large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_07_ormondroyd_64kb_21
large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_07_ormondroyd_64kb
English
2531
He slipped through a cellar window, hid the equipment under a stack of old boxes, and ran noisily up the stairs into the kitchen. "Hey!" he shouted. "The lights are out!" "Is that you, dear?" came Mother's anxious voice from the dining room. "The telephone's dead!" Dad shouted from the hall. Aunt Amy came bumping down the stairs with a candle. "It's that burglar!" she cried. "Turning out all the lights so he can murder us in our beds!" HE SLIPPED THROUGH A CELLAR WINDOW HID THE EQUIPMENT UNDER A STACK OF OLD BOXES AND RAN NOISILY UP THE STAIRS INTO THE KITCHEN HEY HE SHOUTED THE LIGHTS ARE OUT IS THAT YOU DEAR CAME MOTHER'S ANXIOUS VOICE FROM THE DINING ROOM THE TELEPHONE'S DEAD DOD SHOUTED FROM THE HALL AUNT AMY CAME BUMPING DOWN THE STAIRS WITH A CANDLE IT'S THE BURGLARS SHE CRIED TURNING OUT ALL THE LIGHTS SO HE CAN MURDER US IN OUR BEDS
et, flickered and went out. In the blackness which followed, each stage of the Phoenix's descent could be heard as clearly as cannon shots: the twanging and snapping as it tumbled through the wires, a drawn-out squawk and the flop of wings in the air below, the crash into the hedge, the jarring thud against the ground. Broken wires began to sputter ominously and fire out sparks. A smell of singed feathers and burning rubber filled the air. [Illustration] By the light of the sparks David saw the Phoenix staggering to its feet. He jumped to the bird's side, but the Phoenix waved him away with its wing. "Quick, my boy," it gasped. "We must make a strategic retreat! Meet me on the ledge in the morning. Ouch!" The Phoenix beat at the smoldering sparks in its tail and flew off, leaving a trail of acrid smoke hanging in the air. David had the presence of mind to gather up all the tools, the wire, bell, and pushbutton, and one of the Phoenix's feathers, which had been torn out during the fall. E LIGHTS IN THE HOUSE AND DOWN THE WHOLE STREET FLICKERED AND WENT OUT IN THE BLACKNESS WHICH FOLLOWED EACH STAGE OF THE PHOENIX'S DESCENT COULD BE HEARD AS CLEARLY AS CANNON SHOTS THE TWANGING AND SNAPPING AS IT TUMBLED THROUGH THE WIRES A DRAWN OUT SQUAWK AND THE FLOP OF WINGS IN THE AIR BELOW THE CRASH INTO THE HEDGE THE JARRING THUD AGAINST THE GROUND BROKEN WIRES BEGAN TO SPUTTER OMINOUSLY AND FIRE OUT SPARKS A SMELL OF SINGED FEATHERS AND BURNING RUBBER FILLED THE AIR BY THE LIGHT OF THE SPARKS DAVID SAW THE PHOENIX STAGGERING TO ITS FEET HE JUMPED TO THE BIRD'S SIDE BUT THE PHOENIX WAVED HIM AWAY WITH ITS WING QUICK MY BOY IT GASPED WE MUST MAKE A STRATEGIC RETREAT MEET ME ON THE LEDGE IN THE MORNING OUCH THE PHOENIX BEAT AT THE SMOULDERING SPARKS IN ITS TAIL AND FLEW OFF LEAVING A TRAIL OF ACRID SMOKE HANGING IN THE AIR DAVID HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO GATHER UP ALL THE TOOLS THE WIRE BELL AND PUSHBUTTON AND ONE OF THE PHOENIX'S FEATHERS WHICH HAD BEEN TORN OUT DURING THE FALL
large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_07_ormondroyd_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_07_ormondroyd_64kb.flac