David and the Phoenix is a children's fantasy book written by Edward Ormondroyd, published in 1957.
When David climbs a mountain near his family's new home, he stumbles upon the Phoenix, a brightly colored (and incredibly vain and arrogant) bird that boasts about being nearly five hundred years old. The two quickly become friends, and the Phoenix declares his intention to give David a proper education — which consists mainly of flying him around the world to meet other magical creatures. But when a Scientist arrives with the intent to trap or shoot the Phoenix for study, David and the Phoenix will have to get creative to stop his plans.
This book is now in the public domain and can be read at Project Gutenberg
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This book contains examples of:
- A Dog Named "Dog": The Phoenix is never called anything but the Phoenix, so we can only assume that's his name. Most of the magical creatures, such as the Sea Monster and the Banshee, are only referred to by their species' names, though it's unclear if these are their actual names or the Phoenix just never bothers to use their real names.
- A Handful for an Eye: How David and the Phoenix escape the griffons.
- Bald of Evil: The Scientist, paired with Creepy Blue Eyes.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Phoenix bows to tradition and burns himself alive... and is reborn from the ashes. Though he ultimately escapes the Scientist, it's implied that he no longer remembers David, and it's left unclear if he and David will ever encounter each other again.
- Deadpan Snarker: The Sea Monster, especially when talking to the Phoenix.
- Fantasy Kitchen Sink: Besides The Phoenix, David encounters a witch, a sea monster, griffons/griffens (they're two different species), a leprechaun, a banshee, and a faun. Mention is also made of dragons, unicorns, trolls, and chimera.
- Free-Range Children: David pretty much is able to run up the mountain, to the hardware store, tropical islands, and even Ireland without his parents batting an eye. (Granted, his parents aren't aware of the last two...)
- Harmless Electrocution: The only permanent damage the Phoenix suffers from his attempt to hack into the electric grid is setting his tail feathers on fire.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: David and the Phoenix set snare traps to protect the Phoenix's mountain ledge from the Scientist. Both end up getting snared instead, within minutes of each other!
- Insufferable Genius: The Phoenix is quite knowledgeable about the magical world, and won't hesitate to tell you so.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The Phoenix is arrogant and occasionally abrasive, but treats David as a friend.
- No Name Given: No one ever refers to the Scientist as anything but... well, the Scientist.
- Oireland: The characters make a brief trip to Ireland, where everything is described as incredibly green. They even encounter a leprechaun.
- Our Banshees Are Louder: Except the Banshee in this book — she's quit the traditional Banshee trade of screeching and taken up witchcraft for a living.
- Our Gryphons Are Different: They come in three varieties — griffons, griffens, and griffins. Griffons are large and hostile; griffens are smaller and so lazy that they only wake up once a week. Griffins are never encountered, but according to the Phoenix they are somewhere between griffons and griffens in size, reddish in color, and quite nice.
- Really 700 Years Old: The Phoenix boasts about being nearly five hundred years old.
- Science Is Bad: The antagonist is a Scientist intent on trapping or shooting the Phoenix for study.
- Significant Birth Date: The Phoenix knows something is special about his upcoming five-hundredth birthday, but can't remember what. Turns out it's the date of his death and rebirth.
- Sore Loser: The Phoenix accuses the witch of this after he beats her in a race... though given that the Phoenix is also an Unreliable Narrator, this is up for debate.
- Talking Animal: The Phoenix, the griffons/griffen, and the Sea Monster.
- Trademark Favorite Food: The Phoenix loves sugar cookies.
- Wham Line: At the Phoenix's birthday party, when the Phoenix reveals the pyre he's created:David: Phoenix, wh-wh-who is the pyre for?Phoenix: For myself.
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