"You see, the purple camels belonged to the Three Wise Men, the ones
who journeyed, after the Star--do you remember? And found the little
baby who was the Christ? And because the purple camels had followed
the Star, the good Lord said to them, 'Some day you shall journey
towards Paradise, and there you shall see the shining souls that dwell
in happiness.'"
"Do their souls really shine?" Teddy asked.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because of the light in Paradise--the warm, sweet light, clearer than
the sunshine, Teddy, brighter than the moon and the stars--."
The children sighed rapturously. "Go on," Teddy urged.
"So the patient camels began their wonderful pilgrimage--they crossed
the desert and rounded a curve of the sea, and at last they came to
Paradise, and the gate was shut and they knelt in front of it, and they
heard singing, and the sound of silver trumpets, and at last the gate
swung back, and they saw--what do you think they saw?"
"The shining souls," said Teddy, solemnly.
"Yes, the shining souls in all that lovely light--there were the souls
of happy little children, and of good women, but best of all," his
voice wavered a little, "best of all, there were the souls of--brave
men.
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