cried Water.

"We still have tongues of our own!" roared Fire.

"Yes! Yes!" screamed Sugar, who, knowing that his end was at hand,
kept kissing Water and melting before the others' eyes.

Poor Bread in vain tried to make his voice heard above the din. Light
had to interfere and command silence. Then Bread spoke his last words:

"I am leaving you," he said, between his sobs. "I am leaving you, my
dear Children, and you will no longer see me in my living form....
Your eyes are about to close to the invisible life of Things; but I
shall be always there, in the bread-pan, on the shelf, on the table,
beside the soup, I who am, if I may say so, the most faithful
companion, the oldest friend of Man...."

"Well, and what about me?" shouted Fire, angrily.

"Silence!" said Light. "The hour is passing.... Be quick and say
good-bye to the Children...."

Fire rushed forward, took hold of the Children, one after the other,
and kissed them so violently that they screamed with pain:

"Oh! Oh!... He's burning me!..."

"Oh! Oh!... He's scorched my nose!..."

"Let me kiss the place and make it well," said Water, going up to the
children gently.

This gave Fire his chance:

"Take care," he said, "you'll get wet."

"I am loving and gentle," said Water. "I am kind to human beings...."

"What about those you drown?" asked Fire.

But Water pretended not to hear:

"Love the wells, listen to the brooks," she said. "I shall always be
there. When you sit down in the evening, beside the springs, try to
understand what they are trying to say...."

Then she had to break off, for a regular waterfall of tears came
gushing from her eyes, flooding all around her. However, she resumed:

"Think of me when you see the water-bottle.... You will find me also
in the ewer, the watering-can, the cistern and the tap...."

Then Sugar came up, with a limping walk, for he could hardly stand on
his feet. He uttered a few words of sorrow, in an affected voice and
then stopped, for tears, he said, were not in harmony with his
temperament.

"Humbug!" cried Bread.

"Sugar-plum! Lollipop! Caramel!" yelped Fire.

[Illustration: Closely pursued by the Dog, who overwhelmed her with
bites, blows and kicks]

And all began to laugh, except the two children, who were very sad:

"Where are Tylette and Tylo gone to?" asked our hero.

At that moment, the Cat came running up, in a terrible state: her hair
was on end and dishevelled, her clothes were