead the way!”
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    A few minutes later, Fenella was perched on a big squashy beanbag in the middle of the den, her egg tucked between her feet and her tummy, her plumage softly glittering in the sunlight through the window. The children sat in front of her, Jason and Milly on the floor, Michael and Jess on the sofa.
    â€œCan I pet you?” Milly asked, looking at the phoenix in awe.
    The bird beamed. “Oh, yes. I do like a bit of a rub now and then. And I’ve lowered my temperature, so you’ll be quite safe.”
    Milly tentatively stroked Fenella’s golden back. It was like touching a feathery hot water bottle. “Is that okay?”
    Fenella cooed and rearranged her wings. “That’s lovely. I am sorry about your workbench in the shed, you know.”
    â€œDon’t worry. Mark hardly ever goes in there,” said Jess. “He won’t notice for ages.”
    Fenella sighed. “I’m usually quite good at keeping my cool, but I’m getting these hot flushes at the moment. It’ll be my age. I’ve burned up and come back at least twenty times, you know. Once every thousand years…”
    â€œThat’s well ancient!” Michael said in awe.
    â€œI prefer to use the word mature ,” said Fenella.
    â€œThat’s not a word in Michael’s vocabulary,” Jess assured her.
    Keen to solve the mystery, Jason leaned eagerly toward the golden bird. “So, if you normally come back out of ashes, why have you laid an egg?”
    â€œThat’s what I’d like to know, sweet pea!” the phoenix said. “I’ve only laid an egg once before—about five centuries ago. I woke up one morning with a bit of a tummyache and then, pop ! Out it came!”
    â€œBut then…” Jason frowned. “Does this mean you aren’t the only phoenix in the world?”
    â€œNo, no. There’s still just me. You see…the egg didn’t hatch. I went and lost it.” Fenella’s smile slipped a little. “Typical me. I laid it—then I mis laid it soon after. Oooh, I was ever so upset.” One of her blue eyes brimmed with a golden tear, which fell with a smoky sizzle to her plumage. “It gets lonely, you see, being the one and only phoenix. It would be my wish come true to have someone to look after. Someone I could share the years with. But alas, there it was—my one shot at bringing a new little phoenix into the world, or so I thought, and I’d blown it.” Her golden brow creased with determination. “But now I’ve been given a second chance and I’ll not mess things up again. I’ll hatch this egg whatever it takes.” She twittered. “Unfortunately, it seems to take a lot . At least, so Skribbaleum says, and he is an expert.”
    Jess raised an eyebrow. “He is?”
    Milly clasped her hands together. “How is Skribble? Is he okay? Did somebody nice pick up the lamp we put him in? Did they—”
    â€œSo many questions, my little