the blue bird sang more sweetly than ever, and the butterfly shone more brightly, as lionel once more carried the book of beasts out into the rose garden, and opened it very quickly, so that he might not be afraid and change his mind. the book fell open wide, almost in the middle, and there was written at the bottom of the page, "hippogriff," and before lionel had time to see what the picture was, there was a fluttering of great wings and a stamping of hoofs, and a sweet, soft, friendly neighing; and there came out of the book a beautiful white horse with a long, long, white mane and a long, long, white tail, and he had great wings like swan's wings, and the softest, kindest eyes in the world, and he stood there among the roses.