nobody ever runs away because they know that if someone doesn’t come back, another student will be locked up in a dark solitary cell until they come back
“Babar kisses the Old Lady good-bye. He would be quite happy to go if it were not for leaving her. He promises to come back some day. He will never forget her.”
Only a small boy sees them leaving and follows as the babies chase butterflies in trees, frogs in a bog, even bats in a cave, ignoring pleas to come back. But not to worry, our hero saves the day, making sure that all the babies get home safely from their appealing adventures.
The first thing he gives to the wind is the brooch which comes back as the snow spider and suddenly magic is in his life, real and with consequences and responsibilities.