METROPOLIS
“Come away from the stupid water, little brother. ... Come here to me! You can’t hear the water here!”
“T can’t come to you sister! I can’t move, sister. . . . Can't you come and fetch me?”
“Me too, sister—yes, me too!—me tool”
“I can’t do that, little brothers, little sisters! Your youngest brothers and sisters are on my lap. They have gone to sleep and I mustn’t wake them!”
“Oh sister, are we sure to get out?”
“Why do you ask as if you were frightened, little brother?”
“The floor is shaking so and stones are tumbling down from the ceiling!”
“Have those silly stones hurt youP”
“No, but my little sister’s lying down and she’s not moving any more,”
“Don’t disturb her, little brother. Your sister's asleep!”
“Yes, but she was crying just now... !”
“Don’t be sorry little brother that she had gone where she need not cry any more... .”
“Where has she gone to, then, sister?”
“To heaven, I think.”
“Is heaven so near, then?”
“Oh yes, quite near. I can even see the door from here! And if Pm not wrong, Saint Peter is standing there, in front of it, with a large golden key, waiting until he can let us in....
“Oh, sister . . . sister!! Now the water's coming up—! Now it’s got hold of my feet! Now it’s lifting me up—!”
“Sister!! Help me, sister.—The water has come—!!”
“God can help you—Almighty God!”
“Sister, 'm frightened!”
“Are you frightened of going into the lovely heaven?”
“Ts it lovely in heaven?”
“Oh—glorious—glorious!”
“Is Foxy Fox in heaven, too—and little Mr. Hedgehog?”
“I don’t know! Shall I ask Saint Peter about it?”
“Yes, sister... . Are you crying?”
“No, why should I be crying?—Saint Peter—! Saint
Peter—!”
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