It had been in April the great change had occurred.  There had been all kinds of rumours.  The first that had been suspected had been when God had failed to come for His customary walk; the next had been when He had arrived with His face hidden in anger.  The trees of Eden had bent and clashed as if a strong wind were blowing.  Everything living that was not rooted, had run away to hide.  Nevertheless, when God had called to the Man, they had tiptoed nearer to listen.  The trouble had seemed to be about some fruit.  God had told the Man that he must not pluck it; he had not only plucked it, but had eaten of it.  So had the Woman.  It had seemed a small matter to make such a fuss about.  They had supposed that God’s anger would soon blow over and that everything would be again as friendly as before.

[Illustration:  God had given the Man and Woman no time to pack.  He had marched them beyond the walls and locked the golden gates of Eden against them forever.]

And so everything might have been had it not been for the Man.  Instead of saying he was sorry, he had started to argue and blame the Woman.  At that God had refused to speak with him longer.  He had ordered the Man and Woman and all the animals to leave Eden immediately.  He had given them no time to pack.  Lining them up like soldiers, He had numbered them to make certain that none were missing and then, with the Man and Woman leading, had marched them beyond the walls and locked the golden gates of Eden against them forever.

Since then all had been privation and confusion.  The animals, from regarding the Man as their lord, had grown to despise him.  They had blamed him for their misfortunes.  They had told him that it was his fault that they had lost their happiness and that God walked the earth no more.  The woman had told him so most particularly.  Of all the created world only the dog and the robin had remained faithful to him.  The dog slept across his feet at night to keep them warm and the robin sang to him each dawn that he should not lose courage.

III

Through the world’s first summer things had not been so bad, though of course the wilderness that grew outside of Eden was not so comfortable as the garden they had lost.  In the garden no one had needed to work:  food had grown on the trees to one’s hand and, because it was so sheltered, the weather had been always pleasant.  It hadn’t been necessary to wear clothing; it hadn’t been necessary to build houses, for it had never rained.  Birds hadn’t troubled to make nests, nor rabbits to dig warrens.  Everybody had felt perfectly safe to sleep out-of-doors, wherever he happened to find himself, without a thought of protection.